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Therefore, the essential question for business owners is, "how do I know that the SEO agency is right for my business and goals?" Because if you don't ask this question, you might end up working with the wrong SEO agency, and that can end up hurting your business.

Regardless of your SEO requirements, there will be dozens, if not hundreds, of agencies fighting for your business. The industry of search engine optimization service providers is worth more than $65 billion. As a result, expect anyone else with a computer and web connection to claim to be an SEO agency to get a piece of the industry's billion-dollar pie. So how would you know that you've found the right one?

1. Take A Look at the Agency Portfolio

Remember to closely examine the SEO agency's work, beginning with their website. Is this company's website well-optimized for search engines? Did you have problems finding their site, foremost?

Do they come up in searches for the terms they've chosen? If they haven't been able to help themselves build a strong internet presence, there's a good possibility they won't be able to assist you. Examine some of the other businesses they've advertised and look up their Google rankings, too. This is a litmus test that you shouldn't miss.

2. Select an Ethical Business

It is a good idea for every business owner to acquaint oneself with SEO fundamentals before exploring SEO agencies. Yes, there are ethical and unethical SEO methods. Sadly, your site can disappear from Google if it gets penalized after an SEO agency inadvertently uses black hat SEO methods or banned methods like PBNs (private blog networks). Understanding how it works, what it is, and how good results are genuinely achieved are critical to your business's survival.

Before you pull out a pen to sign a contract with any agency or company, be sure they follow the search engine rules, foremost. Black hat SEO refers to unethical and undesirable optimization tactics that tend to undermine search quality. Again, these methods can eventually get you banned from having any online presence.

3. No One Can Guarantee a Positive Outcome

Pay attention to what an agency guarantees. Ethical agencies will promote their methods, case studies, and strengths. However, be alarmed if you see a guarantee like "#1 spot in just two months." That is a huge red flag. Nobody knows for sure when a site will rank first for anything. 

If a company claims to "guarantee" specific Google rankings or a specific amount of visitors to your website, be wary. Because Google does not accept payment for priority page or site submissions or even higher positions in SERPs once a site has already been crawled, you can't pay your way to the top. Furthermore, no company can guarantee a specific rank. Therefore, the assurance you want is that they will follow the search engine recommendations for quality of work and stay true to industry best practices.

Google's search algorithm is updated and tweaked regularly. Therefore, it's critical to hire a firm that keeps up with these changes and is aware of the current developments.

4. Look into Public Company Reviews

Examine the SEO service provider's testimonies and reviews before choosing to work with them. Further, then the testimonials on their website, search the internet for other reviews. You will most likely uncover negative reviews if they have a lot of them. Finally, check out their BBB page and social networking sites to see how they interact online and better understand their work culture.

5. Expect Transparency - Don't Be Fooled By "Secret Sauce" Claims

This is an excellent sign if a company is prepared to answer all of your inquiries and fully clear any doubts you may have by providing SEO facts. However, be wary of companies that keep their processes, methods, or workers hidden. If they're hiding anything, it's very likely that they're doing black hat SEO and aren't following ethical guidelines. SEO isn't rocket science, and it's not a formula that only a few people know about. A good SEO company will explain their approach, why they do things the way they do and educate you more about SEO and how it works.

Can You Learn Great SEO with an SEO Coach?

The short answer is yes, you can. There are various approaches to learning SEO, but if you want more focused learning and better results, nothing matches working with an expert SEO professional. To cut it short, an SEO coach will look at your business and your site and listen to your feedback about your experiences in trying to optimize your site.

In short, the SEO coach will be focused on your concerns alone, which eliminates the need to refer to theory. The theory has its uses, but in the final analysis, the concrete steps on your site (and off-site) make a difference in your SEO efforts. You can watch dozens of hours of YouTube videos on search engine optimization. Still, without the guiding hand of an SEO coach who is familiar with the everyday problems of beginners, the journey from point A to point B is going to be complicated and thorny.

Also, everyone knows that time is money. Self-learning requires many months of theory and slow, baby steps in 'probably' the right direction. There is plenty of space for errors.

What about SEO agencies?

You don't have to hire an SEO agency to get started in optimizing your website for your market. Through dedicated lessons, you can perform the SEO process on your site whenever you have free time. But, again, you need to know what to look for under the hood of your site to understand what's wrong. In the long term, investing in SEO education provides so many benefits to entrepreneurs.