You’re considering hiring an SEO optimization consultant to improve your website’s search engine rankings, but aren’t sure what to expect from the process. Here’s a rundown of what typically happens when you bring optimization consultants on board and how the relationship usually works.
They’ll Start by Auditing Your Website
One of the first things an experienced SEO consultant will do is conduct a detailed audit of your website. This allows them to identify any technical issues that may be hampering your search visibility, note areas for content improvement, and gain a clear of understanding of how your site is currently optimized.
During the audit, they’ll evaluate things like:
- Site architecture and internal linking
- Keyword targeting and optimization
- Title tags and meta descriptions
- Image optimization
- Site speed and mobile friendliness
- Content quality and engagement
The audit gives them the baseline understanding they need to measure progress and put together the right optimization plan for your site and business goals.
Expect Strategic Recommendations in an SEO Plan
After completing the website audit, the consultant will synthesize their findings into a strategic SEO plan outline specifically for your business. This plan will likely include both on-page and off-page recommendations.
On-page recommendations could include things like:
- Targeting different keywords and search terms
- Optimizing content for the buyer’s journey
- Improving page speed
- Enhancing UI/UX
While off-page recommendations focus more on areas like:
- Link building
- Local SEO optimization
- Social engagement
- Reviews and citations
The plan will highlight the consultant’s roadmap for improving your organic rankings in a methodical manner over time.
Ongoing Optimization & Adjustments
SEO is an ongoing process. The tactics that work best today probably won’t be the same ones driving results six months from now. Google’s algorithms change, new content and competitors enter the space, and consumer behavior evolves. A knowledgeable SEO consultant will make continual recommendations to help you stay ahead of these changes. You shouldn’t expect a one-and-done engagement. They’ll likely suggest small tweaks and tactics to test on an ongoing basis, building off what’s working at the time.
Be Ready to Produce Fresh Content
Most SEO experts will encourage regularly publishing new, original content focused around your best-performing keywords. So you’ll likely need to create, or hire someone to create, blog posts, videos, and other media continuously. The consultant can advise around topics, keywords, and content types to focus on. But you or someone on your team needs to be responsible for bringing that content to life consistently. Consistent creation and promotion of engaging content is one of the most effective ongoing SEO strategies there is.
Performance Tracking & Reporting
Reputable consultants provide regular reporting to showcase the concrete results achieved from the SEO program. This allows you both to assess what’s working as planned and what needs to shift. You’ll likely review things like:
- Keyword ranking improvements
- Changes in organic traffic
- Increases in leads/sales from organic
- Links acquired
- Website user metrics
The consultant should be actively monitoring rankings, traffic, leads and other key performance indicators tied to core goals. And delivering clear reports that show you the month-to-month progress.
Be Prepared for a Long-Term Investment
It takes time for SEO efforts to drive measurable results. You likely won’t see major changes in higher rankings, more traffic, and increased revenue overnight (unless there were some glaring technical problems). Consistent, strategic effort over 6 to 12 months is typically the minimum needed. The more competitive your keywords, the more patient and persistent you must be to rank. An experienced SEO pro understands results won’t happen instantly. They know earning those coveted top search spots requires playing the long game.
Working with an SEO consultant involves an ongoing partnership focused on continual optimization and improvement to your organic presence. While you outsource the technical expertise and strategy to the consultant, you supply the intimate knowledge of your brand, products/services, content capabilities and vision for what you want to accomplish. With commitment to the process from both parties, your website can build serious search engine authority and become a leader in your niche. Just make sure you have realistic expectations around the level of effort and timelines involved when partnering with an SEO pro. Consistent, strategic work over an extended period delivers the greatest gains.
