mdolla: How to evaluate an SEO Proposal

Small businesses are increasing their outreach through social media and online businesses. One of the key parameters of success in the online world is SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

SEO simply means how your website actually ranks against others when someone types in search keywords in Google.

It has been a proven fact now that the end users actually see results on the first page of their Google search page. Some research even indicates that users do not beyond first three or four results.

In such a competitive environment, it becomes difficult for small business owners with limited budgets to compete with other big giants of the industry.

One method to rank better on online searches is to basically hire a professional who can evaluate your website and your competitors’ websites and can suggest methods through which you can improve your rankings.

Well, almost every SEO professional will submit you a proposal to accept before he or she can proceed ahead.

Another important factor is the social proof of the SEO agency. Before hiring them or asking them to submit their proposals, it is always great to check the social proof.

If you are small business owner who wants to implement SEO on his website, here are some important tips for you:

1. It should be professionally written

A good SEO proposal must be professionally written. If you are receiving a proposal which is written in poor English, be assured that it is coming from some other country.

Though SEO work is mostly done in countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh but your SEO company may charge you the rates of US companies.

Make sure you are reading a document which is professionally written.

2. Does it narrate SEO strategy?

Probably the most important thing for you to look into is whether the SEO Proposal provides any SEO strategy upfront or not.

Every good proposal shall contain a detailed strategy which specifically highlights a complete web analysis, a comparative analysis of where your site stands in terms of competition, keyword selection, targeting/positioning and inbound link assessment.

Though these terms may seem Greek to you but they are practically essential and most important elements to look for into any SEO proposal.

While reading the SEO proposal especially look for how the proposal actually tackles the issue of A/B testing. Split testing is important to measure how various SEO changes actually have an impact on your results.

3. Does it contain any defined deadline?

Many SEO firms offer running contracts which can run for months as SEO is considered as an ongoing job.

Every deliverable must have a given deadline and a budget.

Once you scrutinize the deadlines and the budget, it is always important to agree with all the deadlines and the budget as cost over-runs can cause your SEO efforts to go in vain.

SEO is an ongoing job, therefore, certain deadlines can be lengthy and you may have to pay some monthly fees to continue enjoying the service.

Always make sure you discuss all the deadlines and budgets. Make sure

4. Overall content strategy

An SEO Proposal must discuss the overall content strategy and how it is going to take your content strategy to next level.

The content strategy is important because it requires input from your side too and you need to critically evaluate this section of the proposal to understand what are the roles and what is expected from you.

Offline content strategy can be expensive to execute so be prepared and discuss extensively in this section. Specifically, discuss with your provider to mention a separate section on how to deal with click fraud and how to deal with it through better SEO practices.

Small business owners require a careful review of SEO proposals to make sure that advertising meets their targets. Sticking with the budgets as well as achieving the results could be easily materialized provided you review SEO proposal before accepting the offer.

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