How to Choose an SEO Company, Agency or Provider for Your Trades Business
- Get to Know the Basics of SEO
- Decide on the Type of SEO Company You Want to Hire
- Use Search Engines
- Review Examples of their Work and Portfolio
- Read Customer Testimonials & Reviews
- Compare Pricing & Set Your Budget
- Talk to Them
- Avoid Long-Term Contracts & Guarantees
Finding the Right SEO Company, Agency or Provider
When finding an SEO company, you will need to ensure they are the right fit for you and your trades business. With so many SEO companies and providers to choose from, you will want to pick the best one to ensure that potential customers can find your business on search engines through organic traffic. This ultimately allows you to get ahead of your competition and for your business to grow by significantly boosting the visibility of your website, which in turn leads to more calls, quotes, and paid work.
Investing in SEO has a multitude of benefits, and if you’ve found yourself here, chances are you are aware it is worth the time, money, and effort. So, let’s dive into the process of finding the ideal SEO company, agency, or provider for your trades business.
1. Get to Know the Basics of SEO
Before you begin your search for finding an SEO company, it is crucial to grasp the fundamentals of SEO. This knowledge will equip you to engage in discussions with the SEO company, agency or provider and understand the various processes and techniques they might use to optimise your website.
There are several types of SEO, including on-site, off-site, and technical SEO, as well as local, national, international, and e-commerce. If you want to learn more about SEO in detail, check out our guide on what SEO is. However, at a glimpse:
On-site SEO involves everything related to your website, ensuring it is responsive, mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and includes high-quality content. On the other hand, off-site SEO involves improving your online presence outside of your website through listings, backlinks, social media and reviews. The technical side of SEO ensures your website is easily discovered, user-friendly, and performs well on search engines by implementing technical elements like Schema.org and Robots.txt.
As a tradesperson, local SEO could be a game-changer if you are willing to travel to specific areas for your work. This strategy ensures that your website is prominently featured in local search results. Local SEO is tailored to specific locations, making it easier for potential customers in your area to find you.
2. Decide on the Type of SEO Company You Want to Hire
When finding an SEO company for your trades business, you must decide on the type of SEO agency or provider that best suits your needs. Your options include hiring a freelancer or an agency and selecting either an offshore, national, or local company. Some larger businesses may even prefer to form an in-house team; however, this would not be cost-effective for you as a sole trader or a small to medium team of tradespeople.
When choosing between freelancers and agencies for SEO, keep in mind that freelancers may be more affordable, but SEO agencies have a larger team with extensive expertise and can offer more support. Working with a local company allows for face-to-face interaction with SEO providers. In contrast, national companies may have a wide range of skills and experience in SEO to optimise your trades website.
To learn more, check out our article, What Are the Different Types of SEO Companies, where we delve into the various types of SEO providers, as well as insights into the kinds of SEO services they may offer.
3. Use Search Engines
When finding an SEO company for your trades business, online is a good place to start. Why not Google it? Try searching for terms like “SEO companies near me” if you are looking for a local company or “SEO company for tradesmen” if you are looking for a company that specialises in the trades industry. If they appear on the first page of Google, that’s a pretty good sign. After all, Search Engine Optimisation is part of their business!
4. Review Examples of their Work and Portfolio
If you are looking to find the right SEO company for your trades business, thoroughly reviewing their portfolio to see examples of their work is essential. By doing so, you can have a clear understanding of their competence, specialism, and experience across certain industries, such as trades, manufacturing & engineering, automotive, hospitality & tourism, health & education, retail & e-commerce, and pet services. Well-structured and easy-to-navigate websites are a good indicator of their professionalism and expertise.
Furthermore, don’t forget to look at their own website to see the types of SEO services they can offer. Perhaps you even discovered them through a search on Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Are they thought leaders within their industry, or do they avoid writing blog posts? Reading a few of their articles might also indicate whether they know what they are talking about. Finding an SEO company with experience in the trades industry that can provide the SEO services necessary for your business to thrive means you are on the right track.
5. Read Customer Testimonials & Reviews
Another method for finding an SEO company that is right for your trades business is to read their customers’ testimonials and reviews. Much like reviewing their portfolio, examining their reviews will clearly indicate their quality of work, the potential results you can expect, and customer service levels. Plus, it means they can’t hide behind false promises or claims; real people would have left these testimonials. This step is crucial in ensuring you make the right choice for your business.
You can find reviews on Google, Facebook, and Trustpilot or featured on their websites. In addition, choosing an SEO company based on recommendations through word of mouth by a friend or family member is an old-fashioned but reliable way to find an agency or freelancer.
Conversely, don’t worry about the occasional negative review. Happy customers leaving mostly 4- or 5-star reviews is a good sign. However, you might want to avoid SEO companies with numerous negative reviews, especially if they are followed by a sudden surge of positive ones. The positive reviews might be fake, so reading the reviews rather than just relying on the overall rating is essential.
6. Compare Pricing & Set Your Budget
When finding an SEO company, setting your budget and comparing quotes from multiple SEO agencies or providers is crucial. This way, you don’t put all your eggs in one basket and face unexpected or hidden costs. In addition, this ensures you are choosing the right SEO company that best fits your budget and needs.
When choosing an SEO provider, don’t just go for the cheapest option because of the lower costs. On the other hand, don’t opt for the most expensive option, assuming it’s the best. You will need to assess which SEO company is the most suitable for your trades business based on their level of expertise and ability to provide results.
You may find that some SEO companies will charge a monthly fee, while others may have an hourly rate or project-based pricing. To learn more about SEO costs, check out our guide on how much SEO costs in the UK.
7. Talk to Them
The most important thing to do when finding an SEO company is to talk to them, whether by phone, Livechat, WhatsApp, or through contact forms. Communication and transparency are essential to understanding how they work, the types of SEO services they provide, the strategies they use, their experience within your industry, and how they can help your trades business grow. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, such as the expected timelines, how they react to changes in search engine rankings, and how they track your website’s data.
Alternatively, they may have a wealth of resources on their website, which answers some of your questions. You can check out their FAQs page, read their blogs, or watch videos on your own time, without the pressure of talking to them directly.
Remember to set clear goals and prioritise the services and the locations you want to be found for. The more information you provide about your trades business and the services you offer, the better they can understand and optimise your website to appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).
8. Avoid Long-Term Contracts & Guarantees
Whilst we have discussed what to do when finding an SEO company, there are also a number of pitfalls to avoid. These include falling for agencies that guarantee top spot rankings in search engine results pages and signing long-term contracts.
If you would like to delve into more detail on what to avoid when hiring an SEO company and the biggest SEO mistakes to look out for your website, feel free to read our guide on Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring for SEO. These mistakes include expecting instant results, opting for black hat SEO companies, and more.
Need an SEO Company for Your Trades Business?
If you think finding an SEO Company could benefit your trades business, you are absolutely right! Whether you are a plumber, heating engineer, electrician, tree surgeon, decorator, or work with renewables, conservatories, windows, and more, Web Design and SEO Company are here to help you with your SEO requirements. As an SEO agency, we specialise in providing SEO Services and creating New Websites for trades and service businesses. Please note that we only offer SEO services for websites we build and integrate SEO ourselves due to the complexities of taking over an existing website for SEO.
Get in Touch
If you are interested in our SEO-optimised Websites and SEO Services, head to our Online Shop for Websites for Small Businesses and Tradesmen. Alternatively, if you have unique functionality and/or styling requirements, Book a Call with us for a Bespoke Website Design.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to explore our Knowledge Hub, where you’ll find FAQs and useful resources, such as Blogs, Videos, and even eBooks on choosing the right website design company and SEO agency for your Trades or Small Business.
You can also reach us by calling 01752 291865, messaging us on WhatsApp on 07457 404241, completing our contact form, or starting a Live Chat now!
A Checklist for Finding an SEO Company for Your Trades Business
If you are ready to find an SEO company for your trades business, feel free to use the checklist below.
- Decide on the Type of SEO Company You Want to Hire
- Use Google to Find SEO Companies
- Review Examples of their Work and Portfolio
- Read Customer Testimonials & Reviews
- Request Quotes from Multiple SEO Companies
- Compare Pricing & Set Your Budget
- Book a Call or Chat in Person to Ask Any Questions You May Have
- Make a Decision