Do you own a pest control company and want to scale your business and increase your revenue? Choosing the right SEO agency can generate amazing results through digital marketing.
Are you wondering how to choose an SEO agency? Ideally, you’ll find a pest control SEO company that knows the industry and how to market it. MarketingPests is one such business. However, don’t take our word for it. Compare all your options against the following criteria so you can make an informed decision.
Understanding SEO
SEO works by using commonly searched terms (keywords) to help a website appear toward the top of search results. Companies that harness the power of SEO gain the following benefits.
Increased Visibility
When your company appears higher on Google search results, more people see your website. This means they’re more likely to click on your page when searching for help.
Improved Lead Generation
With increased visibility comes greater lead generation. You’ll find more people interested in your services and higher web traffic, which means they’re more likely to book an appointment. There’s a direct correlation between hiring good SEO firms and increasing profit.
Enhanced Opportunism
One reason SEO works is that it grabs people’s attention. If they’re searching for a pest company online, it’s because they need help, and most likely quickly. When your company appears near the top, you have a good chance of booking them right away if they like what they see.
Finding the Best
When you’re wondering how to choose an SEO agency, keep the following in mind. These factors will make it easier to find the best SEO company.
Examine Their Portfolio
A company that specializes in SEO should show competence in promoting its own business. Examine the work they’ve done both for other pest control companies and their own business. Ask the following questions:
- Have they worked with other pest control companies, or do they specialize in pest control SEO?
- Do the companies they’ve worked with appear on the first page of the search engines?
- Does their business appear on the first page of the search engines?
- Is their website engaging, easy to use, and current?
Confirm They’re Ethical
Not every SEO strategy is good. While “black hat” SEO achieves quick results, it eventually forces the search engines to ban you from appearing in results. You can tell an SEO company is problematic if they use:
- Content automation, including using AI to write copy, edit, or devise a marketing strategy
- Doorway pages, which are those created specifically to rank high in search engines; they’re usually low quality and funnel people onto a more usable site
- Hidden links, which are those that appear in the same color as the main text or are inserted into punctuation
- Keyword stuffing, which is filling a webpage with the most common search terms; it leads to low-quality content, and while you’ll rank higher in the search engines, visitors likely won’t find your site understandable
- Negative SEO, which attempts to discredit or damage a competitor’s SEO through hacking, creating duplicate websites, and similar strategies
- Article spinning, which is posting the same content with slightly different phrasing or word choice
- Links that are useless or irrelevant
- Malicious behavior like phishing, trojans, and malware
Check Your Expectations
Does the SEO company you’re researching promise impossible results? While SEO relies on evidence-based methods and often yields predictable results, no company can guarantee success. Google constantly updates its algorithms, so a company must frequently evolve and use new methods.
If the company guarantees anything, it’s a red flag since there’s no way to promise continued success with Google’s ever-changing algorithms.
Review Their Reputation
Before signing a contract, look at the company’s online reviews and customer testimonials. You should find reviews directly on the company’s website, but they only post the best ones. Check third-party websites like the Better Business Bureau for a more objective view of their client’s satisfaction and the company’s results.
Criticize Their Communication
Frequent and transparent communication is essential for a successful SEO campaign. The best companies are open in their communication. Confirm the company does the following:
- Are they willing to answer all your questions?
- Are they clear and open about their strategies?
- Are they transparent about their number of employees and who you’ll work with?
- Can they explain what led to their previous successes?
- Are they open about their past failures?
Inspect Their Pricing
Because SEO requires constant evaluation and adjustment, it needs experience and expertise. The adage, “You get what you pay for,” is true for SEO as well. If the company only charges one upfront price or is considerably lower than its competitors, they’re likely either not effective or practicing black hat SEO.
Inquire About Reporting
To help you understand their strategy and whether it’s successful, confirm the company reports more than just numbers. Google Analytics is the gold standard for assessing the success of a strategy. However, if the company just hands you numbers, they’re not doing their due diligence.
Before booking, inquire about their reporting process by asking the following questions:
- How frequently do you report results? They should communicate about the strategy once a quarter, at least, but check in monthly early in the campaign.
- What is their reporting process?
- How easily can you reach them with questions, and what is their response time?
Confirm a Diverse Skillset
Make sure the company’s team includes marketing specialists, graphic designers, web designers, copywriters, and more. If you’re only working with one or two people, you won’t receive the quality you need.
Let MarketingPests Help Scale Your Pest Control Business
Now that you know how to choose an SEO agency, consider how MarketingPests meets all your criteria. We’re experts in the most common types of SEO and specialize in scaling pest control companies. Because we know the industry and SEO, we can increase your visibility, leads, and customers.
Book a strategy session to learn how we can help you with your site today.
