Let’s face it. You own a website and want to rank it in the top search results, but you cannot do it alone. You need a robust search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to set your website at pace! In other words, SEO is the solution to meeting your marketing goals, which include better website rankings, increased organic traffic, higher visibility, boosted lead generation, enhanced brand awareness, and better conversion rate.

Here comes a search engine optimization consultant! With better comprehension and experience in handling the nuances of algorithm changes and search trends, an SEO consultant can help you reach potential clients while staying competitive in the digital landscape. They help you to accomplish your business goals, fuelling your SEO efforts.

SEO is one of the most ethical and result-driven tactics that makes your website search engine-friendly, enabling easy crawling and indexing. The primary goal of SEO is to achieve higher rankings and attract a large section of the target audience. It establishes your online prominence by encouraging brand authority and credibility. Without SEO, you cannot mark a successful digital footprint.

Nonetheless, SEO is an umbrella term involving the strategic implementation of diverse tactics. Hence, for any business or marketer, there is a need to hire an SEO consultant to experience fruitful results.

In this blog, we will learn about the various aspects of an SEO consultant, helping you to determine whether you need to hire one! Let’s begin this exciting journey! 

What is an SEO Consultant?

A search engine consultant is an expert specializing in website optimization to enhance its visibility by helping it rank in the top search results. Whether working as a freelancer or a part of a digital marketing company, the task of an SEO consultant is pivotal in the team. The overall processing of search engine optimization depends on the specialist as he possesses profound knowledge about the workings of search engines, the latest trends and practices and proficiency in adjusting to the changing search engine algorithms.

The job of a search engine optimization consultant is multifaceted. Typically, they propose a host of services to help struggling businesses combat the digital competition. Though you may be aware of the basics of SEO, your website is still underperforming because you do not have the skills, expertise, or time required for such a complex task. Thankfully, we have experts we can rely on!

According to Backlinko, Google uses over 200 factors in their algorithms for website rankings. Also, Google organic search is responsible for 57.8% of the world’s overall web traffic.

So, how far do you think you can reach without professional SEO assistance? 

What Does an SEO Consultant Do?

The responsibilities of a search optimization consultant are diverse and enormous. They provide targeted solutions to help clients accomplish their marketing goals while implementing the best practices and strategies to complement their requirements. The nature and scope of work of an SEO consultant depend entirely on the industry. However, a business or a marketer can hire an SEO expert to execute a specific task or project.

If we are to talk about the responsibilities of a search engine optimization consultant, here it goes:

1. Perform an SEO Audit-

Most certainly, whenever you appoint an SEO consultant, the first thing they will do is perform an SEO audit. It is the process of analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your website. In other words, through an SEO audit, you receive an in-depth understanding of your website’s performance in search rankings while identifying its status. It specially reviews your website’s structure and content to recognize the improvement areas. The process involves:

• Examining indexation issues
•  Analyzing web core vitals and page load speed
• Identifying keyword and content flaws
•  Assessing the backlink profile
• Evaluating competitors’ strategies
• Unveiling prospective optimization opportunities

2. Propose an SEO Strategy-

After analyzing the structural and functional issues of your website, there comes the most significant part- planning the right SEO strategy. Every business is distinct, and so does its marketing requirements. No one rule fits all! So, based on the findings of the SEO audit, your consultant will come up with a strategy that will help to achieve your business goals.

For an effective SEO strategy, it is necessary to acknowledge your business goals, target audience, and niche competition. By this, your SEO consultant can figure out the challenges and opportunities in your business. Considering your website’s authority and topical expertise, an SEO professional can create the ideal strategy for optimal effectiveness.

3. Perform Keyword Research and Analysis-

What happens after you have a set strategy? An average of 75.5% of marketers implement keyword research to create content for businesses and consumers. It means that without relevant keywords in your content or web page, you will not accomplish an impressive rank in the SERPs. Therefore, keyword research is vital to improve your website’s visibility while boosting its search rank.

Keywords are the terms or phrases that are popularly used by searchers when searching for businesses, products, or services. The more competent a keyword, the higher its visibility. An SEO consultant will determine the relevant and valuable keywords and use them strategically in your website’s content to enhance its significance, relativity, and usefulness. Search engines recognize the search intent of these keywords to rank your content.

4. Conduct On-Page Optimization-

On-page SEO refers to the optimization of the elements present on your web pages so that search engines can easily crawl and index them. It is one of the fundamental components of SEO responsible for website ranking and attracting organic traffic. On-page SEO comprises content, site architecture, and HTML elements.

A search engine consultant optimizes the content, title tags, meta descriptions, headings, internal links, Alt texts, URLs, page speed, and mobile responsiveness to make your website search-engine friendly and also readable to human eyes. Thus, from identifying high-quality keywords to optimizing the core web page elements, an SEO consultant imposes multiple tactics for effective on-page optimization.

5. Implement Off-Page Optimization-

Off-page SEO, or off-site SEO, involves techniques to attract links from other websites, social shares, brand mentions, etc. These are the external factors responsible for establishing your site’s credibility and domain authority. In other words, off-page optimization tells search engines about the significance of your website across the Internet. The links you receive from other sources act as endorsements exhibiting the quality and authenticity of your website.

A search optimization consultant identifies the quality of backlinks because all links are not created equal and will not drive relevant traffic to your website. Spammy links are avoided as they negatively affect your page ranking. Links with high DA, rich Anchor text, relevant content, and higher positioning are always the best vet. It is obvious one must avoid links from websites with irrelevant niches and sketchy reputations. Other methods to create backlinks are brand mentions, social sharing, using citations like Google My Business optimization, etc. Also, note that ‘add me to search’ or creating a Google People Card is another effective off-page SEO strategy. 

6. Measure and Report-

After you have a comprehensive SEO strategy, an SEO consultant tracks your SEO performance based on several metrics. How do you know your efforts are working until you track it? So, to analyze the performance of the SEO strategy, your consultant will monitor and measure the results. Using various tools and collecting data points like keyword rankings, organic traffic, search visibility, bounce rate, conversion rate, backlinks, click-through rate (CTR), core web vitals, page speed, exit rate, domain authority, etc., an SEO professional examines the effectiveness of the applied strategies.

You will receive the performance report helping you to determine whether your SEO investment is pulling off well! These insights also enable a search engine optimization consultant to refine the strategies for improved results. Tracking and tweaking are the constant processes in SEO, responsible for keeping you ahead of the competition.

Additionally, an SEO consultant may also provide SEO training, especially to businesses that have an in-house digital marketing team. Indeed, it is not obligatory, but it is a critical task that strengthens a company’s digital marketing cornerstone. The training involves guiding you through the various realms of SEO, which will continue to provide measurable outcomes. 

Why Should You Hire a Search Engine Optimization Consultant?

Now, it is pretty obvious that the task of an SEO consultant is highly critical and comprises multiple facets. Whether your business goal is to generate brand awareness or increase lead generation, hiring an SEO professional is always a smart investment for the following reasons:

• Improve Website Ranking- If your website does not show up in the top results of local search, it indicates that your website lacks a comprehensive SEO strategy. 46% of the Google searches are for local businesses. In such a scenario, you must possess an impressive rank to attract traffic.
• Increase Website Traffic- Search engine traffic is the fundamental indicator of whether your SEO strategy is working. If your website traffic is flatlining or it is not increasing, you have an evident reason to hire a search engine consultant! They possess intensive knowledge and understanding of search engine algorithms and user behaviour, which are the elemental factors affecting website ranking, visibility, and organic traffic.
• Remove Google Penalties- Did you receive a Google update and your rankings came down? You probably received a Google penalty! Google penalties occur when you do not comply with its practices. Such penalties are often difficult to remove without professional assistance. Sometimes, trying to fix the problem yourself can cause even more damage. Who will save you from such a situation? Of course, an SEO consultant!
• Revamping Your Website- While you may be scaling your business, you want a new website or updating your existing website. It altogether sounds exciting till you come across the difficulties of ranking. In other words, creating a new website or revamping the old one accompanies a set of new challenges. You must focus on your marketing goals and craft an SEO strategy that will work best for you. Nobody can do better than a specialist!
• Lack of In-House Resources- Though you may have an in-house SEO team, it may not always work out for you! As a dynamic digital marketing trend, the nuances of SEO are persistently changing. It is not possible to monitor them without adequate tools and resources. Your in-house digital marketing crew may unfortunately, lack the required expertise and experience to combat the ever-evolving challenges. 

How to Select a Professional SEO Consulting Company?

It is not difficult to find a professional SEO consulting company. You can run a Google search, ask your network, check online directories, or even post on job boards. Nonetheless, the tricky part is about choosing the right one! The right search engine optimization consultant can benefit you in several ways, while landing on the wrong one is a waste of time and money.

We have shared tips about selecting an ideal SEO consultant, saving you from all the struggles! Have a look.

Broad-Spectrum Understanding-

SEO is a comprehensive field consisting of diverse practices and tactics. It is not only about ranking your website but other agendas like attracting increased web traffic, enhancing online visibility, establishing your brand’s reputation, encouraging higher conversions, and getting you better ROI. Thus, it is a composite activity requiring a vast understanding of the same.

In order to achieve optimal results, an SEO consultant puts in a lot of effort, like optimizing the website content, improving mobile-friendliness, linking the pages, building backlinks and other strategies to fetch you optimal results. Hence, it is essential your SEO consulting company must possess an extensive comprehension of the diverse approaches to achieve your marketing goals.

Expertise-

The level of expertise determines the consultant’s ability to manoeuvre project complexities. The more the experience, the more the expertise. Obviously, you cannot hire a novice trying to impress you with words! The years spent in the industry make a consultant expert in the arena who can handle all project requirements effortlessly.

So, always consider the years of experience before making the final call. For maximum effectiveness of your SEO efforts, all you need is an ace professional, qualified and well-trained to deliver projects with desirable results.

Customized Solutions-

Every business need differs. There is no one-size-fits-all venture. Even if you belong to the same industry, your business goal will differ from your strongest competitor! Therefore, you require a tailored approach focusing on accomplishing your requirements. The key to achieving an impressive SEO performance is flexibility.

For example, if you have a local clothing store, your Google My Business profile must focus on acquiring better visibility in the local search. It will help you to reach your target market, maximizing lead generation and sales.

Accomplishments-

The success history or the track record of your SEO consulting company should not be incomplete or patchy. Accomplishments are clear evidence of whether the company is reliable. Whether it is about being a Google-certified business or getting featured in a top magazine, accomplishments make you more reputed and credible.

You can instantly trust your search optimization consultant by checking out the work portfolio. The number of successful projects delivered and the list of happy clients are enough to justify your consultant’s competency.

Compliance with Best SEO Practices-

Let us tell you that not all consulting companies practice White hat SEO. When you try to rank your website in the search results adhering to the rules and guidelines of SEO, it is called white hat SEO. It is a fair practice where the SEO experts do not manipulate search engine algorithms. Instead, they follow the best practices and adapt their strategies per the algorithm updates.

But black hat SEO deters. It violates search engine guidelines, often resulting in penalties. Black hat SEO manipulates the algorithms through trickery and unfair practices, causing a downward fall. Hence, always ensure your SEO consultant practices white hat SEO.  

Reputation-

Never overlook the reputation of the consulting company! Check for online reviews and follow up on existing clients to determine their service quality. The reputation of a consulting company matters a lot when it comes to efficiency and the quality of results you receive. A positive recognition implies you can rely on the consultant regarding project delivery, results, and better ROI.

Since online reviews may not provide a clear picture, it is recommended to check up on existing clients. They are the most reliable sources of genuine feedback.

Communication Skills-

Whether you are hiring a consulting company for performance marketing or content marketing, understand that clear, transparent communication is obligatory. Your SEO consultant must provide you with project updates, reports, and other critical information relevant to the task. Communication is the base of any long-term relationship. Trust us, you are going to partner with your consulting company for a really long time because SEO can take up to several months to deliver measurable results.

From discussing the SEO plan with you to stating the major improvements, your SEO consulting company must let you know everything. It will also help you to stay out of conflicts.

Transparent Agreement-

Whether you are hiring your SEO consulting company on a contract basis or as a freelancer, be clear about the payment terms, scope of work, and project duration. To ensure a cordial partnership, it is essential you discuss everything before assigning the project. There may be disagreements regarding expected results and the project fundamentals during delivery. We are pretty sure nobody wants that!

Getting a written contract is always advisable to skip misunderstandings and ensure a healthy partnership.

Reporting-

How do you know you have invested in the right SEO consultant until you receive results? By this, we mean your consulting company must track and monitor SEO performance and provide you with a thorough report. Your consultant is accountable for providing you insights into the SEO results so that you can assess its effectiveness.

Reporting is a crucial part of SEO that evaluates performance. It determines the legitimacy and competency of your consultant which makes up the core of all the efforts.

Consider Pricing-

Lastly, consider your SEO marketing budget before appointing your consulting company. SEO is multifaceted, comprising multiple techniques and skills. Hence, the pricing varies according to the packages.

However, not all businesses require similar packages. So consider your business goals and budget before you pick a package. Your investment must be worth the results! Right?

Why SEO Consulting is Important for Your Business Growth?

Businesses of all sizes need SEO consulting for growth and expansion. Do you want to know how they can help you?

Let’s find out.

• Enhanced SEO performance- An SEO consultant is a professional equipped with a better understanding of the search engine algorithms, which helps in defining a sustainable strategy that will drive you optimal results. Whether you are not appearing in the search results or your website is not attracting enough traffic, through SEO consulting, you can escalate your SEO performance.  
• Boost Website Visibility- Through the best SEO efforts, you can rank higher in the search results and appear more frequently on the digital platform. It will automatically attract web traffic due to enhanced visibility. So, they enable customers to find your business on the online platform.
• Encourage Qualified Leads- When you have a robust SEO strategy with high-quality backlinks, it will fetch you potential leads from reliable sources. Connecting your site to other websites boosts exposure and establishes your online presence. As a result, you will receive qualified leads through backlinks, Google My Business, citations, brand mentions, etc.
• Higher Conversions- What happens when you attract potential leads? It increases the chances of conversions. Whether signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase, conversion will happen either way. It implies you will also experience more sales.
• Promote Brand- Since SEO is an impactful digital marketing trend, you can be assured SEO consulting will lead to extensive audience reach. Appearing in the top search results exposes you to a large section of the target audience. What can be a better way to promote your brand?
• Beat Industry Competition- An SEO consultant will help you gain a competitive advantage by conducting a thorough competitor analysis and refining the strategies. They will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the top brands in your industry and optimize your SEO strategy to beat the competition.
• Stay Updated- Since search engine algorithms are constantly changing, it is pretty overwhelming to keep up with the trend. If you fail, you will soon lose your position. Thankfully, you have SEO consultants persistently tracking and monitoring changes and tweaking your strategy whenever necessary!
• Save Time and Money- Being a multidisciplinary approach, SEO can be exhaustive and time-consuming. Definitely, you cannot do it alone without expertise! Nonetheless, a consultant can effortlessly perform the task with his knowledge and experience. Also, you save a lot of money spent on expensive paid campaigns!
• Optimal ROI- These consultants assure maximum ROI through higher visibility, increased leads, and boosted sales. Though SEO is a slow process, you gain sustainable results.
• Accomplish Business Goals- Lastly, you cannot think of acquiring successful business growth without an SEO consultant. Living in a digital era, it is impossible to mark a prominent online footprint without a robust SEO strategy. And you know, it is almost impossible without a specialist!

Conclusion

To sum up, SEO pricing may vary from consultant to consultant, but the task remains as critical as it ought to be. Hiring an SEO consultant is the best thing you can do to grow your business. They will genuinely help you to achieve the desired marketing objectives and offer you sustainable success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Why do I need an SEO Consultant?

Ans. An SEO consultant is an expert specializing in optimizing websites for better search result ranking and increased traffic drive. SEO is essential to enhance your website’s performance in the search results while making it search engine-friendly and also improving user experience. Without a well-optimized website, you cannot rank in the SERPs, losing a vast section of your audience. An SEO consultant rightfully does the job to help you gain web traffic and boost conversions.

Q. What are the qualities of a good SEO consultant?

Ans. SEO is a complex job requiring extensive digital marketing skills and an understanding of the functioning of search engine algorithms. A good SEO consultant must possess a comprehensive perspective and knowledge, a focused vision, excellent adaptability, outstanding communication skills, and curiosity. Of course, years of experience and technical skills are other factors of consideration.

Q. What should I expect from an SEO consultant?

Ans. The fundamental goal of any SEO consultant is to make your website rank higher in the search results while boosting online visibility. Whether you are hiring an agency or an individual, expect to have desirable SEO results, which include attracting more organic traffic, enhancing brand awareness, establishing market dominance, and higher sales. In other words, your SEO consultant will help you accomplish your business goals.

Q. Can an SEO consultant help my business grow?

Ans. Of course! The goal of an SEO consultant is to help you achieve your business objectives, which may include encouraging brand awareness, attracting leads, or generating sales. Whichever it is, your business will grow and expand in either way.