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There are plenty of reasons why a company might want to make use of the best SEO companies in Jacksonville, especially if the business is still in its infancy. After all, when it comes to running startups, there are few things more crucial than the effective use of a digital marketing strategy.

In a world where more and more people are spending time indoors to help limit the spread of the ongoing pandemic, it is no wonder why so many company owners are shifting toward online reputation management (ORM). As more and more online users search the Internet for reviews and testimonials concerning products and services they need, searching engine optimization (SEO) solutions grow in popularity.

There was a time when SEO was more known for the outreach tactics of the nineties, where most of the success can be gained through emails and print marketing. Nowadays, traditional marketing is nearly a thing of the past as digital marketing makes its mark on the business sector.

For a new company not only to survive but to also experience success early on, the use of SEO solutions is more important than ever before. It makes things crucial for a new business owner to get the help of an SEO agency and future-proof their company for the years to come.

It can be quite challenging to craft a proposal if the business owner does not know too much about the subject matter. After all, anything worth doing is worth doing right. For a company to take full advantage of the situation, it would be a good idea to negotiate the ideal proposal with an SEO agency to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

On the topic of referrals

One of the things that tend to convince business owners to give an SEO company a try would be through referrals and case studies. When someone asks for the case studies, an SEO agency would typically send them the best examples. For an SEO company that has already been in business for years, they can easily cherry-pick the very best possible case studies within the agency’s career. It can immediately paint the company in a positive light, but it does not do much to expose the times that their marketing strategies might have failed a company.

One of the things to consider when asking for referrals is that the user only sees one side of the coin. For some business owners, especially startups, successful case studies are often enough to convince them to try. However, keep in mind that it does not guarantee the success of any business. While it would still be a good idea to ensure that there are referrals and case studies to look into, they are not the end-all-be-all of future success.

Practicing what they preach

Most search engine optimization agencies will have a focus on optimized web design — especially in the current business landscape with most online users leaving a poorly optimized website even if it renders products and services they want. There is even the Google Page Experience Update that serves to rank websites that care about the user experience much higher than those who are in it just for the traffic. Considering all of the above, it means that the SEO agency’s primary website is likely to have the same design as they want to give their clients.

All it takes to figure out whether or not they practice what they preach would be to look into their primary website. Before a company would negotiate a proposal with an SEO agency, the most crucial part would be to look at the results of their work. If the website is hard to navigate and complicated, perhaps it might not be what the user is looking for.

Insider knowledge is necessary

The idea of hiring specialists such as the best SEO companies in Jacksonville is to use their experience to make up for the lack of experience of a business owner in the subject matter. However, there is no way to ascertain the real goals of an SEO agency without first understanding some of the tactics and terminology used by the agency. They might provide case studies that are difficult to understand due to the advanced systems in place. It is the reason why it is wholly recommended to learn as much as possible about search engine optimization and what it entails.

If there is anything that the business owner does not understand about the process, asking the agency questions will immediately shed light on whether or not they can successfully convey the message. After all, there are plenty of business owners out there that are unaware of the inner workings of search engine optimization — but it does not mean that they can rest on their laurels. It would be wise to ask as many questions as possible about the processes, and if the business owner finds that they still cannot get the gist of the situation, it might be a good idea to look into other agencies.

An SEO company’s goals will change based on your own goals

Last but certainly not least, one of the primary questions to ask any search engine optimization company would be what their goals are for the business. It is something of a trick question, as not every company runs the same way.

It means the methods will change depending on the state of the company, such as the use of geo-targeting for local SEO methods, or whether or not it is more crucial to focus on SEO at a national level. An agency that knows to wait until they have more information would reply that the goals will change based on more information about the company. The agency’s tactics will always align with the client’s goals.

Negotiating a proposal can seem easy if the SEO agency is already relatively popular. However, it would still be a good idea to keep a few things in mind before immediately signing on the dotted line. With a bit of discipline, it can be much easier to negotiate a proposal with the best possible SEO company.