If you’ve ever wondered why some businesses seem to show up everywhere online, but others are practically invisible, search engine optimization (SEO) is a key part of the answer you’re looking for. SEO can help your company get found online by people who are actively searching for what you offer.
Working with an SEO agency can help you get a major competitive edge by fine-tuning your website and digital content strategy to match customers’ interest and intent. Here’s everything you should know about what an SEO agency does, how their services can benefit your business, and what to expect from working with SEO specialists.
What Does an SEO Agency Do?
An SEO agency is a digital marketing partner that helps improve your website’s visibility in search engines like Google. The goal of their work is to help your business appear wherever potential customers are searching for products or services like yours.
For example, if you run an HVAC company in Philadelphia and partner with a Philadelphia-based SEO agency, their goal will be to optimize your website for search queries like “residential HVAC repair in Philadelphia” that will lead searchers to either you or your competition.
A trustworthy SEO agency will take the time to carefully audit your existing website and the content, along with your key competitors and how their online presence stacks up against yours. From there, SEO professionals will create a strategy that usually includes a combination of three big elements:
- Keyword research
- On-Page SEO
- Technical SEO
Here’s what these three aspects of an SEO agency’s work mean for your business.
Keyword Research
Keyword research paints a clear picture of what your potential customers are actively searching for. This is a key first step when working with an SEO agency, because it provides a data-driven basis for all of the work to follow.
Reputable SEO partners use digital marketing tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush for keyword research. These platforms provide real-time data on how many people are using specific keywords when looking for products or services like yours.
An SEO agency will compile keywords to prominently feature across different parts of your website with the goal of ranking on the first search engine results page (SERP). Only work with an agency that gives you complete access to their keyword research strategy for your company and consistently reports on how you are ranking for specific keywords.
The result of a well-planned keyword strategy is often a major boost in organic traffic to your website. Ranking for competitive keywords means beating out your competitors and occupying prime real estate online.
On-Page SEO
This aspect of an SEO agency’s work is all about taking your website’s key pages and fine-tuning them to match search engine best practices. This process includes changing headings and page titles, rewriting copy, improving the placement and use of pictures and videos, and much more.
It’s often an in-depth, meticulous process, but it can pay off by signaling to Google and other search engines and customers that your site is high-quality.
The goal of on-page SEO is to make your website clean, organized, and well-structured. Just like transparent reporting on keyword research matters, your SEO agency should also give you a clear rundown of their on-page optimization efforts and the goals behind the work.
When on-page SEO work is done well, your site will be easier for search engines to crawl and index, and it will also be more intuitive and enjoyable for visitors to use. These two key factors can help you outrank your competitors.
Technical SEO
An SEO agency is there to help you speed up your website, remove bugs and issues, and get rid of any other back-end issues that are stopping your site from performing like it should.
A reputable SEO agency will use auditing tools to carefully identify any technical issues affecting your site’s health. They’ll share a detailed issue report with you, and with your approval, get to work on implementing fixes to these issues.
If your website is free from broken links, slow-loading pages, and other tech issues, search engines will prioritize it over competitors’ weaker sites.
What About Local SEO?
High-quality SEO agencies can work with businesses of all sizes, but their strategies vary based on a client’s location, scope, and specific needs. For smaller companies with brick-and-mortar businesses, local SEO goes a long way.
This form of SEO work helps your business show up in searches related to your specific service area. To achieve this, an agency will fine-tune your Google Business Profile, local listings, reviews, and location-based pages to make your service area clear to search engines and visitors.
Why Hire an SEO Agency?
If your business isn’t generating enough leads despite your best efforts to promote your work online, partnering with an SEO agency might be the right next step.
Even if you have an internal marketing team that maintains your website and posts blogs for you, they may not have the specialized expertise that will get your website into search engine results and bring those leads in. An agency can partner with your in-house marketing team or other staff members to collaborate and maintain your distinct voice and identity online.
You should also consider hiring an SEO agency if you feel overwhelmed and outpaced by your competition online. A fast, informative website is possibly the biggest competitive advantage you can have, and the right SEO partner will help you get there.
Grow Your Business With a Partner You Can Trust
An SEO agency helps your business get found online by potential customers near you, improving your website and building up local visibility in the process.
At Padula Media, we help businesses reach predictable, sustainable growth through our data-driven SEO services. If you’re ready for digital marketing success, book a free discovery call with a member of our team today.