5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Local SEO Firm in New York

Local search marketing is a strenuous hike that requires an experienced guide to accompany you on the journey and assist with the varied tasks of local SEO.

The answers to these five questions should help you find that kind of guide in the form of a local SEO firm in New York City.

Q1. Are your marketing practices in accordance with all of Google’s guidelines?

A good SEO firm should be well-versed with Google’s guidelines for Representing Your Business on Google, User-Contributed Content, and Search Quality Rating. They must also agree to follow these guidelines to avoid unfavorable outcomes for their client.

If you are not confident that the firm is conversant with Google’s guidelines, they may not be a safe bet for your business reputation.

Q2. Are my goals realistic?

Whether you want to rank for more search terms or get more reviews, form submissions, leads, or sales in a set timeframe, provide the SEO firm you are interviewing with a clear, concrete set of objectives.

What you want to know at this point is if they think your goals are realistic or unattainable.

It is worth noting that no SEO firm can provide a reliable answer to this question unless they have put in the work as your hired partner. So be wary of firms that start throwing around the word “guarantee”—they may be overselling you to get the job.

Q3. What do you expect from me?

Allow the SEO firm to establish clear expectations for the deliverables they will need from you and the time they may need to communicate with you and your employees. Determine the types and amounts of communication that will be involved within this framework.

Keep in mind that pricing for local SEO services in New York varies significantly between firms. So, now is also the time to ask for a detailed cost breakdown and see if everything falls within your marketing budget.

Q4. Could you please show me an anonymized client report?

Every business has different expectations and needs when it comes to SEO reports. However, you must ensure that the reports you receive are intelligible rather than intimidating.

Request to see one or more anonymized reports from the firm’s actual clients. Examine them closely and make sure you ask questions about anything in there you do not quite understand.

Q5. Can you show me the results you have achieved for three other clients?

This information may also need to be anonymized due to NDAs and client privacy, but you want to see a convincing picture of growth for more than one client.

Keep an eye out for reports on vague metrics like increased search traffic. Any good SEO firm should focus on concrete metrics like increased sales and lead generation. If your business is pursuing a particular type of growth, you can ask the firm to show you any successes they have had in that area.

Tip: Pay close attention to how well your potential local SEO partner communicates with you and how comfortable you feel around them throughout the interview process, as this will set the tone for any future partnership.

After a long and rigorous hiring trek, you have finally chosen your SEO firm and can set up camp together!