12 Best Questions To Ask When Hiring an SEO Consultant

The unfortunate truth about search engine optimization (SEO) is that it is far from easy or simple for beginners. There are many choices for getting started, but at the end of the day, you need all aspects of SEO. One choice is to learn it yourself, but it is far quicker to hire experts.

Here are twelve concise questions to ask before hiring SEO consulting services:

1. Could you give examples of successful SEO campaigns?
2. How do you keep up to date with the latest SEO trends?
3. How do you find areas for improvement during an audit?
4. What are your approaches to technical SEO strategies?
5. What key performance indicators (KPIs) matter the most?
6. How do you balance SEO and UX in content strategies?
7. What is your approach to conducting competitive analysis?
8. How do you intend to build authoritative backlinks for us?
9. What tools do you use in SEO-related tasks and jobs?
10. How do you ensure that your approach aligns with our goals?
11. What is your plan for addressing issues in a campaign?
12. How do you employ AI in SEO and marketing strategies?

There is a lot to discuss, so get ready to take notes.

Let’s go!

Want to learn more about the Digital Authority Partners approach to SEO? Watch this video!

1. Could You Give Examples of Successful SEO Campaigns?

One of the top items to assess when looking for SEO consulting services is their ability to do the work that you need them to do. The best way to find out is by being straightforward and asking about their past success. For instance, were they able to make an impact on website traffic for clients?

Seeing proof should give you a better gauge of their skill level and what it is worth for your SEO.

2. How Do You Keep Up to Date with the Latest SEO Trends?

SEO likes to cycle through trends and phases like other forms of digital marketing. Any reliable provider of SEO consulting services should know how to stay updated and be ready to apply the latest SEO strategies. Do your own research to verify what they do or do not know.

3. How Do You Find Areas for Improvement During an Audit?

A vital but time-consuming strategy in SEO is auditing (of the website, content, marketing, etc.) to see what does and does not work. Ask how the consultant plans to assess your SEO strategy and improve upon it. That should tell you how organized and prepared they are to help you win.

If they are unwilling to discuss their methods, this might be a red flag of potential communication problems. 

4. What Are Your Approaches to Technical SEO Strategies?

As many SEO experts like to say, content is king. However, it is not the only major factor in your potential for success. Technical SEO as a whole is becoming more important as newer ways of delivering a great user experience (UX) as a way to drive traffic start to surface.

5. What KPIs Matter the Most?

Not every metric matters for SEO. This means that vanity metrics such as views and likes are not valuable to your bottom line. Ask a prospective SEO partner what they think or believe are essential KPIs in SEO.

This should indicate how serious and dedicated they are to producing results for your business.

6. How Do You Balance SEO and UX in Content Strategies?

Unfortunately, aspects of good digital marketing are sometimes at odds with one another. For example, SEO is meant to help search engines match your content with searches, but you can over-optimize it for machines rather than humans. Ask how they balance these two.

7. What Is Your Approach to Conducting Competitive Analysis?

A smart partner provides SEO consulting services that cover not just your business but looks at the bigger picture too. This means knowing who your competitors are and how they operate. You want to know how they can prepare your business to compete with the competition in SEO.

You also want to know what they would do if competitors overtook you.

8. How Do You Intend to Build Authoritative Backlinks for Us?

To win the trust of your target market, you need help from other websites and sources through backlinks. These links point back to your content, helping you gain the trust of search engines and improve your domain authority (DA). Find out how they intend to broaden your network and gain backlinks.

9. What Tools Do You Use in SEO-Related Tasks and Jobs?

Tools are inseparable from good SEO because they lighten the otherwise heavy workload that SEO brings. However, they can not be relied upon as a blanket rule because some are designed for unethical practices. Before hiring them, learn what tools an SEO consultant uses and why. 

In the long run, avoiding tools that use black hat SEO saves you a lot of potential difficulties.

10. How Do You Ensure That Your Approach Aligns with Our Goals?

For an SEO consultant to help your business, their skills and strategies must align with your goals. Differences in your values and approach to business could cause disagreements that hurt your SEO. In other words, see how well your business can work with the SEO consultant.

11. What Is Your Plan for Addressing Issues in a Campaign?

Running a campaign that goes smoothly all of the time just about never happens, even when you use SEO consulting services and have someone else run it for you. Because you do not know when a problem might arise, it is important to know whether and how an SEO consultant manages setbacks and problems. 

Though they are not always ruinous to your SEO, problems can hinder progress and reduce success.

12. How Do You Employ AI in SEO and Marketing Strategies?

New technology, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, has a real and significant impact on the current state of SEO. This is not always in a good way. For example, AI writing tools are helpful, but they can also hurt SEO if you use them to boost content quantity and not quality.

Summing Up

Hiring an expert for SEO consulting services is a great idea, especially for small businesses that want to improve their position in search results. Not all experts are a fit for your business, however, so finding the right partner is vital. Knowing what to ask them beforehand helps you in your search.

Need help finding the right SEO partner for your business? Contact Digital Authority Partners (DAP) to learn how we can help.