5 Questions To Ask SEO Experts Before Hiring Them

Over 90% of online experiences start with a search engine. That’s right—whether looking for a local restaurant or the best new gadget, people turn to search engines to find what they need.

This means one thing: if you’re not ranking high in search results, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers. Therefore, search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to unlocking that visibility.

This is why hiring the right SEO expert is crucial for any business hoping to succeed online. As a remote hiring platform, we will help you find SEO experts who are perfect for the job. The questions given here will help you avoid the fluff and ensure you’re hiring someone who knows their stuff.

1. What Is Your SEO Strategy For My Business?

Every business is different, so why would the same SEO strategy work for everyone? If you’re talking to an SEO expert and they start rattling off a cookie-cutter approach, it’s time to hit pause.

SEO is not a one-size-fits-all service and anyone who treats it that way might just be taking shortcuts. The right SEO expert for hire will take the time to understand your business.

They should ask about your goals, your audience and your competition, only then can they craft a strategy that works specifically for you.

Red Flags To Watch Out For

Be wary of SEO experts who make big promises like getting you to the top of Google in a week. Sure, that sounds great, but it’s about as realistic as a unicorn showing up at your doorstep.

Instead, look for someone who offers a long-term and sustainable approach.

2. Can You Provide Examples Of Past Success?

When looking for SEO experts for hire, you want to see proof of their work. Ask them for examples of past clients they’ve worked with and the results they’ve achieved.

How to Evaluate Their Results

Good SEO is measurable and the expert should be able to share some numbers. Ask about how they improved a site’s traffic and what keyword rankings they achieved. See how they contributed to a client’s revenue growth.

A well-rounded SEO expert should have stories of how they’ve helped businesses like yours grow. Therefore, if they can share specific before-and-after data — that’s a good sign.

3. How Do You Build Backlinks?

Ah, backlinks! The SEO equivalent of getting a glowing recommendation letter. The more quality backlinks your site has, the more search engines trust it. However, not all backlinks are the same.

You need to know how your SEO expert plans to build them because shady link-building practices can get your site penalized.

What Makes A Good Backlink Strategy?

Ask your SEO expert how they approach link-building. Are they focused on earning links from high-authority websites? Or do they plan to buy them from shady places? (Spoiler alert: if it’s the latter, run.)

Your SEO expert should prioritize building relationships with reputable websites and creating high-quality content that earns links organically.

And just a quick note here – if your SEO expert jokes about “black hat” techniques, make sure they’re just joking. In the SEO world — that’s not something to laugh about!

4. How Will You Measure And Report On Success?

It’s important to know what metrics your SEO expert will track to show progress. When it comes to SEO experts for hire, transparency is key.

Ask how they plan to measure success. Common metrics include:

Organic traffic growth (how many more people are visiting your site).
Keyword rankings (are you showing up for the right searches?).
Conversion rate (how many visitors are turning into customers?).

Make sure they’re not just focusing on “vanity metrics” like traffic or impressions. While it’s nice to have more visitors, it’s even better to have more visitors who are converting.

You’ll also want to know how often they’ll report these metrics. Monthly reports are the standard, but some SEO experts may offer more frequent updates. The key here is transparency. If they’re not willing to share the numbers, you might want to ask yourself why.

5. What Will You Do If Rankings Drop?

SEO isn’t always smooth sailing. Sometimes, rankings drop and it can feel like your website just got bumped off-stage. But the real question is: how will your SEO expert handle it?

Rankings can fluctuate for a variety of reasons: algorithm updates, increased competition, or even technical issues. The best SEO experts understand this and won’t panic.

Instead, they’ll have a plan. Ask your potential SEO expert for hire how they manage setbacks. A true professional stays calm under pressure and will keep you informed every step of the way.

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At Worktually, we specialize in providing remote staffing solutions including SEO experts, digital marketing specialists, and virtual assistants. Our professionals are dedicated to helping businesses achieve their goals with customized strategies and measurable results.