Google’s “Search Off The Record” podcast offers insights on when to hire an SEO expert and what success metrics to consider. They also highlight red flags to watch for when selecting a search marketer.
When to Hire an SEO Expert
Martin Splitt initiated a discussion on the ideal time for a business to bring in an SEO professional:
“…I know people are hiring agencies and SEO experts. When is the point where you think an expert or an agency should come in? What’s the bits and pieces that are not as easy to do while I do my business that I should have an expert for?”
John responded that there isn’t a specific threshold for hiring an SEO consultant. However, when SEO tasks become time-consuming and detract from core business activities, it’s time to consider professional help.
He explained:
“Yeah, I don’t know if there’s a one-size-fits-all answer there because it’s a bit like asking, when should I get help for marketing, especially for a small business.
You do everything yourself. At some point, you’re like, ‘Oh, I really hate bookkeeping. I’m going to hire a bookkeeper.’ At that point where you’re like, ‘Well, I don’t appreciate doing all of this work or I don’t have time for it, but I know it has to be done.’ That’s probably the point where you say, ‘Well, okay, I will hire someone for this.’ “
Measuring SEO Success
The podcast also covered the importance of measurable results. Low-quality SEOs often focus on the number of queries a site ranks for, which can include irrelevant queries. More reliable metrics include ranking positions and traffic, but these don’t always equate to conversions.
The ultimate measure of SEO success is increased revenue. Google’s John Mueller emphasizes that revenue and business outcomes are key indicators of effective SEO.
He elaborated:
“I think, for in SEO, it kind of makes sense when you realize there’s concrete value in working on SEO for your website, where there’s some business result that comes out of it where you can actually measurably say, ‘When I started doing SEO for my website, I made so much more money’ or whatever it is that goal is that you care about, and ‘I’m happy to invest a portion of that into hiring someone to do SEO.’
That’s one way I would look at it, where if you can measure in one way or another the effects of the SEO work, then it’s easier to say, ‘Well, I will invest this much into having someone else do that for me.’”
Measuring SEO impact can be challenging. Organic SEO effects on sales or leads aren’t always directly traceable. Unlike PPC Marketing, where tracking is straightforward, organic search lacks direct attribution. Separate paid search earnings from organic to estimate impact.
Choose Experienced SEO Professionals
Mueller and Splitt recommend hiring SEOs with proven experience. Look for qualifications such as website monetization experience, HTML code interpretation skills, and strong testimonials. Be cautious of cold-call pitches.
John Mueller noted:
“Someone else, ideally, would be someone who has more experience doing SEO. Because, as a small business owner, you have like 500 hats to wear, and you probably can figure out a little bit about each of these things, but understanding all of the details, that’s sometimes challenging.”
Martin concurred:
“Okay. So there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for this one, but you have to find that spot for yourself whenever it makes sense. All right okay. Fair.”
Beware of SEO Red Flags
Mueller and Splitt caution against SEOs who guarantee specific results. Rankings depend on many uncontrollable factors. SEOs can optimize and promote a site, but external elements like competition and Google’s algorithms remain unpredictable.
Mueller advised:
“One of the things I would watch out for is, if an SEO makes any promises with regards to ranking or traffic from Search, that’s usually a red flag, because a lot of things around SEO you can’t promise ahead of time. And, if someone says, “I’m an expert. I promise you will rank first for these five words.” They can’t do that. They can’t manually go into Google’s systems and tweak the dials and change the rankings.”
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