So, you’re an owner of a small business and you don’t think you need an SEO Specialist? Think again.
Doing business in today’s Internet Age is all about getting your products and services at the top of online search results. Thanks to the Internet and advanced technological devices, people nowadays have more access to information, and taking advantage of this accessibility is key to communicating with your target audience.
Surely, there are several SEO tools you can utilise, but there are more benefits to hiring an SEO Specialist for your business than you think. And if you are still undecided about hiring one, allow us to help you make a decision. Here are some things you can think about when deciding to hire an SEO Specialist:
1. What Does an SEO Specialist Do?
One of the possible reasons you are having problems deciding whether to hire an SEO Specialist or not is that you are unfamiliar with the role. It is hard to make a decision about something you are unsure of. So, let’s learn about the duties and responsibilities of an SEO Specialist.
In simple terms, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Specialists are responsible for making your official business website show up on the first page, if not at the top, of search engine results. It’s a critical role because websites are valuable sales and marketing tools for your business.
My definition of SEO Specialists may be too simple, but their responsibilities are quite complex. Here’s a breakdown of some of their tasks:
2. What Can Hiring an SEO Specialist Do for Your Business?
So, you already have an idea of what an SEO Specialist does. The next question you probably have in mind is: “So what?”
Fair enough. Knowing what an SEO Specialist does is not enough reason to hire one. You also have to consider whether investing in one is worth it. How will having an SEO Specialist in your team impact your business?
Your SEO Specialist will help you make Google your best friend.
If you want your business to gain more volume, make Google your best friend. Get into Google’s good books to top those search engine results. This is easier said than done, though.
Nobody truly knows what factors Google considers when ranking websites and pages. However, SEO Specialists may have an idea through their experience fighting off competitors in a battle for Google’s attention. SEO Specialists stay on top of the game by familiarising themselves with the rules and trends Google set to come up with strategies that will yield great results.
Your SEO Specialist can optimise not just one part, but ALL of your online content.
SEO Specialists are professionals who are involved in anything and everything that requires online content. This makes them indispensable members of your team. You can’t just hire them to work on a page of your website because that’s not going to get you results at all. Once they work on one page, they have to work on optimising your whole website because that makes more impact.
In addition, better user experience is dependent on how well your SEO Specialists can optimise your online presence, and it’s not just about the keywords. They consider other factors such as user-friendly navigation and mobile compatibility.
Your SEO Specialist has the ability to turn data into real information.
You will never have to deal with overwhelming stats when you have an SEO Specialist in your team. They can help you make sense of numerous data and use them to your advantage.
If you hire SEO specialists, they can provide you with stats such as: number of visitors, keywords, bounce rate, content engagement rate, and website traffic. Then they take things a notch higher by diving deep into this data, pulling out relevant information that can tell you so much about what you are doing right and wrong. The result of their data analyses can help you measure your success or show you where you need to make adjustments or improvements.
3. How Do You Choose the Right SEO Specialist for Your Team?
Letting go of your budget can be a bit hard, especially when your business is just beginning to gain traction. It’s harder to make investments and it’s scarier to take risks. But hey, you’ve already taken risks by starting your own business (Give yourself a pat on the back.). Taking the risk of hiring an SEO Specialist can’t be that bad.
Nevertheless, there is one condition that makes all the difference: hiring the right person for the job. Here are some tell-tale signs you have come across the right SEO Specialist for your business:
They are not confident that they can help you rank #1 on Google…in a few months.
Sounds controversial? But this makes perfect sense. Seasoned SEO Specialists know what they are doing. They know how the search engine optimisation industry works, so they understand that results are not instantaneous.
Optimising websites takes a long time even with consistent effort. Google is not a pushover, so your SEO Specialist must try to prove the value of your website by making sure that it gets traffic and visits all the time. So, if a candidate promises to take your website to the top in a few months, move on to interviewing the next one.
They have a signature search engine optimisation strategy.
When interviewing candidates, ask them about their go-to search engine optimisation strategy. If they can give you a tried-and-tested strategy, it means that they really are quite hands-on and have a lot of experience as an SEO Specialist.
Beware of candidates who give answers regarding backlinks and keyword search but cannot properly explain what they actually do with them.
They do not cut corners.
Listen carefully when candidates talk about their experiences in applying search engine optimisation strategies. Watch out for those who have tried to cheat the system to get a high ranking. If somehow the candidates fail to let it slip, ask the right questions by giving them scenarios that will require them to apply themselves.
Whether candidates have used underhanded strategies to trick Google is important for you to find out because they can get you kicked out of Google’s search engine, and that is something you should never ever allow to happen.
They have a long-term plan for optimising your business.
It takes commitment to work as an SEO Specialist for a business. They have to be all-in because achieving success may take time. When hiring an SEO Specialist, look for someone who has a long-term plan for your business.
Devising this long-term plan requires candidates to look into your business in order to get to know it better. If candidates present a plan that considers not only the current situation of your business but also its future, then you have found a winner. Listen for long-term plans that incorporate future technological advancements.
They do not sell themselves short.
SEO Specialists are not cheap. They offer so much value that is deserving of competitive compensation. If you request for their asking salary, they should tell you exactly how much they want with confidence (yes, despite not being confident about helping your rank #1 in one month).
Candidates who know their worth are hard to find, so make sure to keep an eye out for them. Just make sure that you have already gauged their capabilities as an SEO Specialist before deciding that they are worth their asking salary. You can do this by considering the other signs we have mentioned above.
So, are you ready to hire your very own SEO Specialist? If you are, Remote Staff can help you start the journey.
Remote Staff is committed to finding the right people for the right jobs, so you can rest assured that we will source and place the right SEO Specialist for your business. We also offer other solutions (technology, account support, admin that support small businesses who have never hired an offshore staff.
