Less SEO-savvy business owners and marketers are bound to fall victim to low-quality link building services that offer false guarantees and a better price point. With outsourcing link building, it is difficult to find or choose a reputable SEO agency, and purchasing the wrong links will not only result in poor results.
Google can penalize them for such spam tactics. If you’re interested in enlisting the services of a link building agency for your company, below are some questions you should ask them during the hiring process.
Ask if they observe Google’s policies and stay current with algorithm tweaks
Google has implemented thousands of algorithm changes yearly since 2009. So even if you get away with a violation of the guidelines today, it is only a matter of time before they catch you. On-page SEO, regulated by algorithms such as Panda, and off-page SEO, controlled by algorithms such as Penguin, are all subject to penalties.
If you violate these guidelines, your site may lose traffic and rank and be de-indexed altogether. You will probably have to spend months or even years recovering if you commit a violation. As a result, staying up-to-date on current SEO news and algorithm changes is vital for your agency.
Ask about the link-building strategies they use
It would be best if you considered how they would build your links. If you want to know how the agency gets your links, don’t hesitate to ask.
Aside from that, the agency may want to ask you the following questions:
- Which ten keywords would you like to rank for the most?
- Do you have a top-five competitor list?
- Which preferences do you have? (For instance, link types, anchor text, domain approvals, target pages, payment methods, link distribution, etc.).
An agency that offers link-building services may also suggest improving your website’s speed, navigation, URL structure, SSL certificate, and other factors before starting your campaign.
Ask if they provide support services
After signing your contract, you should be able to contact your link builder to get started. Check if they have open communication channels where you can always get in touch. Should you have questions regarding the active campaigns for your business, make sure the agency has active correspondence with the clients.
Customer service and responsiveness are essential when you outsource link-building services. If you are looking for a link building service provider, ensure they can provide you with the omni-channel support you require. Even if they do not offer reliable customer service, you can hire an answering service company to take care of that aspect. In addition, you should be able to get periodic updates about the progress of your campaigns. Even better, get a contact at the agency with experience providing support services.
Ask about the successful campaigns they ran in the past
A successful backlink involves various factors, including third-party linking sites and Google’s ever-changing algorithms. The success of any campaign is virtually impossible to predict. A low-quality link agency will avoid this area, and businesses should ask to clarify any doubts. Many link building agencies make false claims, and anyone that promises to get you to the top of the search engine results is doing you a disservice.
It would be best to inquire how fast they can build links for your website and how many they can create. They may use low-quality links and PBNs (private blog networks) if they claim to provide hundreds of links to your website. A good agency makes predictions based on extensive research analysis, whereas a low-quality agency promises phenomenal growth at a quarter of the cost.
Request verifiable testimonials from clients, independent reviews, case studies from the past, and sample reports. Which links did they recently secure? You can check out the clients they mention by knocking on their doors. After all, it seems unlikely that a reliable and proven agency would hide its work.
Ask about the timeframe for seeing results from the campaign
Within their first year, 95% of newly published websites will not rank among the top ten. It depends on several variables, including the age of the domain, old SEO used, and the SEO friendliness of the current website.
Initially, your agency should clean your site (removing spammy backlinks and duplicate content, etc.) and lay a solid SEO foundation for you. Then, they should move on to your site’s technical and on-page aspects.
It will help if you suspect any agency that promises quick results. There are two ways to do SEO: either quickly or correctly. A company that claims to boost your rankings rapidly is likely using spammy techniques that will cost you money in the long run.
Summary
Before selecting a link building agency, it’s best to ask yourself several questions. It is advisable to consider several factors when choosing the right link building agency, such as how long the company has been in business, its process, and how many people will work on your campaign. Doing so will ensure you receive excellent service and the growth of your business.
