Last Updated on April 17, 2020 by
Please don’t misunderstand the title of this article as us taking a shot at all local SEO companies, because the truth is… some of the most successful and useful digital marketing companies are the ones that focus on local digital marketing strategies. However, it’s important to keep in mind that just because an SEO agency is located near your area of business, that does not mean that they’re best suited to provide you with the services you need to help your company grow and reach your target audience.
Source: citationbuildinggroup.com
It’s been disappointing for us here at Nomvo.com and far too many businesses when we discover that a local digital marketing company is using their geographic location and aggressive marketing tactics to get businesses in their area to invest in their services. This has resulted in many small and regionally based businesses to not only waste their precious marketing budget, but it’s also left some of these companies feeling that digital marketing strategies like search engine optimization don’t work.
In an effort to both educate businesses out there considering hiring a local company for their SEO needs, as well as to hopefully ensure that more local search engine optimization companies get a sense of how they can continue to look for ways to add value to their existing and new clients… let’s consider 3 of the top reasons some local SEO companies have disappointed their clientele.
1) SOME Local SEO Companies Over Promise & Under Deliver
Due to the fact that ranking for SEO keywords like “seo company {city-name}” is one of the easiest ways to rank for digital marketing related keywords, more and more businesses looking to provide SEO services are targeting these types of keywords. As a result, companies looking for search engine optimization services in those areas are naturally searching online using those keywords and finiding these local marketing agencies.
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In some cases, this results in the SEO companies using that platform to say just about anything to bring on new clients; even when they aren’t able or interested in delivering on some of the “promises” they make while trying to convince the said business that they should work together. This has resulted in far too many negative experiences for both the companies that have invested in SEO services from a local agency, as well as agencies not be satisfied with the business relationship with the client.
Tip for businesses thinking about hiring a local SEO firm:
Make sure the SEO vendor puts all of the appealing services they’ve verbally mentioned in a written agreement.
Tip for local SEO firms looking for new clients:
Accept the fact that not all businesses are well suited to be taken on as a customer.
2) SOME Local SEO Experts Are Afraid Of Or Unwilling To Say “No”
As an SEO expert, there is nothing like being contacted by a company interested in your services and expertise; especially when such a request is completely unexpected. Unfortunately, there are times that a company has unrealistic expectations that may have nothing to do with the services you provide, their wants go against SEO best practices, or the budget they have available is not commensurate to what they’re trying to accomplish in their given industry; from an SEO perspective.
In these and many other instances, the tendency for the local SEO expert looking to grow their business and income is to say “yes” to everything; despite having apprehension. This has proven to be one of the largest contributors as to why the SEO client/expert relationship frequently results in a bad experience for both parties.
Source: stoneassociatessearch.com
Tip for local SEO experts:
Never forget that it’s OK to say no.
Tip for business trying to find local SEO expertise:
All search engine optimization “experts” are not well suited for your wants and/or needs.
3) SOME Local Search Engine Optimization Services Are Not Needed
This continues to be a problem with this aspect of digital marketing, but it seems that it is becoming less common; largely due to businesses and clients realizing that the “cookie cutter” SEO packaging that many local businesses offer is not always the right investment. What tends to happen for many local SEO companies looking to scale their business up is to put together bundles and packages that are repeatedly offered to different clients; despite the needs of the client, their marketing budget, and the industry they’re competing in from an SEO perspective.
That’s not to say that an SEO agency shouldn’t have a sense of the types of solutions and services they can offer new clients as a starting point for a set on-going marketing budget. However, it’s important to get a sense of the unique aspects that relate to what the client needs to succeed from an SEO standpoint. For example, just because one client needed and succeeded with an aggressive link building campaign doesn’t mean that all future customers will need the same.
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Instead, focus on taking the time to fully understand what it will take for you to add value to what new clients are trying to accomplish with their available marketing budget. In some cases, it might require that the business invest in a thorough SEO audit for a fail proof search engine optimization strategy to be created and implemented.
Tip for agencies offering local search engine optimization services:
Take the time needed to analyze correctly what the new client needs to succeed with SEO; even if you have to charge them for such analysis.
Tip for businesses wanting local SEO services:
Allow the marketing company to research and provide you with specific recommendations and next steps to help you best understand how to succeed with SEO for your particular website and industry.
So, in conclusion:
Don’t think that all local SEO companies are created equal; that’s not to imply that all of them are bad or unqualified to help you with your SEO needs. In fact, some of the best SEO services being offered these days are coming from some of these smaller, region focused agencies; we’ve had direct experience with some of them.
The point is this, when things are clearly communicated and openly discussed by both the client and the service provider, it results in the investment make for this type of digital marketing strategy to be a success. This in effect ensures that hiring a local digital marketing company in your area turns out to be one of the best decisions you can make. Nomvo!