At Reliable Acorn, we know that you are under pressure to get more leads but also need to reclaim time for what you do best. To do that, you need a trusted SEO company to take over the SEO campaign. The problem is that you don’t have time to do it or know what to do next. You already have too much to do, let alone keep up with the latest trends in internet marketing. We believe you deserve a partner upon whom you can rely, someone who can help by ensuring you start with the best search engine optimization tactics that deliver reliable results. We understand you’re afraid of being disappointed. Don’t worry: we’ve generated millions of visitors and billions in revenue for clients.

Here’s how you do it: 

  1. Schedule a discovery call. 
  2. Tell us about your company, and we will develop an effective SEO strategy. 
  3. You get more leads from your website.

So, schedule your discovery call today. And in the meantime, let’s look at what you’re working with: get a free SEO audit. Then you can stop your boss from breathing down your neck and get more customers from your website instead.

Can search engine optimization help my company?

Search engine optimization is best for companies with products or services in demand. Your customers should already know your products and services exist. They must be looking for you if you want them to find you on Google. If not, you should consider a different form of advertising, such as social media.

Search engine optimization is not a good fit for companies that need results fast. It is best for companies with the time to invest in long-term gains. If you need an immediate increase in results, you should consider a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign.

What are your other options if this isn’t the internet marketing channel for you?

How do SEO companies work?

Some Charlotte SEOs approach search engine optimization like a commodity. They might talk about hours, links, pages, or words published. These things might tell you all they’re doing, but are they doing the right things to grow your business? However, data like this focus on the process more than the results.

The top Charlotte SEO experts take the time to learn about your business and industry. From that, they create a successful and custom marketing strategy just for you. As a consultant, Reliable Acorn works well with companies with a marketing team that needs guidance with SEO. While SEO consultants might be a team of one, their small size lets them provide you with the best advice.

Some SEO consultants, like Reliable Acorn, also provide SEO services. With Reliable Acorn, your account manager is also your consultant- and you have direct access to them. Reliable Acorn gives you the best of both worlds: you get the services you need and a digital marketing consultant simultaneously.

What to look for in an SEO Company

Here’s how Google suggests you hire the right SEO– focusing on long-term gains rather than the flash-in-the-pan search engine optimization with a “secret sauce.”

Audit Form

How to Find Good SEO Specialists

Shouldn’t you go with whomever ranks number one on Google’s search results? That might sound like a good idea but remember: some SEO tactics can get a website kicked off of Google. Some fly-by-night SEO companies set up a website and then cheat to get to the top of Google. When Google catches them, they delete its website and start with a new one.

Do you want an SEO company that does that to your website?

Instead, I’d recommend you take the time to find a good SEO specialist. Here are some great questions to ask:

How do you measure success in an SEO campaign? 

Measurement is key. You want a successful campaign, don’t you? Take time to ensure your SEO services aim for the same goal you are. Be wary about measuring search engine optimization in terms of “rank” alone. You can rank for almost anything but never get any more customers. Make sure they consider SEO services a success based on the number of customers or sales you get from your efforts.

Have you ever worked in my industry? 

While some SEO tactics work no matter your industry, you want to ensure your SEO specialist understands your business. Some SEO companies only work with consumer-focused companies and don’t have what it takes to reach other firms. It is vital if you’re a B2B company.

Will you work with my competitors at the same time? 

If you work with the best SEO company, you need to ensure exclusive access to your market. You don’t want your SEO specialists working to promote your business and your competitor simultaneously. Conflicts of interest like this can be challenging if an SEO firm focuses exclusively on one industry. If so, will they decide to work on your business or your competitors?

Can I speak with an existing client? 

References are key. Ask if you can speak with someone currently working with your prospective SEO company. You don’t just look at their online reviews- they might only show you the good side. Ask the reference some hard questions, too.

What do SEO agencies do?

Sometimes people think that search engine optimization is a destination. No, it’s a journey. Here’s a look into our proven SEO strategies that helped many clients become successful.

The journey starts with ensuring you can measure your campaign’s results. To measure success, you must determine what your Charlotte business hopes to get from the campaign. Don’t just think about your rankings. You want more than organic traffic, too. Your website needs to drive leads and sales. Of course, you have to measure this, which is why web analytics is foundational to any SEO techniques (or any internet marketing effort, for that matter).

The second step is determining if your developer set up your website correctly. Is your website mobile-friendly? Even the best web developers overlook things that the search engines think are important. Part of Reliable Acorn’s work is ensuring your website is accessible to the search engines- what some people call technical SEO. You can think of us as advocates for Google.

Now it’s time to improve your website’s content (or on-page SEO). Search engines, after all, are just computer programs. They need words to understand your web pages. What words should you use? How does your customer look for you? The process of discovering this is known as keyword research. It will help you understand how you should focus your SEO strategy.

Don’t overlook the value of link building. We know you’re the best company in your industry- but does anyone else say that? That’s how Google values links to your website. It helps them know which website (and, in turn, business) is the most respected. Links (or off-page SEO) are so crucial for search engine optimization that some SEO companies try to trick Google. In response, Google has released strict guidelines for what makes a link good or bad. Good links can help your website- bad links might get it banned from Google. Reliable Acorn follows Google’s guidelines closely when building links for its clients.

There’s more to consider, too. Good web design and development can help. Running a concurrent pay-per-click (PPC) campaign can help, too. Don’t forget local SEO. Search engine optimization is constantly changing- you need a consultant who keeps up with what’s new. That’s what we do.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Charlotte SEO Company?

SEM CLT
David has been a frequent speaker at Charlotte’s SEM meetup.

It takes money to make money. While comparing costs among Charlotte SEO services, focus on the revenue you could make with a successful SEO strategy. Don’t be tempted to evaluate your SEO efforts only by ranking. You need to measure your digital marketing efforts to help with lead generation and revenue for your company. SEO isn’t a cost if you do that- it’s a way to make money.

While search engine optimization traffic is free, it costs money to do SEO. The costs are more than just paying your SEO expert. Many expenses go into SEO services, including:

I know there are some cheap SEO companies in Charlotte that you could choose. Be wary of these. You get what you pay for! Effective search engine optimization takes time and money.

Is hiring an SEO company worth it?

With all the potential pitfalls of lousy SEO, perhaps it’s simply better to do search engine optimization yourself or hire someone internally to do your SEO for your company.

There are several advantages to hiring your own (internal) SEO team. For one, they will specialize in your company and your industry, making content generation easier. Another advantage could be intimate familiarity with your website, making technical SEO easier.

However, hiring an SEO team isn’t always the best solution. Sometimes, when internal SEO teams focus so much on your business, they aren’t keeping up with the latest trends in search engine optimization. That means they might be using outdated SEO tactics. Google ignores outdated SEO tactics- at best. On the other hand, SEO companies that work with multiple clients are constantly learning from their other clients’ efforts and can also apply those lessons to your business.

How to tell if your SEO services are working

Search engine optimization should lead to more sales leads or sales of your product. You know your SEO agency works if you’re making more from your SEO services than you spend on it.

Don’t be distracted by vanity metrics like “rank” or traffic to your website. While we need those to get to the point where we can get more leads or sales- search engine optimization doesn’t end with rank. That’s just the beginning.

What makes a good SEO company?

When hiring a Charlotte SEO agency, look for experience rather than certifications. There are no credible organizations that provide an “SEO certification.” Instead, look for experience. The ones that deliver more value stick around. Over time, ineffective SEOs go out of business (or get their website banned by Google).

David Zimmerman has earned the Google Ads Search Certification.

Sometimes a digital marketing agency might qualify as a Google Partner. Do you understand what that means? First of all, this relates to Paid Search using Google ads. It has nothing to do with organic search efforts. Second, understand that to qualify for Google Partner status, you have to be up-selling your clients with additional ad spent. In this way, Google Search Ads certification isn’t as valuable as it once was– and was never relevant to organic search efforts (although I still earn my Google Search Ads certification yearly).

However, several certifications can help someone be better at search engine optimization. For instance, look for someone with a Google Analytics IQ certification. They will understand how to measure your digital marketing efforts- SEO or other channels.

If you need a Charlotte SEO company to help your company, call or contact us today. Perhaps you need to start with a comprehensive SEO audit or a free audit. Not sure yet?

WordCamp Asheville 2019

You might have heard David speak at WordCamp Asheville in 2019.

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The Bottom Line

You need to reach people in your industry.

Reliable Acorn will help you create a custom digital marketing strategy that does just that.

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