Search engine optimization, typically referred to as SEO, are the changes you can make to your website to make it more user friendly and ‘trustworthy’ in the eyes of search engines.

Ideally, a website with strong SEO tells search engines (like Google) that the website and business it’s promoting are reliable and of high value, and Google directs more online searchers to your website because of it.

Some digital marketing agencies might try to sell you on a new website entirely instead of SEO work, but in most cases, some dedicated optimization time can do more for your website and business than a completely new site would.

You Probably Don’t Need a New Website – You Just Need SEO

What’s Included in SEO? What Will You Be Working On?

SEO includes a lot of different things, and the agency you’re working with should be able to suggest the different services that your website needs. The different optimizations that we make for our clients include:

• Keyword Research: Knowing what your audience is searching for can make all the difference in the popularity and ranking of your website. Your agency should not only research relevant keywords but also flesh out the keywords that are not relevant for each page.
• Backlinking: Backlinking, which means getting another relevant website to link back to your site, proves to search engines that your website has reliable content that other websites want to link to. Your agency should be able to identify and connect with other websites to get those links approved and added to your site.
• Mobile Optimization: In this day and age, mobile matters! Research shows that 57% of search traffic comes from mobile devices, so it’s important that your agency does their work to keep your website working well and looking good for those users.
• Updating Web Pages and Content: If the content on your website is too generic or repetitive, searchers on Google or Bing won’t know which page to click on. ​​Your agency should work to optimize your page titles, meta descriptions, copy, and alt text as well.

[Case Study] SEO and Social Media Marketing Brushes Up Success for Local Dental Clinic

How Will You Report on Improvements and Results?

When it comes to the “race” of ranking higher on search engines, SEO is the tortoise, not the hare — but that doesn’t mean that an agency gets off the hook with reporting. 

The agency you’re working with should be letting you know about the improvements they make to your site and the changes that come because of them. With tools like Google Analytics, you can also see different performance metrics, like:

• Average session duration (how much time users spend on specific pages)
• Bounce rate (how many users are quickly leaving your site)
• Engagement rate (how many users are taking valuable action on your site)

At 9 Clouds, we offer monthly reports that include that month’s website performance metrics and which website updates we attribute those results to.

How Do You Keep Up with SEO Best Practices?

As the search engine algorithms change, a good agency should be able to keep up with them. If an agency isn’t interested in or curious about what’s new and now online, they’re probably not the agency for you. 

The 9 Clouds team has SEO-focused specialists who spend time doing the research and sharing it with our team so all of our clients get the latest and greatest optimizations every time. 

Is There Anything You Can Do to Help Me Show Up Locally?

There’s actually quite a bit that you can do to promote your brand’s presence in your area. Hopefully the agency that you’re working with is able to offer a few suggestions on the work that they’d do, but here are a few ideas that we provide our clients with as they’re building up their local presence.

• Local Keyword Research: Do some research on popular keywords and search terms that users in your area are looking up! Keyword research helps you fill your website with content that you know people are seeking out.
• Add Local Links to Your Site: If you’re wanting to have a stronger, local presence, we’d recommend building relationships with local businesses and organizations to gain relevant referrals.
• Use Social Media: Hopefully your business has some type of social media presence, whether that’s on the classics like Facebook or Instagram, or something newer like TikTok or Snapchat. You can share business updates, promotions, and valuable content that users in your area would find useful or valuable.

Get Found & Get More Calls with Local SEO

What If My Website Doesn’t Have a Lot of Content?

A good agency should be able to help you see the gaps in your content or find opportunities to create new blogs or pages to help build out your website. At 9 Clouds, we have experts who specialize in SEO and can offer ideas for creating new content to help you move beyond just optimizing what’s already on the page.

By boosting the overall amount of information or content that’s on your site, you’re giving search engines more content to search through and can result in higher rankings on search results.

Are You Ready to Start Showing Up Online?

As your trusted digital marketing ally, we’re here to ensure your digital success, always working to bring your business to the forefront of search engine results.

If you’re ready for your business to make a splash in online search results, let’s chat about how our expert SEO services can benefit your business.

Get Your Digital Assessment »