Considering the fact that 93% of online acquisitions begin with search engines, and 57% of B2B marketers consider SEO to generate more leads than any other marketing initiative, your utmost goal should be to double down on your Search Engine Optimization game.
Since SEO is a science in itself, you need an expert SEO expert to take the reins of your website and ensure that it ranks at the top on SERP. But the problem is how do you find the right expert for the job as the market is brim to the fill with self-proclaimed experts.
In this blog, we will outline some of the best tips on how you can hire a freelance SEO expert for your website and who can beat the competition with an overwhelming SEO strategy.
Important Tips to Consider When Hiring an SEO Expert
1. Look For Strong SEO Skills
While hiring an SEO freelancer, you would evidently look for strong SEO skills in the potential candidate including link building tactics, keyword research, off-page strategy, website analytics, web traffic management, traffic acquisition and ROI analysis, and SEO best practices.
Furthermore, it would be a plus if your potential candidate has some proficiency in HTML and CSS. Furthermore, the SEO freelancer will also have to communicate recommendations regarding page speed optimization, lazy loading, microdata tagging, and server-side redirects to the developer in a clear way.
2. Create an Accurate Project Description to Attract the Best Talent
Before you start looking for a freelance SEO expert, determine and define project scope and expectations. Creating a comprehensive project outline will assist the SEO freelancer in producing a proposal for discussion.
Here’s what a great project summary should accomplish:
Set a clearer picture of who you are, your business, and your goals
Present a transparent picture of your requirements with no space for presumptions
Indicate whether you're looking for a long-term contract, a fixed-price agreement, or hourly rates
Posting a well-thought-out project description will allow the SEO freelancers to submit accurate proposals and ease the communication process.
3. Look for Experienced Candidates
Experience does not only refer to SEO knowledge but also their proficiency in modern tools used for data analytics, competition research, and reporting. For example, if you use a specific CMS to handle your content, you'll want someone who is at home with it.
Similarly, hiring freelance SEO experts with expertise in the following areas would be beneficial to your business:
Proficiency in SEO tools such as SEMRush, Supermetrics, and Ahrefs
Adeptness at different backend website management tools, such as Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress
Other than this, freelance platforms usually ask the freelancers to create a description of their services with relevant experience. So, before you place an order, go through the details of the freelance SEO expert to ensure that they meet your criteria.
4. Go Through Client Reviews
Reviews are the best way to validate the claims of the SEO experts. Client feedback gives you quick insights into the previous clients’ experience with the freelancer you plan to hire. There are two ways you can check out the service quality feedback of the SEO.
Check out their LinkedIn profile and go over their “Recommendation” section. You will see the candidate’s previous clients, peers, or colleagues offering their recommendations.
You can also check out the reviews on freelance platforms, such as TaskShift. Go to TaskShift marketplace and look for your desired freelancer. Go through their profile and scroll down to the reviews section. Here, you will find the feedback of past clients and the freelancer’s ratings.
5. Inquire About the Candidate’s Work Methodology
The potential SEO freelancer should be able to provide you with specific strategies for achieving good rankings and bringing in quality traffic. Rather than just settling on verbal discussion, it’s good to ask for a written plan of action.
Make sure that the proposal includes the project audit, keyword research methods, competitor analysis method, and SEO tools. The SEO strategy should cover the on-page, off-page, and technical SEO audits and suggestions.
Ensure that your candidate is proficient in Google Analytics, Search Console, and other SEO-critical tools.
6. Strong Communication Is a Big Plus
Whether it be any kind of project, strong communication is the key. Any project is set rolling when the technical experts have excellent communication skills so as to comprehend and convey the job requirements.
Your SEO freelancer must be confident enough to be able to clearly convey ideas and techniques to content creators and writers on how to optimize the SEO results from their content. Not only does SEO necessitate confidence, but it also necessitates the ability to distill complex ideas into easy terms that even non-SEOs can comprehend.
7. Don’t Miss Out On These Key Skills
Strong Strategy: Your SEO freelancer should be able to assess the website's strategy and jot down specific keywords and content that will surely generate leads and conversions.
Analytic Skills: For proper SEO strategy, a basic understanding of business KPIs are also needed. So your SEO freelancer should be able to pull their own data and figure out actionable insights to enhance your site’s performance.
8. Select and Interview the Best Candidates
Now, this is the most crucial and decisive stage in hiring an expert SEO freelancer for your website. In the process of browsing the marketplace, shortlist candidates that best fit your criteria and schedule a call or one on one meeting with them individually.
During the interview, try to convey your aims and objectives regarding the project and let the SEO freelancer explain what technical knowledge your project will be needing. Hunt for SEO experts who can put forward a clear plan of action, deliverables, and deadlines. Beware to differentiate between genuine promises and sketchy ones.
The Bottom Line
Now that you've learned the most important considerations to hire an SEO freelancer, you will now be able to filter and pick the right candidate for your dream project.
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