{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "Key questions to ask any SEO consultant before hiring them, from backlink strategy to competitor analysis and link building plans.",
  "path": "/articles/what-questions-should-you-ask-an-seo-consultant-before-you-hire-them/",
  "publishedAt": "2018-02-22T01:34:03.000Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:uwtey2mvmw2i2vqgc2vm3hpy/site.standard.publication/3mnlma6kf6k2i",
  "tags": [
    "Posts"
  ],
  "textContent": "Hiring a consultant can feel like a complicated (and scary!) process, especially for something like Search Engine Optimization or getting more traffic where you may not see the results for 3, 6, or 9+ months (depending on the competitive landscape).\n\nWhen you're evaluating a Search Engine Optimization consultant, these are the questions that I recommend my friends and colleagues ask any consultants they're evaluating.\n\nThere aren't any 'right' answers per-say; rather, these questions let you see their thought process and strategic direction on a project.\n\nAn initial 'Search Engine Optimization Discovery' project makes the most sense to get these questions answered. That way, you get the questions answered in a way that makes sense for both you and the consultant and you're able to 'test the waters' with a small paid project to see how you work together.\n\nYou'll want to understand:\n\n - What SEO issues your consultant sees site-wide on your site\n - For your top performing pages for Organic traffic, what issues does the consultant see?\n - What keywords are you currently ranking for? (Just the top 2-4 by traffic)\n - What keywords are your #1 competitors ranking for? (Just the top 2-4 by traffic)\n - What is the strategic plan for ranking higher / copying competitor keywords?\n - How healthy is your backlink profile? (how many unique sites are linking to you, are they high quality, etc.)\n - How does this compare to your competitors? (who is linking to them!)\n - What would make sense as a link building strategy? What strategies does the consultant recommend/advocate? (You want to avoid anyone who mentions 'Our secret method' or 'Using Private Blog Networks...' — focus on sources of links that make sense for you, your products, and your business)\n - What's the plan to get +5-10 links from unique, high-quality referring domains every month?\n\nLooking for a Shopify SEO consultant? Learn more about my done-for-you SEO implementation for Shopify stores.",
  "title": "What questions should you ask an SEO consultant before you hire them?"
}