Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most important and effective parts of modern digital marketing. However, it can be a challenge to navigate between cheap SEO packages that do very little, or expensive packages that include services that you don't actually need.
The question is: How do I find an affordable SEO package that's a good deal while still getting me everything I need?
So take advantage of our insider knowledge as we take a closer look at affordable SEO packages and what they should include.
If you want to get started with SEO right now, you can contact Profitworks directly. We have over 17 years of experience in the field and we'd love to put our expertise to work for you too.
Finding the Right SEO Company
If you are looking for an affordable SEO package that suits your business specifically, there are a few essential features you should look for in whichever SEO company you choose to work with:
- Package Customization
- A Proven Track Record
- Long-Term Strategy and Realistic Goals
Package Customization
SEO is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Many generic SEO companies present themselves like this, allowing them to offer a flat fee for standard services.
However, every business is unique, so an effective and affordable SEO package should be tailored to the specific needs of your company and the industry that you are in.
Your SEO company should take the time to understand your business and learn what it needs. For example, a website running on old, out-of-date software will require a different approach than a site that is brand new; and a small local business will need a different approach than a larger international corporation.
If you want to get a sense of whether an SEO company cares about understanding you and your business, watch to see if they ask you questions like:
- What makes your business unique and valuable?
- What does your current target customer look like?
- How do customers typically find your website?
- How does your business make money, and how can search results aid that?
- What advertising channels are you using, and how?
- Who are your main competitors and what are they doing well (or poorly) online?
These type of questions indicate that an SEO company is trying to collect the information it needs to build an affordable SEO package that's specialized for your business and market.
If they don't seem interested in learning about your business, find another SEO specialist.
What Actually Is SEO?
A Proven Track Record
On addition to making sure you'll be receiving a customized package for your money, you should take a close look at the track record, or work history, of the company offering the service.
It's easy to talk about SEO and make it sound wonderful, but it's another thing to interact with customers who have had it actually work for them. Try to talk to at least three of the SEO company's current customers to learn how SEO has helped those customers succeed.
Next, find out how long the SEO company has been in business. Not only is a a long lifespan a good general indicator of a trustworthy SEO company, but it increases the likelihood that they have technical expertise.
Because regular testing is such an important part of SEO, the more experience a company has, the more likely it is that they have a plan for improving the state of your business' digital standing.
A Good SEO Company Will Help Define and Advertise Your USPs
Long-Term Strategy and Realistic Goals
The SEO industry is notorious for making unrealistic promises along with vague steps to get there. If you're promised something that seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
SEO results depend on a host of factors, and no company can guarantee the #1 spot on Google.
SEO also takes time to get significant results, often a few months to a year. Further, every website is different, so the route to success will vary.
All of these means it's difficult to give a precise answer when it comes to how long SEO will take to ramp up traffic and conversions for your website in particular.
According to Maile Ohye, Developer Programs Tech Lead for Google, SEO needs at least four months to a year to make progress and begin benefiting a business.
These are some of the reasons why SEO takes so long:
- Your SEO company needs to perform market research and discover which keywords are leading to the most sales in your industry,
- The formatting and structure of your website needs to be tested to make it easier for visitors to make it through the conversions funnel, and
- Your SEO company will need to create webpages and blog posts using the learnings above in order for Google to begin serving those pages in response to organic search queries.
Even though it can take time to get going, SEO will improve the quality of your website, make it easier for users to find you through Google, and often generates $10+ in revenue for every dollar spent. That's an incredible return on your investment!
Affordable SEO Packages Can Give You a Great ROI
What Effective and Affordable SEO Packages Should Include
Any worthwhile affordable SEO packages should include at least the following services:
- Discovering the goals of your company and defining them. See if you can come up with a SMART goal, or a goal that's specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Then pass this info off to your SEO company. A solid, quantifiable goal makes it easier to gauge success, or help you learn over time whether your goal needs to be reevaluated.
- Website audit. If you have an active website, then your SEO company should do an audit to scout for things like technical errors, usability issues, any content that could be improved, the speed of your site, SEO problems, and design flaws.
- Competitor analysis. Your SEO company should ask you who your chief competitors are, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and where you can find a competitive edge, digitally speaking.
- Keyword research. Keyword research involves researching the words people type into search engines when they are looking for the kind of product or service that you provide. Your SEO company will then use that research to create targeted content that will feature those popular promising keywords. Importantly, keyword research isn't something that you do once and then never again. Because search language is constantly changing, products go through trends in popularity, and new keywords are being used all the time, your SEO package should include regular keyword research to stay up-to-date.
- Great content. One of the most important aspects of SEO is content creation. Free, helpful, keyword-focused content on your website will help build your credibility online on Google as people are attracted to the informative content on your site, which will hopefully lead to other sites linking back to your site for reference.
- Supplementary SEO tasks. There's more to SEO than just keywords and content creation. Heatmap analysis, AB testing, and even social media ads directing back to your SEO pages can all be used to gather more data and improve your site's standing even further.
- Transparent reporting. A trusted SEO company will be very transparent in their reporting, without trying to hide or sugar-coat poor results. A lot of SEO tasks are done "behind-the-scenes," so it can be unclear to the client to see if they are getting results. A good SEO company will provide you with clear, regular reports that pull data from a reliable analytics source such as Google Analytics or Search Console, and will not avoid trying to explain terminology to you or obstruct the work they've done.
- The freedom to make adjustments. Remember, even after a plan is made and put into action, adjustments may need to be made. SEO is not an exact science, so it is important to monitor its effectiveness and make adjustments along the way to account for new data.
Keyword Research is a Core Part of Any Standard SEO Package
Looking for Affordable SEO Packages? Trust Profitworks
For the best and most affordable SEO packages in Ontario, tailored to the needs to small Canadian businesses, talk to the experts at Profitworks.
We have over 17 years of experience in providing our clients with SEO and digital marketing services. We've helped them grow their businesses and we can help you too.
Not only will we commit to take the time to get to know your business and determine if SEO is the right fit for you, but we'll build a customized SEO package to suit your particular needs, and we'll be clear and communicative about the entire process.
If you want industry expertise, transparent reporting, and constant striving for better results, contact Profitworks today to find out more.
"We saw not only an increase in website traffic, but more importantly in the quality of leads. It means we are spending more time on the things that truly make a difference to our business."
- Dave Mattingly
