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So you have decided to hire a search engine optimization company as a
part of your overall marketing strategy. The firm that you choose will
have a tremendous impact on the success of your campaign, but you knew
that already. However, what are your evaluation criteria? For too many
companies, the answer is plain, simple, and singular: rankings.

However, any search engine optimization company worth its salt can
achieve high rankings of some sort. The true question is whether those
search engine rankings are for targeted phrases that are in line with
your overall marketing strategy. In order for your search engine
optimization campaign to be truly successful, a search engine
optimization company must understand your business, products and
services enough that it can accurately promote them on the Internet.

Unique Differentiators

Every company has them. Every search engine optimization company should
be interested in knowing what they are. These vital components of your
marketing strategy can be a huge determinant in the keyphrases that are
targeted in your optimization campaign.

For example, do you provide customized solutions in an otherwise
highly-commoditized industry? Modifiers like “specialty” and
“customized” added to your keyphrases will help you to obtain the types
of visitors most likely to be looking for exactly what you offer. This
is only one example – a typical marketing plan will detail several
points that effectively differentiate the company from its competition,
and a good search engine optimization firm will take the time to
understand what these are. By knowing and understanding these points of
differentiation, an optimization company will be able to get the most
out of your campaign.

High-Profit Segments

Most companies have certain products or services that are more
profitable than others that they offer. Some companies may also have
some new products or services that they are aggressively targeting.
Without the knowledge of these facts, your search engine optimization
company is likely to target all areas of your business equally.
Clearly, this would not serve your company well if your marketing
strategy was calling for phase-outs of certain product or service
lines, a focus on higher margin business, or aggressive promotion of
new offerings. Allocation of targeted keyphrases must be in line with
your marketing strategy in order for you to get the most out of the
campaign, and a quality search engine optimization company will pursue
the data that it needs to make a proper allocation.

Defining Prospects

Are your prospects already educated about your industry, or are they
looking for solutions to a particular problem? Are they a mix of both?
Your search engine optimization company should be asking you about the
makeup of your client base. Targeting highly technical and specific
keyphrases (such as “email deliverability testing platforms”) could
attract highly-educated prospects, while targeting solution-based
keyphrases (such as “marketing through email”) will target someone who
is looking for a solution while not necessarily understanding exactly
how it is provided. Does your marketing strategy have a preference as
to which sort of prospect you seek? Is it a mixture of both? If so,
what is the percentage breakdown? Your search engine optimization
company should be asking you these questions in order to bring you the
most qualified prospects.

Change over Time

Unless you are in one of those rare industries that hasn’t changed much
for 50 years, your marketing strategy will likely shift to accommodate
new challenges and new opportunities. As an extension of your marketing
team, a good search engine optimization company will want to keep
abreast of these changes and adjust your campaign according to what is
current today. All too often, a company will change its products or
services, adjust its prospect profile, or decide to focus on other
areas of business without letting the search engine optimization
company know that its marketing strategy has changed. A quality search
firm will be proactive in finding out if any of these changes have
occurred and will address them at the same time that you are, assuring
that your search engine optimization campaign is in full alignment with
your current marketing goals.

These represent only a few examples of how a good search engine
optimization firm will want to fully understand your marketing strategy
throughout the lifetime of your search engine optimization campaign.
While it is true that no single company ever understands your business
as well as your company does, it’s also true that a search engine
optimization company with a stellar track record will understand search
engine optimization better than your company will. The marriage of
knowledge between the two entities can be the single largest
determinant in the level of success (or failure) of your campaign. If
you suspect that your search engine optimization company is taking a
cookie-cutter approach to your campaign and is not taking the time to
fully understand your marketing strategy, it may be advisable to look
elsewhere.