What is SEO?

SEO is the practice of improving a website's visibility in organic search results. With expert SEO services, businesses receive professional guidance to develop, execute, and optimize an SEO strategy that drives visibility, traffic, and revenue.

How does SEO work?

Over 200 factors influence search engine rankings, but here’s a brief overview:

  • Search engine crawlers (spiders) scan your website.
  • Search engines index your content, making it eligible to appear in search results.
  • Your site appears in relevant search results, influenced by over 200 ranking factors.

Partnering with an SEO agency ensures your SEO efforts are effective by:

  • Ensuring search engines can crawl and index your site.
  • Targeting keywords that attract qualified traffic.
  • Optimizing on-site content to boost search rankings.
  • Adapting SEO strategies to algorithm updates.
  • Offering guidance to enhance and scale your SEO approach.

SEO companies help businesses improve their:

  • On-page, off-page, and technical SEO.
  • Keyword rankings.
  • Organic traffic.
  • Conversion rates from organic traffic.

What is an SEO company?

An SEO company offers services to improve a website’s visibility, traffic, and revenue from organic search results, using on-page, off-page, and technical SEO techniques.

What does an SEO company do?

SEO companies help businesses grow by improving rankings, traffic, and revenue through tasks such as SEO audits, on-page optimizations, content creation, link building, keyword research, and technical SEO.

How much does an SEO firm cost?

The cost of SEO services for businesses depends on your business and the firm you choose. Usually, SEO services cost$2,500 to $7,500 per monthAlthough you may find cheaper options, beware of SEO scams that promise low prices but deliver poor results.

Factors influencingfirm-relatedpricing include:

  • Location
  • Experience
  • Deliverables
  • Payment structure

Factors influencingbusiness-relatedpricing include:

  • Timeline
  • Project scope
  • Goals

Request a quote for a precise estimate of SEO costs. The agency will assess your needs and provide customized pricing along with a list of deliverables to help you decide if they are the right fit for your business.

Is it worth hiring an SEO agency?

Is Hiring an SEO Company Worth It?

Deciding whether to hire an SEO agency depends on these factors:

  • Can you effectively handle SEO in-house?
  • Do you have the budget to outsource SEO?
  • Is your SEO strategy underperforming?
  • What is your level of SEO expertise?

Hiring an SEO firm is typically worthwhile when:

  • You lack the time, resources, or skills for in-house SEO.
  • Your budget allows for professional SEO services.
  • Your current SEO efforts aren't meeting expectations.

Conversely, keeping SEO in-house makes sense when:

  • You have the necessary time, resources, tools, and skills.
  • Budget constraints prevent hiring a top SEO provider.
  • Your in-house efforts are delivering desired results.

You don't need to meet all the criteria above to consider hiring an SEO agency. Many businesses take a proactive approach, hiring SEO experts before in-house resources become strained.

What services do SEO companies provide?

SEO companies offer a range of services, including:

  • Traditional SEO* optimizes your site for non-localized searches.
  • Local SEO focuses on local search optimization.
  • Ecommerce SEO optimizes your online store for search engines.
  • Enterprise SEO targets competitive, high-volume keywords.
  • Voice SEO optimizes your site for voice search.
  • SEO audits identify issues impacting your rankings.
  • SEO consulting offers expert advice for specific projects like a site redesign.

The range of services varies by firm. Full-service agencies, like Uptle, offer a broader range of services with specialized teams in each area.

How much does an SEO firm cost?

You now understand what an SEO company is and what they do, but what specific tasks should they handle? Here’s what you should expect from an SEO firm:

  • Conduct a website audit.
  • Improve on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.
  • Monitor and report on progress.
  • Learn more about these tasks below:

Audit your website

A comprehensive SEO audit allows your provider to:

  • Assess your site's structure, indexing, and optimization.
  • Identify critical issues like crawling or indexing problems.
  • Prioritize tasks, focusing on the most impactful areas first.
  • Recommend a targeted SEO strategy to achieve your goals.
  • And more.

Typically, SEO agencies use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Screaming Frog to perform audits. They may also request access to your analytics data and use premium tools like Ahrefs or Semrush.

After the audit, your firm should provide:

  • A summary of findings.
  • Actionable recommendations.

Top SEO firms will also explain the rationale behind their recommendations, ensuring you understand the importance of each action.

Improve your on-page, off-page, and technical SEO

SEO companies focus on enhancing your site's on-page, off-page, and technical aspects.

Here’s a brief overview of what each involves:

Examples ofon-page optimization include:

  • Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions.
  • Conducting keyword research.
  • Suggesting or creating new content.

Examples ofoff-page optimization include:

  • Setting up directory listings.
  • Conducting link outreach.
  • Generating content ideas.

Examples oftechnical optimization include:

  • Optimizing the robots.txt file.
  • Improving page load speed.
  • Enhancing internal linking.

If your SEO company has access to your site, they can implement these optimizations, saving you significant time. However, if you can’t grant access, they will act more as consultants, providing recommendations for your team to execute.

This approach requires more time from your team and may delay seeing results if recommendations aren’t implemented promptly.

Report your progress

SEO companies typically provide monthly progress reports, focusing on metrics like:

  • Rankings.
  • Traffic.
  • Conversions.

Your account manager will usually review these reports with you.

Top firms tailor reports to highlight the metrics most important to your business, such as the number of qualified leads generated from SEO.

While keyword rankings and organic traffic are vital, they can sometimes be misleading. It’s essential to focus on how these metrics impact your bottom line.

Discuss success metrics with your SEO agency before hiring them to ensure alignment.

What should the best SEO agencies do?

Research your market

Develop your strategy

Fill your skill gaps

Improve your analytics

A/B test your SEO

Re-purpose your SEO data

Top SEO agencies excel in:

  • Optimizing for SEO.
  • Providing exceptional service.
  • Adapting to changes in the market and search engine algorithms.

They also do things that other SEO companies might not, like:

  • Researching your market.
  • Developing your strategy.
  • Filling skill gaps.
  • Enhancing analytics.
  • A/B testing SEO.
  • Leveraging SEO data.

Learn more about these tasks below:

Research your market

The best SEO agencies research your:

  • Industry.
  • Target market.
  • Competitors.

This research helps them:

  • Identify the best keywords to target.
  • Spot opportunities for link building, content creation, and more.
  • Offer insights for navigating market changes.

Some agencies, like Uptle, assign a dedicated SEO expert familiar with your industry, which can shorten onboarding times, streamline communication, and improve results.

Not all agencies offer this — it requires a large, specialized team and long-standing client relationships.

Develop your strategy

While many agencies can create an SEO strategy, top agencies consider your broader business goals. For example, if you're planning to expand into new markets, they’ll integrate that into your strategy.

Top agencies will also:

When it comes to strategy, you can also expect best-in-class SEO agencies to:

  • Customize your strategy based on your industry, audience, and goals.
  • Adapt your strategy to economic or market changes.
  • Enhance your plan with the latest SEO tactics.
  • And more.

Whether you prefer a hands-off approach or enjoy collaboration, top SEO agencies can tailor their services to your needs.

Fill your skill gaps

SEO requires a range of skills, from web development to content creation. The best agencies recognize this and have a diverse team of specialists, including:

Top SEO companies recognize the skill gaps within most SEO programs. That’s why their team includes:

  • SEO specialists.
  • Content marketers.
  • Web developers.
  • Designers.
  • And more.

At Uptle, our team of 500+ professionals includes:

  • SEO experts.
  • Outreach specialists.
  • Content marketers.
  • Professional copywriters and editors.
  • Data analysts.
  • Conversion rate optimization experts.
  • Social media specialists.
  • Digital advertising specialists.
  • Web developers.
  • Designers.
  • Business consultants.

With a team like this, you can quickly tackle SEO tasks like:

  • Creating new content.
  • Fixing technical issues, like a sitemap.
  • Launching projects like custom 404 pages.
  • Pivoting strategy in response to industry shifts.
  • Adopting new tactics, like first-party data.
  • And more.

Faster implementation of SEO tasks leads to quicker results. While SEO still takes 3-6 months to show results, starting sooner rather than later ensures you see those results earlier.

A/B test your SEO

Top SEO companies go beyond basic optimization. They also conduct A/B testing.

SEO A/B testing might include:

  • Testing different title tags.
  • Testing different meta descriptions.

If you work with a full-service SEO agency, they might also assist with conversion rate optimization (CRO), which focuses on turning more of your existing traffic into customers.

Combining SEO with CRO can significantly boost revenue, as seen in Uptle’s results, where clients have generated over $3 billion in revenue in the past five years.

What should the best SEO agencies do?

One significant benefit of hiring a top SEO agency is access to advanced analytics. Most leading SEO firms invest in white-label software to track rankings, traffic, and conversions.

Transparency alert: Agencieswillpass these software costs onto you.

As software costs rise, so will your SEO service fees. Agencies can’t control these increases, and switching platforms can jeopardize your data.

Despite the costs, advanced analytics software offers benefits like:

  • A dedicated dashboard for SEO results.
  • Tracking top URL rankings.
  • Monitoring SEO conversions over time.

Some agencies develop their own analytics tools, offering a unique advantage.

Uptle is one such agency withour platformextending beyond analytics to provide:

  • Track SEO’s ROI down to the URL.
  • Measure ROI across all digital channels.
  • Access AI-powered insights for SEO improvements.
  • Monitor competitor strategies.
  • Automate marketing tasks, like email campaigns.
  • Personalize URLs.
  • Integrate with CRM systems for sales data.
  • And more.

If you decide to hire an SEO agency, consider what metrics matter most to you and your leadership team. This will guide you in choosing the right partner.

Re-purpose your SEO data

Top SEO firms go beyond standard SEO practices. They help you maximize the value of your data.

With the shift from third-party to first-party data, building a first-party data strategy is crucial, and top agencies will help you do just that.

The result? A 20% average increase in digital marketing ROI! For example, digital marketing agencies like Uptle use proprietary tools to help clients repurpose data for ad campaigns, personalization, and more.

When evaluating SEO agencies, ask about their approach to first-party data. Not all agencies have one, but the best will be prepared with an answer.

How do I choose an SEO company?

Now that you know what an SEO company is and what they do, you’re ready to hire one.

The process can take months, especially if you need buy-in from other departments. However, understanding how to choose the right SEO partner can help you make the best decision for your business.

Here are some tips for selecting an SEO agency (for more advice, see our SEO Hiring Guide):

Outline your expectations:Define what you want from an SEO firm with your stakeholders. Do you need a firm that can handle everything or just a specific project? How will you measure their success?

Determine your budget:Set a budget before engaging with potential agencies. What is management willing to invest, and what must the services include to justify that expense?

Ask for recommendations:Leverage your network to identify agencies worth considering (or avoiding), saving you time in the selection process.

Review case studies:Examine case studies from potential agencies. How do they measure success? What strategies do they use? Why are clients satisfied?

Schedule meetings:Contact your top choices and meet with them. Ask about their approach, pricing, timelines, and deliverables.

Request proposals:After meeting with agencies, request custom proposals. These should include pricing, deliverables, and any specifics discussed.

Don’t settle if you haven’t found the right agency after the first round of meetings. Keep searching until you find a partner you trust with your SEO.

FAQs about SEO companies

Get answers to common questions about SEO companies:

How do SEO companies charge for services?

SEO agencies typically offer several payment structures, including:

  • Flat rate: A fixed fee charged regularly, such as monthly.
  • Performance-based: A variable fee based on the agency’s results.
  • Hourly: A fee based on the number of hours worked.
  • Project-based: A fee based on the project’s scope.
  • Most agencies prefer flat rate, hourly, or project-based pricing.

What metrics do SEO companies improve?

SEO companies typically focus on improving:

  • Search engine rankings.
  • Organic traffic.
  • Organic conversions.
  • Engagement metrics, like time on page.

Your agency may focus on additional metrics depending on your SEO goals.

What do an SEO company’s services include?

Standard SEO services include:

  • SEO audit.
  • On-page optimizations.
  • Off-page optimizations.
  • Technical optimizations.
  • Reporting.

Some agencies also offer additional services, such as:

  • Strategy development.
  • A/B testing.
  • Advanced analytics.

Each agency is different, so verify their deliverables when evaluating them.

How does an SEO company work?

An SEO company helps grow your business by:

  • Learning about your industry, target audience, and goals.
  • Building and managing a strategy to impact key metrics.
  • Communicating updates on SEO initiatives.
  • Reporting on SEO’s impact on your business.

An SEO firm’s role is to drive leads, sales, and more through search engines.

Similar to hiring an accountant or cleaning service, partnering with an SEO company for small businesses means entrusting experts to improve your online visibility.

What is an example of working with an SEO company?

Imagine you run a painting business in Ames, Iowa(Go Cyclones!).

You’re an expert in all things paint but need help attracting more leads. You hear from customers that they find local painters through Google.

Managing an SEO campaign yourself isn’t feasible, so you hire a reputable SEO company.

Within a few months, your site ranks at the top of Google for searches like “painters in Ames Iowa.” Leads start pouring in, and your business is busier than ever.

This successful partnership brings in more business, thanks to expert SEO management.

The advantage of SEO is that it allows interested customers tofind you online. Unlike other marketing channels that broadcast messages to a broad audience, SEO makes it easier for qualified prospects to discover your business.

SEO works by attracting self-qualified leads — those already interested in your products or services.

See what an SEO company can do for you

An SEO company helps you capture more traffic and revenue from the web.

With 25+ years of experience and over $3 billion in revenue generated for clients, Uptle is a leading choice forSEO services

For a custom strategy, expert team, and cutting-edge digital marketing technology,contact us onlinetoday!