One of the most important things e-commerce businesses need to do is to have great SEO. SEO, or search engine optimization, is essential as it helps websites and businesses rank higher on Google. As the Internet becomes ever more crowded, and potential customers have more options than ever, these high rankings get harder and harder to reach. Also, things are always changing. Algorithms are updated continuously, and it can be hard for a small business to keep on top of it.
That’s where professional companies such as Thunderhawk SEO come in. But then, how do you know if you really need an SEO company, or you can achieve your goals yourself?
The two primary things to consider when making this decision are time and budget. Do your staff have the time to create and implement your SEO strategy in-house? Can you afford an external company’s rates? Can you afford not to bring in an expert?
Anyone who works in SEO knows that it can be extremely time-consuming, and in many cases, companies simply don’t have time to do it themselves. If you don’t have time during office hours, you may need to work overtime (unpaid if you have limited resources) to get it done. If you have no time, but more money, an SEO company might be the way to go. It can be a very worthwhile investment, too. It costs money, but the high search rankings you achieve as a result could more than make that money back for you in new business.
Setting your goals
Another important thing to consider is the nature of your business, its place in your market, and what goals are realistically achievable for you and offer the highest return on your investment. If you’re a small business and want to rank higher on local searches, your goals will be different from those of a multinational operating across multiple markets. You might be in a highly competitive industry, or you might be filling a much smaller niche. What your business does and is looking to do will determine what you need to do to rank higher. Companies with more competition might be better to hire an external SEO expert, while others might be able to manage in-house because the nature of their business means it’s simply easier to rank higher.
What you know
Finally, you need to think about how much SEO knowledge you have in your company, and whether or not it’s better to undertake staff training to fill in gaps or look elsewhere. Getting it wrong can have the opposite of what you intend on the impact on your ranking, so if you’re not sure, ask an expert.
Do you really need an SEO company? Think about some of the things discussed above, and make an informed decision based on careful consideration. If you do decide to go ahead with an external provider, do even more research before you make a hiring decision. Read testimonials, take recommendations, and ask for quotes. You won’t regret doing too much research, but you might regret not doing enough.
