Businesses want tangible results when they invest in an SEO company, according to a new survey of over 300 marketing decision-makers.
More than one-quarter (28 percent) of marketers identify expertise as the leading benefit of partnering with an SEO company. The finding comes in a new survey from B2B ratings and reviews firm Clutch, in collaboration with Internet marketing firm Ignite Visibility.
An SEO company’s expertise guarantees that if your business runs into an unexpected issue with its SEO efforts, there will be an industry insider on hand for guidance.
“By virtue of their access to clients, tools, and human resources, an SEO agency can dedicate resources and time to learning the latest trends and techniques,” said Krish Coughran, president of Ignite Visibility, in a news release. “This deeper knowledge translates to a more comprehensive SEO strategy for clients.”
More than one-third (34 percent) of businesses partner with digital marketing agencies that provide SEO services, compared to nearly one-fourth (24 percent) that partner with SEO consultants and just over one-fifth (21 percent) that partner with SEO-exclusive agencies.
Marketing decision-makers rely on referrals to find and determine the best SEO companies for their businesses. Over half (52 percent) of marketing decision-makers find an SEO partner through a referral, and 49 percent take referrals into consideration when choosing to hire an SEO company.
An SEO company’s service offerings are the leading factor businesses consider when hiring an SEO company.
Prioritizing an SEO company’s service offerings, such as keyword optimization or content creation, indicates that businesses value the measurable deliverables of their SEO efforts over intangible factors such as referrals and price.
SEO companies preferred for off-site services
Businesses tend to secure SEO companies for help with off-site SEO services more than on-site services.
They typically partner with an SEO agency or consultant for on-site services and a digital marketing agency for off-site services, the study found.
Most partnerships last less than two years, cost thousands per month
It’s not unusual for SEO partnerships to end earlier than planned. The survey found that 20 percent of businesses expect to partner with an SEO company for at least 5 years but less than 10v make it that long.
Most businesses partner with an SEO company for two years or less. About 61 percent typically spend less than $5,000 per month.
Clutch and Ignite Visibility’s 2018 SEO Services Survey analyzed findings from 303 marketing decision-makers in the U.S.
