Are you in the process of looking for a reputable SEO agency to help you bolster your brand awareness and ultimately start making more money online? If so, you’re likely feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ‘awesome’ SEO agencies out there, each claiming to be #1 in the industry. So, how can you be certain to find an agency in Melbourne that you can trust? Read on for 5 top-notch tips to ensure you find the best fit for you…

1. Define and understand your SEO goals

This might sound like a given, but you should pause for a moment and take the time to really think about what your long-term SEO goals are.

• How much do you know about SEO?

• Are you looking to have a brand-new website built?

• Are you re-branding and want a fresh start?

• Do you want to push new products?

• Is there a specific location you want to target?

• How will it impact your offline advertising efforts?

• Which areas of your online presence need the most work?

Once you have a clear and thorough understanding of what you want to gain from this new relationship, finding the right SEO agency to meet your needs will be that little bit easier.

2. Gather all of the facts first

Next, when you are shortlisting some prospective SEO agencies you must take the time to gather all of the facts about them before making any decisions.

• Online reviews.

• Customer testimonials.

• Case studies / success stories.

Any reputable and worthy SEO agency in Melbourne will have tonnes of online reviews and will be more than happy to send you customer testimonials and case studies / previous success stories.

3. Ask them about the techniques they use and the SEO metrics they measure

This is a big one and a great way to catch SEOs off guard: ask them about what strategies they use and which SEO metrics they measure.

A solid case study should have detailed information, not just about the end results, but on how they got there. Using metrics like:

• Click-through rate.

• Page load speed.

• Pages per session.

• Backlinks.

• Bounce rate.

• Organic traffic.

• Keywords & rankings.

• Leads & sales.

If a prospective agency is unwilling (or unable) to offer details, you should be wary of their capabilities. The truth is: the top performing SEO agencies aren’t afraid of ‘giving away their secrets’, because they understand that doing so doesn’t lose them business, but builds trust and authority.

4. Visit them face to face if it helps

Understandably, investing in an SEO agency that is based overseas or in another state can feel like a terrible risk. Of course, if you shop on reputation and they have tonnes of social proof demonstrating their authenticity, this is significantly less risky. However, if you are an especially cautious person, using a local SEO in Melbourne and meeting them face to face is a great way to alleviate any doubts.

5. Avoid guarantees

You’ll find no shortage of SEO agencies who will guarantee you #1 results and promise you lighting fast rankings. Avoid these like the plague!

For the most reputable agencies, the only ‘guarantees’ they need are their customer reviews and previous success stories.

The fact is, there are no guarantees in SEO. It’s a complicated beast that takes time, patience, and a lot of resources to tame.

< Conclusion: Do your due diligence (and trust your gut)

Ultimately, the key to cutting through the noise and finding an SEO agency in Melbourne that will deliver the results you need is by being thorough in your research. Tick all of the above boxes, set aside some prospective agencies who meet a certain standard, and then go with what your gut tells you.