Many companies encounter their
SEO agencies
often with skepticism or even mistrust. This can be due to a number of factors, ranging from unrealistic expectations to lack of understanding to bad past experiences.

Unrealistic expectations

SEO is a long-term commitment and it can take a few months to see results. However, many customers expect immediate results and are disappointed when these do not materialize. This can lead them to question the capabilities and value of an SEO agency.

Lack of understanding

SEO is a complex field and difficult for many people to understand. This can lead to clients underestimating the importance of an SEO agency’s work and being skeptical of the strategies proposed by the agency.

Bad experiences in the past

Unfortunately, there are some black sheep in the SEO industry who use unethical practices or make unrealistic promises. If clients have had such experiences in the past, they may understandably be skeptical of other SEO agencies.

Lack of transparency

Some SEO agencies are not transparent in their reports and communication practices. This can leave customers feeling like they are being kept in the dark and increase their skepticism and distrust of the agency.

Accordingly, many companies wonder whether they should use the services of an SEO agency at all, and if so, how they can measure the success of these services.

Here I argue that it is indeed possible to prove the success of an SEO agency, and I will show the various methods that can be used to do so.

The main task of an SEO agency is to improve the visibility of your website in search engines, and one of the main metrics used to measure this goal is organic traffic. An increase in organic traffic is a clear sign that SEO efforts are bearing fruit.

With tools like Google Analytics, you can keep an eye on organic traffic to your website and track improvements over time.

An effective SEO strategy should also lead to better keyword rankings. This means that your website should appear on the first page of search engine results for specific keywords that are relevant to your business.

An SEO agency should be able to provide you with regular reports on your website’s keyword rankings to demonstrate progress.

But traffic and rankings alone are not enough. The true value of SEO is demonstrated in the ability to drive qualified traffic to your website that converts into actual leads and sales.

A good SEO agency should be able to improve your website’s conversion rate by optimizing the user experience and providing quality content that encourages your visitors to take action.

A reputable SEO agency should be able to provide regular, comprehensive reports on their activities and their impact on your website. These reports should include detailed information about organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversion rates, and other important SEO metrics.

This not only shows that the agency is doing effective work, but also gives you the opportunity to make changes if certain strategies are not working.

Engagement rate (by session and page)

Engagement rate measures how intensively users interact with your website. A high engagement rate can indicate that your content is relevant and engaging to users. This, in turn, can help improve your SEO rankings, as search engines prefer websites with high user engagement.

Advanced measurements such as form transmissions

Form submissions can be an important indicator of user engagement and lead generation. If the number of form submissions increases, it may indicate that your SEO efforts are successful.

Email signups and conversions

The number of email signups can serve as an indicator of user interest and engagement with your brand. Email conversions, on the other hand, can give you insight into the effectiveness of your email marketing strategy.

PPC Retargeting Conversions

PPC retargeting conversions can show you how many users who previously visited your website return through retargeting ads and make a conversion. This may indicate that your SEO and PPC strategies are well aligned.

Phone calls

The number of phone calls generated through your website can be an important indicator of your users’ interest and willingness to buy.

Clicks from images

Images can play an important role in improving user experience and SEO performance. A high number of clicks on your images may indicate that your images are relevant and engaging.

Customer lifetime value

The customer lifetime value indicates how much revenue a customer generates over the course of their relationship with your company. An increase in customer lifetime value can be an indication that your SEO efforts are helping to build valuable, long-term customer relationships.

Although there are reasons for client skepticism about SEO agencies, a good agency can overcome these challenges.

It can set realistic expectations, explain the complexities of SEO, be transparent in its communications, and most importantly, provide quality, ethical services. In this way, SEO agencies can gain the trust of their clients and reduce their skepticism.