Here are a few considerations to help kick start your search to hire an SEO company or consultant.

Ask your tribe: One of the best ways to find an SEO consultant for your consideration is to ask the people you know and trust.

Word of mouth still plays an important role in being found and people are usually not going to recommend a person or business they don’t like. There’s a good chance that someone you know is using SEO and would be happy to recommend their SEO partner.

Look on Google: In addition to referrals, another way to find an SEO candidate is by looking on Google. One caveat to this recommendation is that just because an SEO company is ranking prominently in Google doesn’t mean they’re the best, but that also doesn’t mean they’re not.

The point of this exercise is to gather up considerations and then filter that list based on other criteria, such as reviews, proven results, good vibes, and your budget.

Review online directories: During your Google search, click on a few directories, such as Clutch and UpCity, for recommendations.

Similar to the last bullet point, just because an SEO company is listed on a directory does not necessarily mean they’re the best. In fact, none of these bullet points could declare that.

But what I like about these online directories is that these can list out an SEO company’s specialties, average price, and reviews from their clients.

Ask on social media groups: I almost didn’t include this one since you can get a mixed bag of results, but there are so many talented people out there that it’s worth exploring. I’m part of several Facebook groups and have seen posts from businesses looking for SEO consultants and vice versa.

We even received an incredible agency-client this way. There are several SEO-specific Facebook groups, as well as industry-specific ones where there is no shortage of potential candidates.

Ask for our opinion: We’re always happy to chat and provide recommendations for SEO companies or consultants based on your budget, resources, goals, and expectations, whether that means working with us or not.

I promise you we won’t say to go with us right off the bat, unless of course, we believe we would be a great match. Our goal is to help match the right business with the right search engine consultant. That way both the client and consultant can thrive together.