Looking back on 2024’s search trends: Were our SEO predictions spot-on, or did surprises like ChatGPT’s switch to real-time web access change the game?
Asking these 12 questions can help you make sure you find the right fit.
Forbes reports that seventy percent of B2C marketers use content marketing in their strategy. If you’re not, it might be time to play catch-up!
While you carefully vet candidates for internal positions at your company, you’ll want to treat hiring external content partners with the same level of attention. Before committing to a content company or signing a contract, ask yourself and the agency a few questions. We explain the importance of hiring professional content writers and the 12 questions you should ask to make sure you find the right partner for being discovered online.
SEO content is all about enhancing your online marketing strategy by improving your website’s visibility and attracting more traffic. Professional SEO writers are skilled in the art of blending engaging content with thoughtful keyword strategies to help your pages rank higher on search engines like Google. Beyond just inserting keywords, they focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience, ensuring that your website draws visitors and holds their attention.
Keep in mind that Google isn’t the only place searchers can discover you through online content. There’s voice search, AI results, local maps — all sorts of digital destinations where you need quality content to show up at the right time.
The benefits of hiring professional SEO writing services include:
Asking yourself (and your team) a few questions can help guide your search for a content company. Your answers to the following six questions will make it easier to weed out companies and narrow your list before you even reach out for a meeting.
Before beginning your search, you need to know what you hope to accomplish by hiring a content company. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, educate your audience, or drive sales? Knowing your goals will provide a roadmap for both you and the content writers, ensuring you find a company that can tailor its services to meet your specific needs.
When we talk about SEO content, blogs are the first thing that pops into most people’s minds. However, SEO content encompasses several categories, including landing pages, location pages, product descriptions, and more. Determining the type(s) of content you need will help you find a company that excels in that area.
Hiring an SEO company will help you save on internal resources, but you may still need to involve certain teams during the review process. For starters, you will likely need to review and approve each piece of content for publication. But you might also need to have other teams review it for technical accuracy (subject matter experts), brand compliance (brand team), and legal compliance (legal department). If your content will need a more in-depth review, you want to find a company willing to work with multiple stakeholders and editors.
Maybe you have a robust SEO team but don’t have the resources to dedicate to content writing. In that case, you can look for a company that specializes in wordsmithing. You can provide the keyword research and creative brief, and they’ll execute it.
However, if your company runs leaner, you might need a content company offering end-to-end content writing services, including strategy, keyword research, writing, editing, and publishing.
Consider what level of investment you want to commit to. Do you have more of a one-off content project, like a batch of product descriptions? Or are you looking for a long-term partnership, like a blog program? This question can help determine an appropriate budget and the type of companies you should explore.
We’re all held to the constraints of our marketing budgets. Knowing your maximum spend ahead of time will help prevent content companies from running early on. It can also help you decide between different programs or packages offered by a single company.
According to Search Engine Land, “Most small businesses budget $5,000 to $15,000 monthly for marketing, with content taking up 25-30% of that total.”
You’ve narrowed down your list of content companies to contact using your answers to the questions above. While discussing each company’s writing and strategy services, these six questions can ensure their offerings align with your needs.
In today’s digital landscape, it is increasingly important to ask about the use of AI for content creation. You need to understand how the company is incorporating AI into its content workflows. Are they increasing efficiencies with keyword research and data analysis? Or are they producing full pieces with generative AI?
If the company does use AI, ask follow-up questions about the guidelines and checks they’ve implemented. How do they fact-check the information they receive? What does the editing process look like? An AI-assisted blog program that still involves heavy human editing could be a cost-effective solution for your business, but you don’t want to hire a company that delivers content straight from ChatGPT.
A stellar content company should be able to write engaging, quality content no matter your industry, but experience can still matter. Direct experience with your industry could mean proven success in the arena and a smaller learning curve, especially when dealing with more technical topics.
However, similar industry experience can translate well. For example, if you run an appliance repair company, a content agency could share work for an automotive client highlighting their ability to research and make complex topics more digestible.
Understanding the process before signing a contract can help you avoid frustration and disappointment later on. Get to know how they handle project management, their communication guidelines, and how involved you will be in the process. Who will be your point of contact? How many people will be involved in the project? How many rounds of review will you get? All this information can help you determine if the company and level of effort on your end are a good fit.
You’re hiring an SEO content company for a reason—to get results. Make sure your expectations align with what the agency can accomplish. Ask for case studies or other past results from a comparable client to learn what they can do and in what timeframe.
Analytics and insights are crucial to making sure you and your content company are on track to meet your KPI goals. Don’t hire a company that promises you’ll see results in a year but waits that full year to provide any type of reporting.
You want to work with a company that provides at least monthly check-ins to show progress, whether that’s pages indexed, impressions, clicks, or actions completed. They should not only provide a report of current metrics but also action plans if things aren’t going as expected. This will show they are actively monitoring performance and ensuring you get the results promised.
You know your budget, now it’s time to ensure your potential content company can meet it. Ask about different packages and see if they can create a custom bundle that fits your budget. They might even offer two tracks, such as a robust enterprise program and more affordable services for small to medium businesses.
Remember to check the pricing structure. Are you paying a flat rate for a specified timeframe, like six months or a year? Or are you paying an upfront fee followed by performance-based payments as your content program gets off the ground? Make sure you understand the full cost and expectations before signing on.
Hiring a content company is a big deal, and you want to make sure you partner with one you can trust. At GPO, our content writers work hard to craft compelling content that performs. From high-quality blog posts to engaging landing pages to converting product descriptions, we have your back with all things web content. Get in touch with our experts to learn how we can help your brand be discovered through online, optimized content.
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