How Do You Know If Your Search Engine Marketing Agency Sucks?

How Do You Know If Your Search Engine Marketing Agency Sucks? So, you have taken the giant leap of faith and hired a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) agency to promote your website. But, how do you know for sure if you’ve chosen the right NJ SEM agency? Here are five surefire ways to tell if your Search Engine Marketing agency sucks:

1. They promise that their proprietary software and system will manage your account to perfection and then sell 10 of your closest competitors the same setup they gave you.

2. Your ads show outside of your desired territory or for dozens of keyword terms that have poor ROI at best or nothing to do with your business at worst.

3. You don’t have direct access to your Google account to view the actual keywords being searched and money spent (don’t know exactly where your money is going).

4. They don’t offer keyword level tracking (phone number on your site changes with every keyword and tells you exactly how your caller found you). Therefore, you have no idea of your best performing keywords or your return on investment is for each type of service you perform.

5. Your rep doesn’t speak to you at least monthly to review results and fine tune your program and advice you on how you’re paid advertising results can be integrated into an SEO strategy using the call tracking information (this is huge!)

We don't mind giving our secrets away…the big agencies will never execute them like we can. Why? It doesn’t directly increase their shareholders wealth.

Tips on Choosing the Right NJ SEM Agency:

Ask for case studies. Any SEM agency with a proven track record will be eager to show off their previous work and wear it like a badge of honor. If a company fails to offer case studies, it won’t hurt to ask. If they have case studies that rank well, that’s a sign that you’re dealing with the right company. If not, it’s time to move on.

Never base your final decision on price alone. Avoid choosing an SEM agency because they offer you the cheapest price in town. If their price is too good to be true, there is a logical reason why. It usually means their service sucks. Remember, when it comes to pricing, you get what you pay for—every time. Achieving top search engine results requires a humongous amount of effort by an SEM agency.

The cost of achieving impressive results is reflected in an agencies quote. Make sure you compare the cost of the service with the potential long-term return on your investment for your company. An agency that provides dirt cheap prices is more likely to provide ‘0’ return on your investment.

Don’t buy into “guarantees.” When it comes to ranking, never fall for the ‘#1 in Google Rankings’ spiel. A company may be able to guarantee ‘high’ rankings but no one can guarantee #1 in Google rankings. Avoid any company that guarantees #1 ranking in the search engine.

Are you looking for a good NJ SEM agency? Thinking about ditching your current SEM guy? Contact us today and we’ll provide you with everything you need to help improve your website rankings.