Google's Advice On Hiring An SEO Expert

Google explains when it makes sense for a business to hire an SEO and which red flag to watch out for when choosing a search marketer.

As a small business owner in Rugby you've probably wondered whether you need professional help with your website's search engine optimisation. The good news is that Google's own experts have shared some valuable insights on this very topic during their "Search Off the Record" podcast.

According to Google's John Mueller, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to when you should hire an SEO consultant. However, he draws a useful parallel with other business decisions: "You do everything yourself. At some point, you're like, 'Oh, I really hate bookkeeping. I'm going to hire a bookkeeper.'"

The key moment comes when SEO work becomes too time-consuming and starts taking you away from the core activities of running your business. As Mueller explains, "At that point where you're like, 'Well, I don't appreciate doing all of this work or I don't have time for it, but I know it has to be done.' That's probably the point where you say, 'Well, okay, I will hire someone for this.'"

How Should You Measure SEO Success?

Many SEO consultants will try to impress you with reports showing hundreds of keywords your site ranks for, or improvements in traffic numbers. Whilst these metrics have their place, Google's advice focuses on what really matters to your business.

Mueller emphasises the importance of measuring concrete business results: "I think, for in SEO, it kind of makes sense when you realize there's concrete value in working on SEO for your website, where there's some business result that comes out of it where you can actually measurably say, 'When I started doing SEO for my website, I made so much more money.'"

The most important metric is ultimately how SEO affects your business goals, whether that's increased sales, more enquiries, or higher revenue. If you can measure the effects of SEO work in terms of genuine business growth, then it becomes easier to justify the investment.

What Experience Should You Look For?

When choosing an SEO consultant, Mueller recommends finding "someone who has more experience doing SEO." As a small business owner, you're wearing many hats and whilst you might grasp the basics of various aspects of your business, "understanding all of the details, that's sometimes challenging."

Look for someone with genuine experience, ideally with a track record of helping businesses similar to yours. Consider factors like their ability to understand technical aspects of websites, testimonials from other clients, and evidence of their own successful projects.

Perhaps the most important advice from Google's podcast concerns what to avoid when hiring an SEO consultant. Mueller warns: "One of the things I would watch out for is, if an SEO makes any promises with regards to ranking or traffic from Search, that's usually a red flag." The reason is simple: no SEO consultant can guarantee specific rankings. As Mueller explains, "a lot of things around SEO you can't promise ahead of time. And, if someone says, 'I'm an expert. I promise you will rank first for these five words.' They can't do that. They can't manually go into Google's systems and tweak the dials and change the rankings."

Search rankings depend on numerous factors that are outside any consultant's control, including competitor activity and Google's own algorithm changes. The most any good SEO can do is align your website with best practices and implement effective strategies.

Making The Right Choice

If you're a business owner in Warwickshire and you're spending too much time trying to understand SEO when you should be focusing on your core business, it might be time to consider professional help.

Look for an SEO consultant who focuses on delivering real business results rather than just impressive-sounding reports. Be wary of anyone making unrealistic promises about rankings, and instead choose someone who takes the time to understand your business goals and can demonstrate how their work will help you achieve them.

Remember, good SEO is about building a sustainable online presence that grows your business over time, not about quick fixes or guaranteed rankings that simply don't exist.