SEO experts come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are good, some are bad. The important thing to remember is what you're looking to achieve by hiring a freelance SEO expert. Do you want to increase your keyword rankings? Perhaps you'd like to get more organic traffic? Whatever your goal, you need to make sure you hire the best SEO expert for the job.
What to look for in an SEO expert
Every SEO expert should be able to provide you with results they've achieved for previous clients. If they can't provide you with this then they aren't going to be able to improve your SEO. Experience is one thing, but being able to provide value is even more important. If you're looking to rank higher on Google then choose a Google SEO Expert, if you're looking to rank higher on Bing then choose a Microsoft Bing SEO Expert, and so on.
Make sure they're able to explain how they got the results and ask them to provide details. Ask them how they have been able to achieve high search engine rankings and what techniques they've used. For example, were their efforts concentrated to on-page SEO, or maybe they worked hard on their off-page SEO, such as link building.
What are the different types of SEO expert?
There are many different types of SEO expert. It's often useful if your chosen SEO expert has experience with a variety of websites, industries and content management systems. However, you might want to choose someone that has skills in a specific area, such as ecommerce SEO, international SEO or local SEO. By doing this you can ensure that your chosen SEO expert is experienced and will carry out their work effectively.
It's also useful to choose an SEO expert that has worked in your industry before, so they understand what is required to be successful. Certain industries, such as finance, are very competitive, which means it's even more important that your SEO expert has experience in your niche.
Different content management systems have different options for SEO, so it's fairly important that your chosen SEO expert has worked in your content management system before. Wordpress, for example, has a number of plugins that can help achieve great SEO results, such as Yoast SEO.
Where to find an SEO expert
Now you know what to look for in an SEO expert, you need to get out there and find one. The best place to find an SEO expert is by searching Google. The search results that appear at the top will be the SEO experts that have proven worth. Besides, you can't get to the top of Google without being good at SEO.
Be wary of SEO experts that use Google Ads. If they have to use paid ads to appear at the top of Google then they're likely not very good at SEO. An SEO expert should be able to achieve visible Google rankings without using Google Ads.
If you're not comfortable finding an SEO expert on Google then you can try services like Upwork which will give you more protection when making payments.
How much does an SEO expert cost?
The cost of your SEO expert can vary. Many SEO agencies will charge over £100 an hour for SEO services. A freelance SEO expert will usually charge less, and can often generate better value results than an agency. You should expect to pay between £30 - £80 an hour for a decent SEO expert. If you choose to pay under £30 then you will undoubtedly get a worse service. Only pay above £80 for SEO if the SEO expert has a demonstrated portfolio of results, that they will be able to replicate on your website.
Conclusion
If you're looking for an SEO expert then make sure you choose carefully. Not all SEO services are created equal. Therefore, it's important that you make educated, researched decisions when choosing an SEO expert. Google has a great guide to finding an SEO expert which you should consider reading if you're in the market for SEO services.
