B2B SEO companies specialize in making the most of your digital presence to meet more goals, grow your business, and reach a wider audience than ever before. But if you’re new to SEO (search engine optimization), it can be challenging to determine if a B2B SEO firm is good at what they do or trying to sell you some snake oil. We sat down with Kayla Johnson, one of Ecreative’s highly skilled Digital Marketing Specialists, to review a few considerations and questions when hiring or evaluating a B2B SEO agency.

“A good SEO specialist is like a magician,” Kayla says. “Clients tell us what they want to see, and we make it appear. It’s a magical thing sometimes because you’re functionally making something out of nothing. The problem is that many people think they are an expert, so you want to make sure your agency has the resources to do what you need.”

Why Hiring a B2B SEO Company Is Worth the Cost

A thriving digital presence is no longer a bonus for industrial B2B businesses—it’s a requirement. Still, many companies hesitate to work with a B2B SEO agency due to the high upfront costs, instead settling for low-price DIY options. Kayla cautions against that line of thinking.

She explains, “A lot of the time, businesses don’t realize that working with an agency is the cheaper and more cost-effective option. You’re not wasting thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to do it yourself, only to end up with no results. Unlike Google Ads and paid search, an organic presence costs nothing but skill and time to implement. When you bring in an SEO expert, you can grow your business in the way you want to grow it. You get the advantage of working with people who do this day in and day out.”

The Top 4 Questions to Ask When Hiring a B2B SEO Firm

1. How Long Until I See Results?

“This is the top question that I get,” says Kayla. “The idea of SEO as a whole can sometimes sound too good to be true, but the fact is that results take time. Everything we do is very calculated. We need data. We need analytics in place if you don’t already have it set up. It’s rarely an overnight thing.”

Most SEO services can expect to take up to 6 months to begin showing progress. A trustworthy B2B SEO agency will be honest and upfront about that timeline, won’t make promises they can’t keep, and will outline their plan to get you real results as soon as possible. Kayla advises, “Expect to be patient. Ask any questions you have, build trust with your specialist, and be open to learning along the way. It’ll be worth the wait.”

2. What Experience Do You Have In My Industry?

Different industries have varying requirements. When hiring a B2B SEO firm, you want to ensure they are the best choice for your specific market. In addition to directly asking your B2B SEO agency about their industry experience, be sure to check out their website to look for the following items:

• Extensive portfolios of client work
• Published case studies of previous orders
• Detailed explanations of how they serve your sector
• Regularly updated blog posts covering topics relevant to your industry

3. What B2B SEO Services Do You Offer?

“There are so many articles, blogs, and tools for do-it-yourself SEO,” Kayla says, “but the problem is that successful SEO programs are made of many layers. There is extensive keyword and competitor research, technical SEO optimizations, and so much more to consider. Even the navigation should be built with SEO in mind. It can turn into a headache fast, which is why it’s better to work with an expert.”

Your specialist should be able to consider all aspects of your website to earn the search engine ranking you need. Depending on your business, goals, and site, these aspects could include:

• Content analysis and strategy
• Mobile audits and optimizations
• Page speed optimization
• Backlinking
• Schema and structured data
• Usability audits and optimizations

4. How Do You Measure Progress?

This question is a great way to determine if a company’s B2B SEO services are tailored to your needs. “Most programs will be measured differently, though there are a lot of shared metrics,” says Kayla. She explains that for one client, short site visits and high quote requests are a mark of success. For another, long site visits and high calls or contact form submissions are signs of a thriving program.

No matter your chosen metrics, your digital marketing team should regularly report your SEO program’s progress. “I make sure to explain what the metrics are, where they come from, and why we’re tracking them. We work toward realistic goals and make sure everyone’s on the same page,” Kayla says. Reports from your B2B SEO agency should include answers to these questions:

• What was done? Why?
• What are the impacts of prior changes?
• What returns have been generated?
• Are there any current obstacles? How are they being addressed?
• What are the next steps?

Signs You Should Partner with a New B2B SEO Agency

Not all B2B SEO agencies are created equal. “When you sign up for an SEO program, you’re really paying for your agency’s expertise. But if what they’re tracking in analytics or why they’re doing something is like Greek to you? That’s a problem. Everything should always come back to you and what you want from your website,” Kayla says. If you are already working with a B2B SEO firm or currently evaluating a new partner, keep an eye out for these common red flags:

• They promise fast results and overnight success
• They rely on freelancers or AI programs for web development services and content creation
• They track metrics relevant to their interests, not your goals
• They do not clearly explain their tools, processes, or overall strategy
• They rely entirely on third-party analytics instead of going directly to Google

“Not all of these are dealbreakers,” Kayla points out. "But I would be worried and wary of agencies that don't have that technical support or use these practices, especially AI services. Google can spot it a mile away."

Get Results with the Best B2B SEO Services in Minneapolis

With over twenty years of building industrial B2B websites that rank, Ecreative is ready to tackle the SEO challenges of any market. We work extensively with OEMs, engineers, contract manufacturers, distributors, and B2C clients nationwide. No matter your goals, we are prepared to help you reach and exceed them.

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