If you are a business that has an online presence, chances are you’ve heard of the term search engine optimisation, or SEO for short. There is also a high chance you have had enquiries of people offering their SEO services to you.
Soapbox is here to cut through all the noise about SEO. We want you to learn from genuine professionals what an SEO agency is, does, and how they can help your business.
At Soapbox Digital Media, we want to help you make the best decision for your business. Here is what you need to know to make informed decisions without falling for any empty promises.
What is SEO? – By a Professional Digital Marketing Company
Before we get to what an SEO agency is, let’s briefly learn what is search engine optimisation.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your website so that it appears higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant searches. In simple terms, it’s about helping the right people find your business when they search online.
Whenever someone searches for a term, product, or service in a search engine (like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.), the platform uses highly complex algorithms to choose which websites to rank first.
Most people won’t ever scroll past the first page of search results. This makes online visibility on search results key to getting quality traffic which is where SEO comes in.
Successful SEO improves your website’s position in those results. Ideally, you want to appear on page one. Even better, in the top few positions. By ranking higher, you give your website higher visibility and helps your gain more organic traffic.
You could, of course, pay for adverts to reach the first page. But once you stop paying, that visibility disappears. SEO focuses on long-term strategies that help your website earn its organic search ranking for long-term value.
SEO Agencies Explained
Hiring an SEO agency is popular because they handle all the complex SEO strategies on your behalf.
They don’t just want to get your site more traffic, but they look to get you quality traffic. They target people who are actively searching (or may be interested) in your product or service.
Turning clicks into genuine leads.
Digital Marketing and SEO Services
SEO agencies handle a lot of different tasks for each client on the regular. From SEO audits to SEO campaigns, they keep busy on their desktops trying to boost your business up the rankings.
Here are just some of the tasks they do on the daily:
Technical SEO
If your site is too slow, broken, or confusing to navigate to search engines. It won’t rank well.
Technical SEO tasks by SEO experts can include:
- Improving website speed
- Improving site architecture
- Adding or fixing meta descriptions
- Fixing broken links and reducing errors like 404 Error Pages
- Ensuring mobile responsiveness
Not only can these tasks help user experience, which can reduce bounce rate and increase conversion rate, but they also make it easier for search engine algorithms to understand for better ranking.
Keyword Research and Content Marketing
Keyword research isn’t just about picking popular terms.
You need to think about competition, difficult, search volume, intent, relevance, and more!
From there, SEO agencies need to use keyword rankings to build full strategies for on-page SEO tactics. This process includes mapping target keywords to specific pages, identifying content gaps, internal linking to boost core pages, refining page titles and headings, and ensuring the website aligns with what users are actually searching for.
It’s not about stuffing keywords into content.
It’s about building relevant, authoritative pages that answer real search queries.
Link Building for Authority
Another service SEO agencies offer is building authority signals for websites.
One way this can be done is through off-page SEO strategies of link building.
Link building involves earning links from other relevant, high-quality websites back to your own. They signal to search engines that your website demonstrates expertise in its field and deserves to rank.
However, effective link building is not about generating thousands of low-quality links from spammy websites. In fact, that approach can actually harm your rankings rather than improve them.
Professional SEO agencies focus on quality over quantity. Finding meaningful links for effective SEO.
Choosing the Right SEO Agency
SEO isn’t only carried out by agencies.
When it comes to local SEO, businesses typically have three main options.
Freelancer
For businesses with more limited budgets, hiring a freelancer can be a practical option. A freelancer is usually a single SEO specialist who works independently rather than as part of a larger agency.
However, there are risks to consider.
The world of SEO is constantly changing with every algorithm update (not to mention with the rise of AI). Freelancers have limited capacities compared to agencies as they can struggle to handle the full scope of SEO and need to adapt quickly to stay ahead.
In-house Marketing Strategies
For larger businesses that can support the costs of a dedicated team and professional SEO tools, building an in-house SEO team can be a strong option.
This team works exclusively with your brand and dedicates their full week to supporting your business to grow.
However, this attention comes with costs.
Smaller and medium sized businesses can struggle to afford the high costs of in-house marketing teams.
SEO Company or Agency
SEO agencies take the time to understand your business, your goals, and your priorities. From there, they dedicate agreed hours each month to supporting your growth in a structured and strategic way.
Unlike a single freelancer, agencies operate with a team of specialists. This often includes technical SEO experts, content strategists, copywriters, and data analysts, each bringing a different skillset to the table.
Because of this, agencies can build customised and well-rounded strategies tailored to your business.
How to Choose the Best SEO Agency
Even as digital marketers ourselves here at Soapbox, we’ll be the first to admit that the SEO industry is crowded with people who promise big results but fail to deliver meaningful actions. There is a lot of ways SEO can go wrong, and there are common SEO mistakes and poor practices that can harm your website.
Here are some of the key things to look out for when choosing to work with an SEO agency:
Case Studies and Examples
Promises need to be backed with results.
During your hunt for a good agency, make sure to check out their portfolios so you can understand whether they will be able to help you rank.
Conversions over Traffic
It is one thing being seen. But it is another thing being seen by the right people.
Make sure your SEO agency cares about getting you leads over clicks, so that you can grow your business.
Long Term Goals
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.
It takes time for your website to build authority and trust with search engines. Strategies should be carefully planned, consistently executed, and regularly refined.
Be wary of any agency that promises fast results. It is an instant red flag when choosing an SEO agency.
Other Clients and Competition
The digital landscape is competitive.
A professional SEO agency should avoid working with two direct competitors in the same market. If they are, it raises questions about strategy overlap, conflicts of interest, and how truly customised your campaign will be.
Find out if there is any conflict of interest early on, so you stay ahead of your competitors (not below them).
Contact Soapbox Digital Media – Professional Digital Marketing Agency
At Soapbox Digital Media, we are a complete digital agency that specialises in website design and digital marketing.
Our team genuinely cares about the businesses we work for. Every campaign we build is tailored around your goals, your industry, and your long-term growth.
The digital landscape is full of bad practices. Choose a company that values transparency over tactics, and strategy over shortcuts.
Get in touch with our friendly team to discuss how we can help your business grow with effective SEO strategies.
