The Importance of Choosing the Right SEO Company
Having an SEO or marketing company to take over your website can be a game changer for local businesses. However, things can go horribly wrong if you don’t choose the right partner. Take this HVAC company, for instance. They went through a diligent process to find a company that seemed to check all the boxes. They even had good case studies to show. Unfortunately, what followed was a disastrous launch that tanked their rankings and online visibility.
The Problem Unfolds
This HVAC company hired an SEO firm to help them grow their business and manage their local SEO. Initially, things seemed to improve—organic pages went up, impressions climbed. But then everything quickly dropped after a Google spam update. Some changes to the website’s structure were crucial, which indicates this wasn’t just an algorithm issue but due to a poorly managed website launch.
Upon noticing the dramatic drop, I reached out to the business owner to alert them about the issue. This kicked off a conversation starting back in October, and things went in the wrong direction from there.
Grids and Keywords
The focus keywords like “HVAC near me” are incredibly valuable for local HVAC businesses, driving substantial traffic to their Google Business Profile. Competitors were doing reasonably well, but the HVAC company in question plateaued and didn’t improve over time. Despite their attempts at doing due diligence to vet and find the right SEO company, the results are extremely disappointing.
The Band-Aid Fix
Although the SEO company had numerous case studies proving their capability, they broke more than they fixed. When they said they were going to fix things, the first thing they did was send a bunch of low value backlinks to the website, from 30 referring domains to 128—an obvious attempt at a quick fix. But backlinks were never the problem; the redesigned and poorly launched website is.
Lessons Learned
This situation serves as a crucial lesson: even if an SEO company has extensive case studies and appears to meet all your criteria, it doesn’t guarantee that they can manage your specific business needs effectively.
Finding the Right Fit
How can you ensure the SEO company you hire is the right one for you?
My name is Kevin Pauls, and I specialize in fixing situations like this. When a marketing company botches your website launch and destroys your rankings and online visibility, I come in to repair the damage. At Simple SEO we focus on getting your business back on the right trajectory.
So, if you’re facing a similar situation, don’t hesitate to reach out. The right partner can make all the difference in achieving your long-term business goals.
By sharing this story, I hope to caution others against falling into a similar trap and underscore the importance of thorough vetting and constant vigilance when partnering with an SEO company.
