How To Find an SEO Consultant as a Very Small Business

Is It Possible to Find an SEO Consultant as a (Very) Small Business?

Written by Colette Nichol, Solo Filmmaker and Story Strategist

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

As a very small business, diving into the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be daunting.

With limited resources and budget, it’s crucial to find an SEO consultant who understands your unique challenges. In this post, I’ll guide you through the process of how to find an SEO consultant as a very small business so you can start increasing your organic traffic.

But first, how do you find an SEO consultant that will work for you as a small business?

The best way to find and SEO consultant is by asking your small business friends and doing some Google searches. You can also search for your local area + small business SEO.

For example, if you live in Vancouver, you  might search “Vancouver small business SEO consultant.” See what you get. And reach out if any of the service providers appeal to you.

Who Should You Work With?

Since you’re here, reading this post, you’ve already found one SEO consultant and boutique agency.

At Story Envelope Media, we help service-driven small businesses that are in a growth phase. If that sounds like you please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you. We focus on helping clients that are all growing small and medium-sized business owners with a focus on quality and service. They range from high-end window blinds specialists to fiduciary financial advisors to local artists and online coaches. 

In general, I recommend that you get on a Zoom or phone call with an SEO consultant or agency and put a face to all the words on the page. See if you like them and if they give logical answers to your questions.

An SEO relationship is usually a long-term relationship, so it’s important that you feel comfortable with your SEO consultant. 

Key Questions to Ask an SEO Consultant

When speaking with SEO consultants about working together, it’s important to ask the right questions:

1. What is Your Approach to SEO?

Each SEO consultant has their approach.

Ask how they would approach working on your site and what they would recommend doing to improve your traffic. Find out if they have experience with businesses similar to yours. Understanding their strategies will help you gauge if the way they work aligns with your business objectives. You want to make sure that they’re working towards long-term success and not just using spammy tactics for “quick wins.” It’s typical that if you use too many spammy tactics, your gains will disappear in an algorithm update.

2. How Do You Communicate and Report Progress?

Regular updates are essential.

Find out about their communication style and frequency. A good consultant should provide clear reports that show progress and areas for improvement if the client wishes to review these reports. For many of my clients, I do create quarterly or monthly reports. However, I have some clients who simply don’t want them. For all of my clients, we meet on Zoom monthly to go over the project and ensure we’re on the same page.

Some of my clients simply measure the success of our work based on how many leads they’re getting and don’t want further reporting.

However, whether a client wants reports or not, I always track important KPIs so that I can see how what we’re doing is affecting the most important numbers. 

When speaking to an SEO consultant, find out what the options are for reporting and assessing success. 

3. How Do You Measure Success?

SEO success can vary depending on your business goals.

Discuss how an SEO consultant defines success and what key performance indicators (KPIs) they focus on. I like to track sales and revenue as well as leads. In addition, I sometimes track gains in particular topical buckets as well as overall organic traffic.

The Importance of Customized Strategies

Very small businesses have unique needs.

Find a consultant who offers tailored strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Customized strategies ensure that your specific challenges and goals are addressed effectively.

For example, an e-commerce website that sells bird art will have very different needs from a financial advisor who targets cross-border clients. While the overarching strategies are often the same no matter what the niche, there are some small (and big) differences that will affect how strategies is developed and delivered.

It’s okay to have a packaged pricing plan. But make sure that the WORK being done on your site is going to be tailored to your specific needs.

For example, the avalanche strategy works on basically every website that exists.

But how you execute that strategy for an e-commerce website will be a little different from how you do it for a health coach. Similarly e-commerce SEO is very (very!) different from the SEO you do for traditional service-based websites. And if you’re a local business who is targeting local, you’ll need to have your Google Business Profile optimized.

So as you can see, there’s some nuance to what work will need to be done to get you results.

In addition, some businesses really need video while others don’t. For those who do need video, it’s critical to get that taken care of as part of your SEO strategy. Meanwhile some businesses do not need video or can get away with DIY video. 

Common Questions about Finding and Working with an SEO Consultant

How Much Does It Cost to Hire an SEO Consultant?

Costs vary based on experience, scope, and the consultant’s location.

Small businesses might expect to pay anywhere from $1000 to $5000 per month. If you’re only paying a few hundred dollars per month, you’re really not getting a full SEO strategy implemented. SEO is time consuming when done properly, which is why it does not come cheap. However, it can be a major business growth driver with high ROI.

Regardless, be wary of extremely low cost solutions.  You often get what you pay for with SEO. 

Does SEO Really Work for Small Businesses?

Absolutely. SEO can be seriously transformative for small businesses.

If you start to get 5x the relevant traffic and you convert that traffic to leads at a rate of 1%, what would that do for YOUR business. I’ve seen quite dramatic results for some of my clients. My goal is always to help my clients grow their businesses. So I only take on clients who I think can truly see success with SEO.

How Do I Hire an SEO Expert for My Business?

Start by identifying your goals.

Look for consultants with experience in your industry and check their references. Ensure they will do what it takes to gain a clear understanding of your business and can offer customized solutions.

How Do I Find a Good SEO Specialist?

Seek recommendations from other business owners, explore online forums, and check online reviews. Look for someone with a proven track record and transparent methods.

Is It Worth It to Hire Someone for SEO?

For most small businesses, SEO can be beneficial.

SEO is a vital part of online marketing that can yield long-term benefits. However, you should only do it if you have a proven product and you know your clients well. For growing businesses, SEO is often a no brainer. 

How Much Should a Small Business Pay for SEO?

Budgets vary, but small businesses often spend between $1000 and $10,000 per month on SEO services.

Remember a small business could have 20 employees and be doing $10M in revenue. I would recommend spending at least half your marketing budget on SEO unless you have a very lucrative marketing method that requires more than 50% of your budget. 

At a minimum, spend 20% of your marketing budget on SEO if you’ve identified that their is a strong opportunity for profitable organic website traffic in your niche. 

Should You Use an SEO Agency for Your Business?

It depends on your needs.

Agencies offer a team of experts and can handle larger projects, but individual consultants may provide more personalized attention. Many consultant also have small teams. 

Final Thoughts

Finding the right SEO consultant is a critical step for very small businesses looking to improve their online presence.

The key is to choose someone who understands your unique needs and can offer tailored strategies. With the right partner, even small businesses can see significant improvements in their digital footprint, making the investment in SEO not just worthwhile, but essential for growth in the digital age.

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