Taken from a Forbes article of the same name, written by MWI's CEO Josh Steimle, "4 Tips For Hiring The Right SEO Firm" answers the question "How do I find an SEO firm I can trust?" View the full article at http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshsteimle/2013/09/23/4-tips-for-hiring-the-right-seo-firm/, but also view the slide deck for a bonus tip. About the author: Josh Steimle founded MWI in 1999. MWI, now with offices in Chicago, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Hong Kong, provides global digital marketing strategies and implementation services to companies of all sizes and types. Steimle is also a contributor to publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, VentureBeat, and Fast Company.

1. @getmwi
4 tips for hiring the
right SEO Firm.

2. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
In 2013 I wrote this…

3. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
It has been read almost
70,000 times.

4. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
This is the updated
version.

5. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
The problem: Finding
an SEO firm you can
trust.

6. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
The solution: Follow
the 4 tips I’ll give you.

7. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
But first…let’s clear up
some misconceptions
about SEO firms.

8. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
“This SEO firm has a
nice website, I bet
they’d be good to work
with.”

9. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Not necessarily. Good
web design skills do
not always translate to
great SEO skills.

10. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
“These guys rank #1
for searches related to
SEO in my city, they
must know what
they’re doing.”

11. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Maybe, maybe not.
MWI was able to rank
#1 for “utah seo” for
years with little effort.
(shhh, don’t tell anyone)

12. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
“This company has
hundreds of employees
and is making millions,
I can trust them to do
good SEO work.”

13. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Perhaps. Or they might
just be good at forming
partnerships and
locking clients into
long-term contracts.

14. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Would you hire an
account based on his
good looks?

15. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
4 tips to help you see
beyond the superficial
when hiring an SEO
firm.

16. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Tip 1: Decide what you
need.

17. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Do you need certain
services?
- Link removal
- Link building
- Content marketing
- Conversion rate optimization
- PPC management
- Retargeting
- Social media management

18. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Do you need certain
results?
- Grow sales by 20% within 6 months
- Increase newsletter signups by 10,000
- Generate 3x more leads for enterprise sales division
- Double conversions
- Get the boss off my back about SEO

19. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Tip 2: Get multiple
consultations.
(but keep it secret)

20. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
The best SEO firms are
less likely to fight for
your business if they
know you’re shopping
around.

21. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Tip 3: Get case studies
and references.

22. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Nothing predicts
future success like past
success.

23. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Tip 4: Make the SEO
firm tell you stories.

24. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Case studies and
references are like
someone’s LinkedIn
profile—valuable, but
you wouldn’t hire
based on that alone.

25. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
The stories you want:
- How did you get started?
- What is one of your best client experiences?
- What is one of your worst client
experiences, and how did you handle it?
- How have you improved over the years?
- What tips can you give me for working well
with an SEO firm?
- Who are your best people and why are they
so good?

26. Digital marketing for
tech companies.
@joshsteimle
@getmwi
Bonus tip: Get
educated. Best place to
start? Search for “Moz
beginner’s guide to
SEO” on Google.

27. @getmwi
Read the full article at
Forbes:
4 Tips For Hiring The
Right SEO Firm