If you are relatively new to the world of SEO and you are trialling an SEO agency for the first time, you are likely feeling a little apprehensive about whether or not you are wasting your money. Does SEO even work? Have you invested in the right agency? And how much time should you give an SEO agency to deliver results before dropping them? Read on and we’ll tell you everything you need to know.

Does SEO work?

SEO does work – when executed well. It’s a highly complex and sophisticated form of digital marketing that has the potential to yield immense, game-changing results. In terms of ROI, SEO is without question one of the best forms of digital marketing you can choose from.

However, it’s who you choose to work with that really determines as to whether or not SEO will work for you.

Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to tell in the short-term whether you have made the right decision with your chosen SEO agency. This is because SEO can take anywhere between 3 and 12-months before it yields positive and sustainable results – depending on a wide variety of factors, including how competitive your industry is and how much money you are investing (SEO is highly resource intensive).

Not only that, but once your SEO is up and running, you aren’t ‘finished’. SEO is an on-going, life-time commitment; so long as you are in business and you have a website to market, you need to be smashing your SEO.

How much time should you give an SEO agency to deliver results before dropping them?

This is where it gets really tricky: at what point should you give your current SEO agency the boost if they aren’t delivering the results?

This all depends on your situation. How competitive is your industry? Have you done much competitor analysis and studied who you are going up against? What type of keywords are you targeting and how competitive are they? Are you investing a minimal amount in your SEO and hoping for quick results?

You need to be realistic about what can be achieved with the resources available within your budget and against your competition. For example, if you are an eCommerce business in a highly saturated market and your SEO spend is minimal, it’s going to take a long time before you can start seeing a highly sustainable ROI.

However, if you are in a very specific niche with little in the way of competition, things should move a lot faster.

Assuming that your SEO agency is updating you regularly with their progress and the work that they are doing, and indeed they show progress reports with positive upward movement in the rankings for highly relevant keywords, then you should afford them for at least 6 months.

That said, if they are quite vague about the work they are doing and you are only seeing positive movement for low-value keywords that are unlikely to convert into business, you may wish to consider ditching them sooner.

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to say how long you should give your SEO agency before firing them because there are so many variables. For example, how much research did you put in before hiring them?

If say, you hired a New York City SEO Company because they had dozens and dozens of 5* reviews, real-life case studies, and a reputation for delivering superior results, then you should almost certainly afford them as much time as possible (provided they afford you the courtesy of communicating regularly and showing their progress).

However, if you rushed into your current SEO company (absent the appropriate background research) because you felt pressured by the salesperson or you simply liked what they had to say, then it might be time to apply some pressure.

Conclusion

Again, it’s quite difficult to say with absolute certainty: “Give your SEO agency 3-months to deliver results before firing them”. There are so many variables – not to mention the fact that SEO does take time.

So, play it by ear. If you did your research in the beginning and chose a reputable SEO agency and they are always communicating with and updating you, give them the time that they need and have some faith.

If, however, you rushed in and you aren’t getting the results you need after 3 to 4-months, it may be worth considering your alternatives.

In any case, we wish you the very best of luck. Best case scenario you chose well and are merely weeks away from seeing a positive ROI. Worst case, you need to ditch your SEO agency and invest in a remarkable company that will help you recoup your losses and some.