Choosing a search marketing agency - a quick checklist

Since I'm currently trying to choose a search marketing agency for my company to help with our SEO/SMO strategy, I though it may be useful to give a quick reminder of what you should expect from a good agency before hiring one:

• A comprehensive content and technical audit to identify potential problems
• A level of support and consultancy adapted to your needs: since many agencies charge quite a significant amount per hour, it is worth having clear requirements before signing a contract
• An integrated strategy: all elements of the strategy should be working together
• Beware of companies offering top rankings, no self respecting agency would ever promise number 1 SE rankings for specific keywords
• Good reporting: since you're likely to spend large parts of your marketing of your budget on SEO/SMO and PPC, make sure you're provided with the right reporting tools as you'll need to measure ROI going forward
• Check for references, see who the agency is currently working with
• Remember, you may not need all of the bells and whistles on offer, so make sure you get the basics right (onsite optimisation / link building) before signing for complicated and expensive social media activities
• Always negotiate rates and never let an agency treat you like a small customer, no matter what your budget is
• Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're not sure about some of the terms mentioned
  
• Whichever agency you choose, responsiveness is key, so a good account manager needs to be available for you when you need

These are just some pointers to get you started and I'll go more into details of strategies in a future post.
If you want to know more, feel free to ask!
see you next, have a good weekend