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Using search engine optimization to get your business noticed isn’t an optional task for your water damage restoration company, but that doesn’t mean you have to take on this task yourself. In a world where you can find a tutorial or e-book teach you anything you want to learn, including SEO, it is so tempting to do anything and everything yourself whenever possible. When you are staring down your limited budget, it is easy to justify vacuuming the floors yourself or teaching yourself to manage your website and blog. After all, if you can do it yourself, you shouldn’t be paying someone else, right?

Not so fast. Saving money comes at a cost and that cost is typically a stressed out business owner who is split between too many tasks. If you want to conquer SEO and harness a tool for marketing your business, there is only one thing you need: outsourcing.

Why is SEO so important?

Think about where you turn when you are facing a dilemma you’ve never experienced before: the internet. When a homeowner or insurance agent needs to connect with a contractor for a water damage restoration job, the internet is often their first resource, too. According to a 2013 study by Chitika, an online advertising network, over 91% of users never look at the second page of their Google search and the first organic listing gets 33% of the traffic.

This means, there is incredible value in getting your name on the front page of any search that is relevant to your business. If someone is looking for restoration specialists in your area and your website is hidden on the second, third or tenth page, you are falling through the cracks.

Getting your business’ website on the first page of a Google search isn’t magic, search engine optimization uses a set of algorithms to determine who gets seen and who doesn’t. This means, making it on the first page of a relevant search is largely dependent on how well your website and blog follows the rules created by Google or other major search engines.

Why is SEO so hard to master?

Following the rules that make up the algorithms that determine who does and doesn’t get seen on the front page of Google may seem simple in theory, but becoming a master of SEO is actually incredibly time consuming. This is because the rules in place for getting noticed online are constantly changing. Moz, a website solely devoted to keeping tabs on these changes, reports that Google makes updates to their algorithm as often as 600 times a year.

When you put it that way, it becomes clear that search engine optimization can easily become a full-time job and we can almost guarantee it is a job you don’t have time for as the person running a small business.

What you need to know about outsourcing your SEO

The good news is that there are plenty of people who make mastering SEO and keeping up with the constantly changing rules their full-time job so you don’t have to. Outsourcing your SEO may seem like a big expense on paper, but when it comes down to it, hiring someone else for this time-consuming task is the only way to make sure you have the time and freedom to devote yourself to the tasks only you can do. You are the most valuable to your company when you are leading instead of stuck behind a desk consumed with the tedious work of SEO.

Hiring a search engine optimization expert can be easy. A great first step is to ask someone you know. Have you made connections within your industry? Who are they using to manage their website or blog? If you can’t manage a word-of-mouth referral, consider someone remotely using a website like Upwork to find freelancers.

Before you get into contract with a search engine expert, make sure you have asked the right questions to be sure they are the right person for the job. We suggest touching on the following topics before making a hire:

Lastly, if this is your first time hiring a freelancer or contract employee, you need to create a contract that clearly outlines fees, payment terms and what your business can expect from your SEO expert. A verbal agreement, or even one that takes place over email, isn’t enough to guard against miscommunication and unmet expectations. Spend time working with your hire to make sure you are both happy with the contract terms and never forget both parties should sign before getting started with work.

Outsourcing something you can do yourself isn’t always an easy choice, especially when the option to save money is on the table, but when it comes to conquering SEO we believe the smart choice is to hire an expert. At More Floods, we help independent restoration companies become masters at marketing their business. To learn more about the marketing resources and training we provide, click here or call 1-866-667-3356.

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