It's now evident that digital marketing which encompasses SEO (Search engine Optimization) and all other forms of online marketing is a prerequisite for online success today. Any online business keen on creating and maintaining competitive advantage must have a website that is properly optimized according to the latest Google, Yahoo and Bing search algorithm updates. The site should also be marketed using the latest and most effective digital marketing techniques.

As it becomes increasingly challenging for businesses to be noticed online, digital marketing can’t be left to in-house marketing teams (employees) who lack adequate technical skills and expertise. Since digital marketing dictates a company’s entire online presence, it is too important to be left to a novice or employees with “split focus”. With that said, how do you identify the best SEO & digital marketing consultant given there are many self-proclaimed marketing experts online today?

Experience is the most crucial factor when hiring anyone including SEO consultants. As mentioned above, one of the main reasons why you shouldn't let your employees do your SEO consulting is because they don't have adequate experience. It takes years to learn how to create and maintain a successful online brand. Although digital marketing tips are readily available online, there is a lot of misinformation. You need years to test different strategies in-depth and know what works, how to apply different strategies, etc. Inexperienced digital marketing consultants can't be able to craft unique strategies offering some much needed competitive advantage. Furthermore, SEO consultants are coming up every day so considering experience will ensure you aren't working with a newbie with a fancy SEO consulting website.

The expertise of an SEO consultant is best-judged by their list of past and current clients. Stay away from digital marketing consultants who can’t show you what they have achieved in the past. Reputable SEO consultants have no problem showing concrete proof that their strategies have worked for others in the past. A client list will help you gauge their effectiveness. It can also help you verify their experience and expertise.

You'll need to know the methods your preferred SEO consultant will use to rank your site. This is important since there are bad SEO practices "black hat SEO" that can get your site banned on search engines. Common practices like cloaking which website owners could get away with in the past can now get your site banned, yet they are a bit too technical for the average website owner to understand.

So, the digital marketing consultant you hire must be able to discuss their winning methods clearly (do’s and don'ts) as well as offer an estimated timeline on when you should start expecting results. The SEO consultant's proposal should include a free review of your site to identify problems. The review should include a free report. He/she should tell you the "on page" optimization techniques they will use to solve your site problems (i.e. involving the site URL, internal linking structure, web page titles, tags, headings, etc.).

Most importantly, they must adhere to Google’s latest webmaster best practices which prohibit the most common SEO tricks. Yahoo and Bing also have a list of webmaster best practices that your preferred consultant must follow.

You are bound to benefit from hiring a digital marketing consultant that offers more than SEO. Digital marketing services like social media advertising are as important now, if not more important than SEO. You need a digital marketing consultant who can understand setting up Facebook ads and AdWords campaigns as much as they know backlinking.

A digital marketing strategy that doesn’t incorporate other strategies apart from SEO won’t offer the best results. Furthermore, all the other online marketing services have a positive impact on SEO. For instance, a good social media presence will help your SEO so, hire a digital marketing consultant who takes a holistic approach and integrates everything together.

Although the best SEO consultant can guarantee results, watch out for those who guarantee a #1 spot on SERPs. Such guarantees are usually offered by unethical SEO consultants. No one can guarantee a #1 spot on the first page of search engine results unless they own Google, Yahoo or Bing. They can help you get a spot on the first page, but no one is guaranteed the #1 spot.

You should also find out how an SEO consultant measures success before you hire them. You should consider universal verifiable metrics only offered by tools such as Google Analytics. The results should show concrete proof that their methods are working. Remember to ask how often they share vital website analytics with their clients as well as how they use that information to improve their marketing campaigns.

Lastly, you need to hire an SEO consultant who is readily available/reachable. Since digital marketing consulting might involve website tweaks that can affect how your site looks/works momentarily and in the long-term, you should be able to reach them quickly in case of anything. The consultant should also be approachable. Make sure they use the communication approach you prefer since consulting involves a lot of back and forth communication.

TitaniumClicks Media is one of the few SEO agencies in Boston that matches the above criteria perfectly. The Founder and CEO, Nurudeen Tijani is a renowned digital marketing and SEO expert in Boston with experience, proven methods, a variety of digital marketing services and a long list of satisfied clients.