It would be easy for us to claim that Intergrowth® is the best Shopify SEO agency partner for every ecommerce business. After all, we specialize in ecom marketing, and we’ve helped dozens of companies increase their online sales over the years.

But the reality is that we’re not the right partner for every business. The “right” agency for your brand depends on many factors.

Trying to find the best Shopify SEO agency partner for you?

Here are the key questions to ask when vetting potential Shopify SEO partners.

Does the Agency Have Shopify Case Studies?

Client testimonials and reviews can provide insight into what other businesses think of an agency, but looking at actual case studies can give you a much deeper view into how an agency can help you grow your brand.

We publish case studies on our website that detail some of our ecommerce success stories and include real data that reflects real growth. Read How JS Dental Achieved +138% Organic Revenue from SEO and How We Helped One Ecommerce Arts & Crafts Client Grow Revenue by 431.9% for examples.

How Much Experience Does the Agency’s Team Have with Shopify SEO?

Your SEO agency should understand Shopify’s unique challenges and technical limitations.

A team of Shopify experts will be more equipped to handle technical SEO tasks, such as site speed optimization, product page optimization, and search engine indexing.

Can the Agency Explain Its Process in Straightforward Terms That You Understand?

Many of the business owners who come to us have never partnered with a digital marketing agency before, so we make sure to explain ourselves in jargon-free terms.

Some agencies can’t do that, leaving potential customers feeling self-conscious and thinking “It must be my fault for not understanding what they’re saying.”

At Intergrowth®, every client relationship starts with a Growth Consultation, during which we’ll discuss your goals and explain our process in terms you’ll understand, no matter how much SEO experience you have.

By the time we’re done, you’ll know what we can do to grow your business and how we can make it happen.

Read: The Intergrowth® Client Experience: What it Looks Like to Work with Us

What Does the Agency Expect Results to Look Like in Months 3, 6, and 12?

Content marketing and SEO are long-term investments. You will not see results overnight (no matter what an agency tells you).

We tell our clients to expect minimal growth in months 1-3, gradual growth in months 4-6, and continued growth in months 7 and beyond.

When marketing content is supported by other channels like email, PPC, and social media, growth can happen even faster.

Further reading: What Does Effective B2C Content Marketing Look Like?

Can the Agency Speak to the ROI of Their SEO Services?

Any agency worth working with should be able to give you some rough figures on your projected ROI.

The most straightforward formula is:

SEO ROI = (value created by SEO – cost of SEO)/cost of SEO

That said, SEO also has indirect value that may not result in tangible sales for your Shopify store. We get into some more complex ways to calculate the ROI of SEO in this article.

How Much of the Agency’s Expertise Falls Under Technical SEO vs. Content Marketing?

If your biggest reason for hiring an SEO agency is to improve site crawlability and architecture, partner with an agency that has technical SEO experts on board.

If you’re looking to bring customers to your site through blog content, partner with an agency focused on content marketing.

Keep in mind that off-page SEO is important, too. A good PR and link-building strategy can earn you backlinks and brand mentions that bring your website to the attention of search engine algorithms.

Who Will Be Your Primary Point of Contact at the Agency?

Most agencies pair clients with an account manager who has a few years of experience in sales but none in SEO.

This often leaves clients struggling to get helpful insights directly from their account manager because that person is a middleman, not an expert.

At Intergrowth®, we take a different approach and pair each client with a strategist with direct experience in SEO and content marketing. Your strategist will develop the ecommerce SEO campaign strategy for your Shopify website and be equipped to provide you with direct, insightful answers to all of your questions.

How Much Time Does the Agency Need from Your Team?

It’s not uncommon for agencies to ask you to contribute 10+ hours per week to content creation initiatives.

Unfortunately, not every business can devote that much time.

We try to find the right balance that works for each client. We’ll drive the best results if you commit a few hours per week to SEO, but we can also help you scale your business without your involvement.

How Much Transparency Does the Agency Provide into Their Work?

Intergrowth® maintains full transparency through Growth Hub, a custom portal for each client that gives visibility into the status of every article we work on together.

In that portal, you can see the progress of any article we’re working on and receive real-time notifications when content is ready for your review.

Check out our YouTube channel to watch a full walkthrough of the Intergrowth® Growth Hub.

Has the Agency Helped Businesses of Your Size?

Shopify stores range in size from those that sell a few products to those with massive catalogs containing thousands of product variants and SKUs.

It’s best to hire an agency with experience implementing SEO strategies for businesses of your size, as they’ll have a better understanding of the tools, resources, and budgets of stores at your scale.

We work with clients that have as little as 5 products to stores with over 15,000 products on their site.

Does the Agency Specialize in Your Industry or Work Across Multiple Industries?

Some agencies work in a specific niche while others work across industries. Choosing a specialist agency or a generalist depends on your goals and the nature of your business.

An industry-specific agency may be able to ramp up SEO efforts a bit faster, as they’ll bring a solid understanding of your target audience and how you make money.

However, an agency that works across multiple industries will bring an outsider’s perspective and expose you to ideas and strategies that might not be common in your industry.

Will They Let You Speak With One of Their SEO Specialists?

Large agencies often put business owners in touch with a salesperson until they’ve solidified their partnership. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but we recommend you ask to speak to one of their SEO specialists to get a sense of their level of expertise.

SEO is nuanced, and the best way to know if an agency understands its intricacies is to speak with someone doing that work.

Can the Agency Explain How SEO Has Changed Recently or How Those Changes Affect Their Approach?

Search engines are ever-evolving, and agencies must keep up with algorithm changes that can impact SEO.

When vetting an agency, ask how search engines have changed in recent months and how they’ve adapted their strategies to continue ranking in SERPs and driving results.

The growing popularity of AI search engines has had a significant impact on SEO in recent years. If an agency can’t tell you how they’ve adopted AI optimization into their overall strategy, they’re either not willing to be transparent or they’re not as up to date in SEO as they should be.

Here are some of our most recent thoughts on AI:

Can the Agency Explain When a Business Shouldn’t Invest in SEO?

As an SEO-centric content marketing agency, it may seem strange for us to suggest that not all businesses need SEO, but it’s true.

For example, SEO is often a lower priority in industries driven by impulse buys or for businesses that rely on ad revenue from “quick answer” content. Paid ads, influencer sponsorships, and other types of marketing usually have a higher ROI for those businesses.

That’s not to say that SEO content should be avoided, but an agency should be able to differentiate between the types of businesses that can benefit from SEO now and those that may benefit from it in the future.

Ready to partner with a marketing agency that can develop a content strategy, create content for your website, fix technical SEO issues, and track performance to make data-driven decisions?

We’d love to talk!

Intergrowth® helps B2C businesses get more customers through SEO, content marketing, and Meta Ads. We can help you turn your website into a sales machine that consistently brings in new customers.

How to Find the Best Shopify SEO Agency Partner for Your Business

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