Organic SEO Services Consultants: How To Find One, Questions To Ask What They Do, And Why They’re Important [The Ultimate Guide]

Organic SEO Consultant

Let’s get straight to the point:

What Are Organic SEO Services? 

Simply put, organic SEO services are techniques to boost a website’s rank on search engine results without relying on paid ads. Think of it this way: rather than buying your way to the top, you’re investing time and expertise. 

You’re ensuring your site’s foundations are solid, letting its reputation and visibility grow naturally over time.

What Is The Purpose Of Organic SEO Services? 

There are two main purposes of hiring for SEO: 

1. Boost Visibility

By optimizing a website’s content and structure, organic SEO ensures that search engines easily find and rank the site higher in search results, making it more accessible to users without relying on paid advertisements.

2. Drive Sustainable Growth: 

Unlike paid strategies that offer temporary results, organic SEO lays a solid foundation for long-term online success. It aims to attract a steady flow of quality traffic, increasing the site’s credibility and trustworthiness over time.

What Does an Organic SEO Consultant Do? 

An Organic SEO Consultant wears multiple hats, these include: 

Analysis & Strategy 

They assess a website’s current SEO status, understand the target audience, and devise tailored strategies to improve organic rankings.

Keyword Research 

Identifying relevant and high-performing keywords is crucial. The consultant pinpoints terms that potential customers use to search, optimizing content around them.

They might use a keyword research template like this.

On-page Optimization 

This includes refining meta tags, improving website structure, and ensuring content quality to enhance its search engine compatibility – they might use an SEO Audit template like this.

Off-page Optimization

They work on building high-quality backlinks, managing local citations, and establishing a robust online presence, fostering site authority.

Content Strategy

Recognizing that content is king, they guide the creation of valuable and SEO-friendly content, from blog posts to infographics.

Performance Monitoring

Using tools like Google Analytics, the consultant continuously tracks site performance, making adjustments as needed to maintain or improve rankings.

Continuous Learning 

The world of SEO is ever-evolving. Consultants stay updated with the latest trends, algorithm changes, and best practices to ensure their clients remain ahead of the curve.

All of the “hats” mentioned above can be broken down into on-page SEO, and off-page SEO. Later on in this article we’ll take a deeper look some of the techniques SEO consultants use to provide services to their clients. 

First, here’s a checklist that you can use to help you find an SEO consultant. 

Questions To Ask An SEO Consultant [Your Ultimate Checklist] 

Choosing the right SEO consultant can set your business on an accelerated trajectory towards digital success. However, this partnership shouldn’t be built on a whim. Armed with the right questions, you can discern the experts from the enthusiasts. Here’s your checklist:

1. Portfolio and Proven Results:

“Can you provide case studies or examples of your past SEO campaigns and their outcomes?”

2. Understanding of Current SEO Trends:

“How do you stay updated with the latest algorithm changes and industry best practices?”

3. Customization of Strategies:

“How would you tailor your SEO strategies to suit my specific business needs and target audience?”

4. Keyword Strategy:

“What process do you follow for keyword research, and how do you prioritize one keyword over another?”

5. On-Page and Off-Page SEO:

“How do you balance between on-page and off-page optimization strategies?”

6. Tools and Technologies:

“Which SEO tools are integral to your strategy, and why do you prefer them?”

7. Link Building Techniques:

“What’s your approach towards link-building, and how do you ensure they’re high-quality and relevant?”

8. Reporting and Analysis:

“How frequently will I receive reports, and what metrics will they encompass?”

9.Dealing with SEO Challenges**:

“Can you describe a situation where your initial SEO strategy didn’t work as planned, and how did you pivot?”

10. Knowledge of Other Digital Disciplines:

“How does your SEO expertise intertwine with other digital channels like PPC, content marketing, or social media?”

11. Collaboration and Feedback:

“How do you handle client feedback, and how collaborative is your optimization process?”

12. Long-Term Vision:

“How do you envision the SEO landscape for my industry in the next two years, and how would you prepare for it?”

13. Ethical Practices:

“Can you assure that your practices are white-hat, and how do you steer clear of potential penalties?”

14. Pricing and Packages:

“How is your pricing structured, and what additional costs might emerge in the process?”

Diligence at this initial stage can set the tone for a collaboration that not only enhances visibility but truly aligns with your brand’s ethos and objectives. So, interrogate with intent and invest with insight.

Now, let’s go back to understanding how an SEO provider can help your business improve. 

On-Page SEO Strategies

Keyword Research That Matches Search Intent

In the intricate dance of SEO, one element stands out: keyword research. Now let’s discuss some of the things that go into performing keyword research – this is what your organic SEO consultant should be doing. 

1. Understanding Search Intent: At its core, search intent delves into the ‘why’ behind a query. What is a user hoping to find? There are typically four main types:

  • Informational: Users are seeking answers or knowledge. E.g., “How does photosynthesis work?”
  • Navigational: Users aim to visit a specific site. E.g., “OpenAI website”.
  • Transactional: Users want to buy something. E.g., “Buy leather boots online”.
  • Commercial Investigation: Users are researching products or services to make a future decision. E.g., “Best smartphones 2023”.

2. Tools and Techniques: Use specialized tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google’s Keyword Planner to identify keywords. Look for variations that users might type in, and consider long-tail keywords that might match specific search intents more closely.

3. Analyzing Competitors: A good understanding of what keywords competitors are targeting can offer insights into gaps in your own strategy or reveal nuances in user intent.

4. Mapping to Content: Once you have a list of keywords that match search intents, align them with your content strategy. For transactional queries, optimize product pages. For informational ones, create detailed blog posts or FAQs.

5. Continuous Monitoring: Search trends and intents evolve. Periodically reassess your keywords to ensure they remain aligned with current user intent.

6. Integration: Remember that intent-matched keywords should naturally integrate into content. Forcing them can result in a poor user experience and potentially harm SEO efforts.

In essence, keyword research that’s rooted in search intent is not just about traffic—it’s about attracting the *right* traffic. By understanding and meeting the user’s true intent, websites stand a better chance of converting visits into meaningful actions, be it sales, sign-ups, or sustained engagement.

Improving Content, Title Tags, Alt Text & Headings

1. Content

Prioritize depth and authenticity. Your audience can differentiate between hastily curated content and well-researched pieces.

Keywords shouldn’t just be thrown in; they should be woven seamlessly, enhancing the narrative.

In the ever-evolving digital space, content needs periodic revisiting and refining. Stay ahead, stay updated.

2. Title Tags:

Keep it succinct, aiming for 50-60 characters. Search engines tend to cut off titles beyond this.

Strategically place primary keywords near the beginning, but let it flow naturally.

Each page is a unique entity; its title tag should echo that distinctiveness.

3. Alt Text:

Paint a picture with words. Remember, it’s not just search engines that rely on alt text; it’s also users who might not be able to view the images.

If a keyword naturally fits within the alt text description, incorporate it. But, authenticity over optimization.

4. Headings:

Structure is key. Use the H1 tag for your primary topic, with H2, H3, and so forth guiding readers through your content’s hierarchy.

Integrate keywords into headings when they complement the section’s theme and contribute to the overall narrative.

Fine-tuning these elements is akin to refining the intricate details of a masterpiece. It’s not just about being seen, but about resonating with those who find you.

Improving URL Structure

The URL structure holds significant weight. An optimized URL can provide both humans and search engines with easy-to-understand hints about the content of a page. Here’s how a SEO specialist might refine it: 

1. Keep it Simple and Readable:

A user should get an idea about the content just by glancing at the URL. For example, instead of “example.com/p=123”, use “example.com/best-coffee-shops.

2. Use Keywords Thoughtfully:

Including primary keywords in the URL can be beneficial for SEO and users alike. However, ensure it’s relevant to the content and avoid keyword stuffing.

3. Avoid Unnecessary Depth:

While categorization is important, a URL with too many subdirectories can look complex. Stick to essential categorization. 

For instance, “example.com/blog/coffee-shops” is preferable over “example.com/blog/locations/city/coffee-shops”.

4. Stay Consistent with URL Case:

Using a consistent case in URLs (like lowercase) ensures uniformity. It’s common to stick with lowercase as some servers are case-sensitive.

5. Minimize URL Parameters:

Dynamic parameters like “example.com/page?sort=price” can be unavoidable at times. However, try to limit their use, as they can make URLs less readable and less SEO-friendly.

6. Limit the Use of Special Characters:

Stick to hyphens (-) to separate words in URLs. Avoid underscores, spaces, and other special characters which can cause confusion or be misinterpreted by servers and search engines.

7. Use Canonical Tags When Needed:

If there are multiple URLs for a single page due to filters, pagination, or other reasons, use canonical tags. This tells search engines which version to consider as the primary one.

8. 301 Redirects for Changed URLs:

If you modify an existing URL, ensure you set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This preserves the SEO value and ensures users don’t land on broken links.

Think of your URL structure as the spine of your digital presence. It not only guides search engines to your content but also provides potential visitors with a snapshot of what to expect, enhancing trust and engagement.

Some other things that your SEO provider should do is: 

  • Improve internal linking
  • Conversion Rate Optimization
  • Maintain Technical SEO. 

Remember, this isn’t an exhaustive list – it’s just a few things that the person you hire should be doing. 


Now let’s move on to off-page SEO. 

Off-Page SEO Strategies

Digital PR

In today’s digital age, Public Relations (PR) has evolved beyond traditional media outreach. Digital PR has surfaced as a pivotal strategy, intertwining brand reputation management, online presence enhancement, and of course, SEO. An adept organic SEO consultant can play a transformative role in leveraging Digital PR for SEO gains. Here’s how:

1. Building High-Quality Backlinks:

One of the primary objectives of Digital PR is securing mentions on reputable online platforms. An SEO consultant can identify high-authority websites and influencers within the industry to secure valuable backlinks, bolstering a site’s domain authority.

2. Crafting Newsworthy Content:

An organic SEO consultant can guide brands in creating content that’s both SEO-rich and newsworthy. This synergy ensures the content isn’t just link-worthy but is also likely to be picked up by prominent online publications.

3. Targeted Outreach:

With their finger on the pulse of the industry, SEO consultants can identify and reach out to niche-relevant bloggers, journalists, and influencers. This targeted approach amplifies the chances of earning authoritative mentions and backlinks.

4. Optimizing Press Releases for Search Engines:

While press releases aim to disseminate news, when optimized for SEO, they can directly influence organic visibility. The consultant can embed relevant keywords, ensuring press releases not only reach journalists but also perform well on search engines.

5. Monitoring Brand Mentions:

An essential aspect of Digital PR is monitoring the digital landscape for brand mentions. The consultant can use tools like Google Alerts, Mention, or Ahrefs to track these mentions and approach webmasters to turn them into backlinks if they aren’t already.

6. Managing Online Reputation:

In the event of negative press or reviews, an organic SEO consultant can devise strategies to promote positive content and manage the brand’s online reputation, ensuring that the top search results associated with the brand remain favorable.

7. Amplifying Social Signals:

While the direct impact of social signals (likes, shares, tweets) on SEO remains debated, there’s no denying that buzz on social media can amplify online visibility. The consultant can strategize content promotion on social channels to enhance digital PR efforts.

Digital PR, when wielded effectively, can be a game-changer for organic visibility. By partnering with an experienced organic SEO consultant, businesses can ensure they aren’t just managing their online reputation but are also making strategic moves to boost their search engine performance.

Link Building

Link building remains one of the linchpins of off-page SEO, offering both challenges and significant rewards. In the vast digital expanse, the role of an organic SEO consultant becomes invaluable in navigating the intricacies of link acquisition. Here’s how they can facilitate a potent link-building strategy:

1. Strategic Content Creation

By crafting high-quality, shareable content, an SEO consultant lays the groundwork for natural link acquisition. Content such as infographics, long-form articles, and original research is more likely to be referenced by other sites.

2. Competitor Backlink Analysis**:

Using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, the consultant examines where competitors are earning their links. This helps in pinpointing potential link opportunities and understanding industry linking patterns.

3. Relationship Building

Networking is key. A seasoned consultant nurtures relationships with bloggers, industry leaders, and journalists. These relationships often translate into high-quality, organic link opportunities.

4. Monitoring and Reporting:   – Regularly reviewing the link portfolio is essential. An organic SEO consultant uses tools to monitor backlink gains and losses, ensuring that the link profile remains healthy and grows steadily.

5. Ensuring Ethical Practices

With Google’s ever-evolving algorithms, black-hat link-building techniques can result in penalties. A reliable consultant prioritizes ethical, white-hat practices, ensuring long-term SEO health.

Link building is akin to weaving a vast network. With every quality link earned, the digital fabric of a brand strengthens. Entrusting this nuanced task to an organic SEO consultant ensures that the brand’s digital tapestry is not just expansive but also resilient and robust.

Where Do I Find An Organic SEO Consultant?

Here’s how you can find a good SEO consultant. 

1. Peer-Driven Insights:

The digital sphere buzzes with recommendations. Engage your business circle, converse with contemporaries, or immerse yourself in industry forums. Authentic, peer-endorsed names often emerge from these discussions.

2. The Power of Industry Conclaves

Major industry events are hotbeds of talent and innovation. Participating provides dual benefits: imbibing fresh knowledge and networking with potential consultants who have their fingers on the pulse of evolving trends.

3. Harnessing Digital Directories

Platforms like Clutch or Upwork can be your guide. They offer a deep dive into consultant portfolios, client reviews, and an opportunity to connect with SEO savants.

4. Agency-led Explorations

Established agencies often house a repository of seasoned consultants. Delve into agencies acclaimed for their prowess and explore the depth of their talent pool.

5. Tapping into Digital Communities:

From the threads of Reddit to the niche forums dedicated to SEO, these platforms pulse with professionals dispensing advice. Engaging can lead to serendipitous encounters with the consultant your brand has been yearning for.

6. Informed Searches:

A rudimentary grasp of organic SEO not only sets your expectations but hones your ability to discern the wheat from the chaff. Equip yourself with fundamental SEO knowledge. It not only guides your search but also aids in crystallizing your collaboration with the chosen consultant.

SEO Consultant

SEO focused digital marketer with over a decade of experience driving organic growth. Successfully implemented SEO strategies for some of the world’s most loved enterprise brands across automotive, ecommerce, FMCG, retail, finance, and B2B SAAS industries. Harpreet holds a BA in Geography from the University of Leicester and a MSc in International Management from King's College London.