Our Review Process

How does Search Engine Authority work? Companies submit a form for review. Our team of SEO and internet marketing experts research and verifies the claims of the company submitted and then we choose only the ten best companies in no particular order. The following is our criteria for the evaluation:

Length of time in business: A company that has been around for a while is most likely doing a few things right. We take a look at the continuity and longevity of each firm and confirm their actual start-up date through public record of incorporation or formation of the company. Years in business are one of the first categories we look at when we are asked to evaluate SEO companies.

Case study of clients: The information we receive from a company needs to be verified by an outside source, such as a client. We do case studies of clients to determine if the claims of any SEO company or service are factual and can be verified. This third party check ensures our final rating of your service will be fair and accurate.

Quality of work: How good are you exactly? Quality is one of our top variables in the formula to determine who the best is. Being at the top of search rankings in the SEO industry doesn’t mean you’re providing top quality work for your clients. Search Engine Authority looks at their sites, not yours, when determining where SEO forms rank.

Customer service: Are you properly fielding customer inquiries and addressing problems and complaints or are you brushing them off? If you’re in the search marketing industry you’ll want to answer your phones and respond to emails. It could be a customer or it could be Search Engine Authority doing an evaluation of your customer service.

Depth of reporting: How much information does a client or customer receive from you? Is it enough to let them know exactly what’s going on or is it confusing and incomplete? There are far too many SEO firms that skimp on client reporting and information. Those who do will not make our best ten lists.

Specializations: We have different categories that we rank companies on besides the general, overall best category. What do you specialize in? We have categories for landing page SEO, performance based SEO, website design, PPC management, link building, email marketing, social media marketing, video marketing, and SEO tools.

Certifications/badges merit: How do your peers view your firm? Have any of the associations or organizations in your community or industry awarded you certificates of recognition? Are you certified for any specific skills or software? Do you have any badges of merit or degrees to show you’re qualified to offer SEO services.

Additional information that relates to the particular industry/service: What else can you tell us about the company we’re evaluating? This section is a good place to mention the intangibles, such as comfort level or a willingness to go above and beyond. We take both into account.