Last Updated on March 30, 2024 by Aiman Emaan
BigCommerce is a great platform. It has a lot of useful features that make it easy to manage a large number of admin and customer accounts, options for inventory and accept payments.
It offers high uptime, excellent site speeds, and great security, and since it’s hosted, you’ll never need to worry about updates or patches.
The only thing it doesn’t actually do is bring customers to the entryway of your eCommerce website. Your marketing specialists are for that.
Speaking of which, if you’re looking for a BigCommerce SEO agency to SEO-optimize your site, boost search engine rankings, and kickstart organic traffic, conversion rates, and revenue, here’s how to go about it.
Table of Contents
Set Your Goals
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Determine what your goals are and be realistic about your expectations for BigCommerce SEO services.
Do you simply want to boost impressions so you can spread brand awareness? Do you want to generate local leads?
Are you trying to edge out a competitor for highly competitive keywords and long-term growth?
Or are you more pragmatic, looking directly for higher sales and conversions?
Either of these (or all of them together) constitutes legitimate marketing goals.
But you need to decide what they are first. Then you can choose a BigCommerce SEO partner based on that company’s proficiencies.
You Know Your Platform; Now Get Industry Specific
The next thing you need to accept is that SEO is a little bit different for all industries.
This is largely due to the fact that content is such an important factor in SEO, and different writers have different strengths.
Make sure that no matter what eCommerce SEO agency you choose, that agency has proven, demonstrable experience in your industry. Otherwise, you might end up paying a lot and have nothing to show for your online store.
Perform a Quick Search and Analyze Your Finds
Let’s say you’re in the candy industry. Look up “candy SEO.”
If you’re in the tobacco industry, you could try “cigar SEO services.”
You get the picture. Perform a few searches for services in your specific industry and see what comes up. This should be your greatest tool for finding a partner.
Why? Because these are the organic listings. A BigCommerce SEO agency has one job – to boost organic listings.
If they can’t do it for their website, they won’t be able to do it for yours.
Go with a BigCommerce Certified Partner
Once you’ve selected a few potential options, check out their website and make sure BigCommerce has certified them. The highest level of certification you should look for is “Elite.”
Elite BigCommerce partners have worked hand-in-hand with BigCommerce to demonstrate their proficiency with the BigCommerce platform. We recommended 1DigitalⓇ Agency, an Elite BigCommerce SEO Agency, not only because of their certifications but also because they serve SEO clients in a wide range of industries.
While this is most important for development and design projects, the last thing you want to hear from an SEO agency is “I don’t know how your BigCommerce website works.”
Read the Reviews
Next, check out the reviews you can find online. Be more discerning with negative reviews, as this is where customers tend to air their frustrations.
It’s a window into what you can expect.
Oh, and word to the wise: don’t trust any agency that doesn’t have any negative reviews. That’s a big red flag.
Read More: How to Select SEO Companies Everything You Need to Know
Give Testimonials a Chance
If you haven’t yet, give the client testimonials on the SEO agency’s website a chance. They may be biased, but you might also learn a thing or two about the potential niceties of working with them from the mouths of pleased clients.
Look For Real Evidence (Portfolios, Case Studies)
While you’re on the agency website, look for cues that belie actual successes.
For instance, press releases, white papers, case studies, or a client portfolio showcasing stats and successes.
All of these can give you a glimpse into the sorts of results you might possibly be able to expect for your own website.
Snoop the Socials
When you’re narrowing down your list of leads, check out their social platforms. Not because you want to see what sorts of relevant things they post about, but so you can see how they interact with their clients.
You want, ideally, to see a lot of engagement between the agency and current and former clients. This indicates an active social media presence that may work hand in hand to improve social cues for their own campaigns and for the campaigns of your clients.
Call Your Leads
The next thing you need to do is actually get in touch with the potential options you’ve found for a partner in a BigCommerce SEO agency.
Start the sales talks and hear what their process is like. This is also the time to ask good questions.
Do not accept deflections. You should get a straight, quick answer to every question you ask about Google Search, keyword research, link building, BigCommerce SEO strategies, and your BigCommerce store provided it’s relevant.
Remember that sales agents have a vested interest in listening to you and luring you during your preliminary talks.
If you feel blown off during the sales process, imagine what life will be like once you sign on for an official SEO marketing strategy.
Also, some eCommerce SEO providers also offer free SEO audits. Start with one if you’re still not sure whom to choose.
Narrow Down Your Options and Make a Choice
Once you’ve settled all of these unknowns, it’s time for you to make a choice about which BigCommerce SEO expert to work with.
Fortunately, if you follow these pointers, you should be making a good one!
