Absolutely, since small businesses not always can afford working with SEO agencies on full project scope with implementation, they can leverage SEO consulting to develop their SEO strategy and understand execution methodology for their specific market niche. Later, they can execute themselves, for example, content and linkbuilding, while getting quarterly reviews from a consultant forming a feedback loop. This can be equally or even more effective than outsourcing, while saving 2-3 times of the average full project price.

The KPIs for any SEO project, whether it's consulting or implementation, are similar: search rankings in target locations, share of voice (% from total clicks vs. competitors), organic traffic and conversions (leads, purchases, revenue, etc.). To compare with other acquisition channels, cost-per-action (i.e. cost-per-lead or cost-per-purchase) is the most helpful metric.

Use cases like traffic drops after Google Core or Spam Updates, "crocodile effect" after AI Overviews release, technical issues with crawling or indexing, former manual action removals, migrations to a new design and/or CMS system and management strategic SEO advice are the most frequent tasks I face during my SEO consulting projects.

In general, your SEO consultant doesn’t have to be located near you to be effective. Expertise matters most, while remote SEO services are a de-facto standard. However, sometimes businesses hire me remotely, but then ask for on-site sessions or workshops. In this case, they get both my expertise and personal connection when it matters.

This depends on what is meant by "results". If that's just a single keyword ranking that is not ranked at all at the starting point, then just writing an article and publishing it in 1 week should already demonstrate growing ranking performance. However, most enterprise-level projects begin showing measurable improvements across all keyword spectrum within 3-6 months.

First of all, you need to have a clear understanding of your end goal that you should communicate to the SEO consultant. Then you should get a bespoke proposal rather than a generic "package". If the price fits your budget, check the experience: proven case studies with screenshots or real testimonials on independent aggregator websites. I would avoid anyone promising “instant rankings” or using professional jargon with no ability to explain processes simply. In my experience, "joint chemistry" also matters, especially in management consulting. Choose someone whose personality fits your company's culture and who’s comfortable collaborating with your team.

Yes, and especially when budgets and time are limited. Startups need results fast, whether it's a product launch or investment round. An SEO consultant can design a strategy for quick keyword ranking wins or launches that highlight your product in front of searchers quickly. In addition, SEO data can be used for product marketing and even product features development. Consultants can also develop content outlines, propose linkbuilding methods and digital PR tactics that establish topical authority for a new business.

I usually work with the B2B and tech sectors, but often complex SEO issues happen in healthcare and medical niche, as well as in professional services (for example, law firms). I work with small businesses, medium-sized companies and also provide enterprise-level consulting.