Let’s talk about hiring freelance SEOs in Coventry.
Hiring a freelance SEO is a bit like online dating.
Everyone’s got a slick profile, a few glowing testimonials, and a claim that they can definitely change your life. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that half of them are winging it.
The truth? Finding the right SEO in Coventry isn’t impossible, but you’ve got to know what to look for.
The best ones aren’t the people stuffing jargon down your throat or promising to make you “rank #1 on Google in two weeks.”
The best ones are honest. Transparent.
They’re more worried about getting you results than collecting their retainer fee.
They’ll hop on a call with you, break down exactly where you’re at, compare that with where your competitors are, and explain what it’s going to take to beat them — complete with a price tag that actually makes sense.
A good SEO won’t dance around what they can or can’t do.
They’ll show up with receipts — monthly reports, case studies, clear goals. You won’t need a translator to figure out if they know what they’re talking about. You’ll know.
And sure, there are SEO specialists out there who focus on just one thing — typically link building or technical SEO.
That’s great if you’ve already got a solid team in place.Â
But if you’re running a small or medium-sized business in Coventry, chances are you’ll be better off with a freelance SEO or small agency that can handle the whole thing: on-page, off-page, content and technical SEO.
So, if you’re tired of sifting through empty promises, this guide will help you find someone who’s actually worth hiring.
Let’s get into it.
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The difference between doing SEO in Coventry vs. bigger cities
If you’re running, say, a bakery in Coventry city centre, you don’t need to blow thousands every month on SEO.
You’re not up against hundreds of bakeries across the city.
Realistically, you’ve got a few dozen competitors at most.
If you can take over for a keyword like bakery coventry you’re already winning.
In London, it’s a whole different ballgame.
Unless you’re laser-targeting coffee drinkers in your local borough, you’ll need a heftier budget just to stand a chance against all the best bakeries across the capital.
It’s a tougher climb and a pricier one.
I dive deeper into the different strategies you can use for each city in my SEO for London and SEO for Coventry posts — because, let’s be real, what works for a coffee shop in Soho won’t fly on Far Gosford Street.
This makes it more important to find a freelance SEO who knows how to run a local campaign with surgical precision — someone who’s less interested in making noise and more focused on finding the exact people your business needs.
You want someone who gets that ranking on page one is great, sure, but getting butts in seats is better.
They’ll know why a backlink from the Coventry Telegraph hits harder than some random national press.
They’ll know that your customers don’t give a toss about “artisan beans sourced from Peru” — they want to know that you’re just down the road from the Cathedral or that you make a fry-up worth dragging yourself out of bed for.
A tactful SEO knows how to turn your website into a Coventry love letter, with little touches that make locals nod and say, “Yep, that’s my kind of place.”
Here’s how to find an SEO that ticks all these boxes:
1. Identify what kind of SEO help you need
Hiring a freelance SEO isn’t just about finding someone who does SEO.
It’s about finding the right person for your specific needs.
Think of your website like a house: if the roof is leaking, you don’t call an electrician — you call a roofer.
The same logic applies to SEO.
If you already have a solid foundation, you may not need someone to overhaul your entire strategy. Instead, you can save time and money by zeroing in on your weak spots.
In this section, we’ll help you figure out what constitutes “good SEO,” how to assess your current level, and how to decide whether you need a generalist or a specialist.
Step 1: check your keyword rankings
Use a tool like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to see where your website ranks for important keywords.
What to look for:
- Are you ranking for your primary keywords?
- Are your rankings stagnant or improving?
- Are your competitors outranking you?
👉 Red Flag: If your rankings haven’t moved in months or you’re nowhere near page one, you likely need help with on-page SEO or content strategy.
Step 2: audit your backlink profile
Check your site’s backlinks using tools like Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker.
What to look for:
- How many backlinks does your site have?
- Are the backlinks from high-quality, relevant sites?
- Are your competitors building better links?
Step 3: test your site’s speed
Use Google PageSpeed Insights to test how fast your site loads:
Does your site load in under 3 seconds?
If your site is slow or clunky on mobile, you’ll need help with technical SEO.
Step 4: look at your content quality
Review your site’s content.
What to look for:
- Is the content helpful and well-optimised for your target keywords?
- Are your meta titles and descriptions engaging?
- Are you using internal links to guide users and search engines?
What constitutes "good SEO"?
Here’s a practical checklist of what a well-optimised site looks like:
Keyword rankings
You’re ranking in the top 10 for relevant keywords, with consistent upward movement.
Backlinks
Your site has high-quality, relevant backlinks from trusted websites (no spammy links).
Technical health
Your site loads fast, is mobile-friendly, and has no major crawling or indexing issues.
Local SEO
You’re showing up for localised searches and have an updated, complete Google My Business profile.
Content quality
Your content is valuable, well-optimised, and driving traffic.Â
Generalist vs. specialist: who should you hire?
Hire a generalist if
You have no in-house SEO team.
Your website needs a complete SEO strategy (on-page, off-page, etc.).
You’re starting from scratch and need help with everything.
You’re a small business with a limited budget.
Hire a specialist if
You know exactly where your weak spot is.
Your backlink profile is weak, and you need link building.
Your site is slow, and you need help with technical SEO.
You’re a local business, and you need local SEO expertise.
Who to hire for common weak spots
If your SEO is already in decent shape, hiring a generalist might not be the best use of your budget.
Instead, pinpoint your weakest area and hire a specialist who can bring you the most impact.
Weak spot: Weak backlink profile
Who to hire: Link Building Specialist or Digital PR Agency. Look for freelancers or agencies that specialise in digital PR or outreach campaigns. They should have a proven track record of securing links from reputable sites.
What they’ll do: Secure high-quality backlinks from reputable sites.
Weak spot: Slow site or technical issues
Who to hire: Technical SEO Expert. Search for technical SEO consultants with experience using tools like Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or DeepCrawl.
What they’ll do: Optimise your site’s speed, fix errors, and improve performance.
Weak spot: Poor local visibility
Who to hire: Local SEO Specialist. Focus on local SEO consultants who have experience optimising Google My Business profiles and securing local citations.
What they’ll do: Optimise your GMB profile, build local citations, and improve local rankings.
Weak spot: Stagnant keyword rankings
Who to hire: SEO content writers and on-page SEO specialists. Look for content-focused SEOs who understand keyword optimisation, meta tags, and internal linking strategies.
What they’ll do: Optimise your content, improve meta tags, and fix internal linking.
2. Demand proof of past SEO success
Every SEO claims they can get results.
If you’ve spent any time on LinkedIn or scrolling through freelance sites, you’ve probably seen the same pitch over and over:
- “I’ll rank you #1 on Google in no time!”
- “We increased organic traffic by 300%!”
- “Guaranteed first-page rankings!”
Here’s the thing: words are cheap.
What you’re looking for is proof.
Tangible, real-world proof that they’ve done it before — and that they can do it again.
Hiring an SEO without seeing case studies is like hiring a personal trainer without asking if they’ve ever helped anyone lose weight.
You want to see before-and-after photos. You want to hear success stories.
So, before you even think about hiring a freelance SEO in Coventry, ask them to show you their receipts.
More coming soon
