In our last post, we established why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for Nigerian businesses aiming to thrive online in 2025. You understand why you need to be visible when potential customers search on Google.
Now, the next logical question is: “Okay, but what does an SEO agency do all day to make that happen?”
It can sometimes seem like a mysterious process. Is it just about tweaking websites? Is it some kind of technical magic?
As an agency working hands-on with businesses across Nigeria, we want to pull back the curtain and break down what reputable SEO agencies typically do for their clients.
What to Expect from an SEO Agency?
SEO is a strategic, ongoing process involving several key activities, all aimed at helping your business get found by the right customers online. Typically, if you contract the process to an agency, you can expect the following;
1. Understanding Your Business & Market
Before any work begins, a good SEO agency needs to understand your specific business.
- Goal Setting: We talk with you to understand your business objectives. Are you looking for more online leads? Increased e-commerce sales? Greater brand awareness in Lagos? Your goals shape the entire SEO strategy.
- Website Audit: We conduct a thorough health check of your current website, looking for technical issues, content gaps, and user experience problems that might be hindering your performance.
- Competitor Analysis: We analyze what your competitors (both online and offline in Nigeria) are doing successfully in search results. This helps identify opportunities and benchmark performance.
2. Keyword Research
This is fundamental. The SEO agency will need to know the exact words and phrases (keywords) your potential customers are typing into Google. And this is accomplished through extensive keyword research.
- Identifying Terms: we will research keywords relevant to your products or services, considering different types of search intent:
- Informational: “how to choose solar panels in Nigeria”
- Commercial: “buy affordable laptops Ikeja”
- Local: “best event planner near me Ibadan”
- Tools & Analysis: Agencies like ours can use specialized tools combined with our understanding of the Nigerian market to find keywords with good search volume (people are actually searching for them) and achievable ranking potential. We consider local phrasing and search behaviour.
3. On-Page Optimization
This involves optimizing the actual content and structure of your website pages so search engines (and users) understand what they’re about. Key elements to refine include;
- Page Titles & Meta Descriptions: The headlines and summaries shown in search results.
- Headings (H1, H2, etc.): Structuring content clearly.
- Content: Ensuring text is well-written, valuable, uses keywords naturally, and is relevant to a Nigerian audience.
- Images: Optimizing image file sizes and adding descriptive “alt text”.
- Internal Linking: Connecting related pages on your website.
4. Technical SEO
Technical SEO is the “behind-the-scenes” work ensuring your website is technically sound and easy for search engines to crawl and index. It is mainly focused on:
- Site Speed: Very important in Nigeria where internet speeds can vary. Faster sites rank better and keep users happy.
- Mobile-Friendliness: Essential, as most Nigerians browse on smartphones.
- Site Structure & Navigation: A proper semantic structure makes it easy for users and search engines to find content.
- Indexability: Ensuring search engines can discover and list your pages.
- Security (HTTPS): Ensuring your website connection is secure.
5. Content Strategy & Creation
SEO isn’t just technical. There’s also a need for high-quality, relevant content. An SEO agency can help with;
- Planning: Based on keyword research, we help plan content (like blog posts, guides, FAQs) that answers your target audience’s questions and addresses their needs.
- Creation (or Guidance): We might create this content for you, or guide your team on how to create SEO-friendly content that resonates with a Nigerian audience, establishes your authority, and attracts potential customers.
6. Off-Page SEO & Link Building
SEO agencies can also be involved in activities outside your website to build your reputation and authority online.
- Link Building: A key part is earning backlinks. These are links from other reputable websites back to yours. This signals to Google that your site is trustworthy and valuable.
- Methods: We focus on quality links through ethical methods like outreach to relevant Nigerian blogs or news sites, guest contributions, and ensuring your business is listed correctly in important local online directories. (Some agencies also use spammy tactics that can harm your site)
7. Local SEO
For businesses serving specific locations (Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Kano, etc.), this is critical.
- Key Actions: We will optimize your Google Business Profile, manage listings in relevant Nigerian online directories (citations), encourage and manage customer reviews, and target location-specific keywords (e.g., “computer repairs Yaba”).
8. Monitoring, Analysis & Reporting
SEO is data-driven. An SEO agency will constantly monitor performance and report back to you.
- Tracking: We use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track keyword rankings, organic traffic levels, user behavior, conversions (leads/sales from SEO), and website health.
- Reporting: You will receive regular, easy-to-understand reports showing progress towards your goals, explaining what the data means, and outlining the next steps in the strategy. Typically, the focus will be on the metrics that actually impact your business growth.
Conclusion
As you can see, an SEO agency’s work is comprehensive, strategic, and ongoing. It combines technical expertise, creative content development, market understanding, and continuous analysis.
In our next post, we’ll explore the specific benefits of hiring an SEO agency versus trying to manage all this yourself.
Not sure if your website requires optimization for search engines? Chat with us and get a free website audit.
