If you're currently searching for the ideal local SEO agencies to give your website a welcome boost in the marketplace, you may be going on certain "facts" or made certain assumptions that are actually more likely to lead you astray. Here are four common misconceptions you want to watch out for as you make your choice.

Misconception 1: Bigger Is Always Better

Selecting any kind of marketing agency based solely on its size, age, prestige, and annual revenues is usually a mistake, and SEO agencies are no exception. You might indeed find success by engaging a major international SEO firm, but you might just as easily strike it rich with a small "boutique" agency. In fact, the latter is often preferable simply because a smaller agency typically has more time for each of its clients, resulting in better customer service and more personalized care. Large SEO firms may have gotten where they are by providing magnificent SEO services, or they may simply have friends in high places -- or a knack for making money off their clientele regardless of whether they're actually earning their fees.

Misconception 2: The Best Agencies Always "Top the Charts"

You might assume that the best way to determine whether an SEO agency practices what it preaches is by observing how well it scores on a Google search for SEO agencies in your area. After all, shouldn't such a company have the skills to leapfrog itself to the "top of the charts?" Well, the answer to that is yes and no. Obviously, any SEO firm worth its salt will have a respectable search ranking for all the expected general and/or local keyword queries. But SEO rankings can depend on other factors as well. For instance, the agency that comes out on top of the search results for your city may simply have been the oldest such company in town, with its seniority helping to bump it higher on the list.

Misconception 3: Being Number One on Google Is Everything

Sure, it's extremely helpful to come up first, or at least above the fold, on Google search results. But as you may have noticed by now, just about all the SEO agencies on the planet promises to put you in that magical position. Many of them can actually do it, too, but what does that achievement really mean in the long term? The Web is a fizzing cauldron of activity in which countless businesses just like yours are all seeking the brass ring of that Number One search result. But your ranking will inevitably vary according to the keywords in question, and even if you do manage to score a top-ranked searched result, you'll only hold it until a competing website manages to usurp you. It's a never-ending process, not a final destination. You're better off with a local SEO agency that works constantly to keep you in a good position, as opposed to one that only promises a magical one-time result.

Misconception 4: Overnight Success Is a Real Thing

Some business owners assume that local SEO agencies have the ability to turn their sites' fortunes around instantly. They become frustrated when the work takes longer than they expected, or when they see their inbound traffic and other analytics still languishing after a few weeks or months. The simple truth of the matter is that SEO (when done properly) is hard work that involves many hours of planning, design, coding, testing, monitoring, and other essential tasks. If you're not getting an overnight turnaround, be happy -- it may mean that your SEO agency is actually trying to do a good job.

As for seeing results, that turnaround period is largely out of your SEO agency's hands. For one thing, Google and the other major search engines may not re-index your newly-optimized website for days or weeks, even after the agency has pinged them to alert them of the latest changes. Yes, your agency can employ various helpful tactics involving the use of backlinks, social networking, blogging, et cetera. But even with the most scrupulous optimization and under the best circumstances, you'll have to watch and wait for those visitor numbers to stack up.

Like all good things, effective SEO takes time.

Misconception 5: SEO Is The Be All End All

The SEO game has changed since it began in the 90s and will still continuosly to do so. If an SEO agency recommends that simply doing SEO is suffice, you may want tread with caution. SEO should not be done on its own, it should be combined with other digital marketing strategies, such as blogging, social media marketing, etc. This hollistic approach of combining all these marketing efforts lead to positive ranking and higher traffic. The question you should be asking is "Does this agency provide an internet marketing program, rather than solving an individidual syptom?"

Don't rely on popular wisdom, such as it is, when it comes to selecting the right SEO agency for your needs. Do your homework, check up on the company's reputation, read reviews from satisfied customers, and talk to the agency representatives to get a feel for whether they've got your best interests in mind. An optimized web presence starts with an optimal relationship!