What to ask or look for in an SEO Director (in-house)
Hey guys, looking for some advice on what to ask/look for as I vet candidates for an SEO director role.
We’ve been using an agency for the past 7 months and aren’t really seeing any results (and certainly not enough results to justify the price tag). Non-branded clicks are down across all page types (blogs, service pages, etc.), leads are down, qualified leads are down, etc. For the amount we pay this agency, we could hire an SEO director and a few people to work under her/him - so that’s the direction our CEO wants to go.
I should also point out that it’s not just the results that we’re frustrated with. It’s missed deadlines, hollow promises, a lack of transparency about what they’re actually doing, and a general feeling that they’re better at selling SEO than they are at actually delivering value.
Anyway, we’ve lined up a few interviews with people who have a lot of experience and good looking resumes, but I don’t really feel like I know enough to know what I should be asking/looking for. I guess I just feel like there’s a big difference between somebody who can say “I know how to do keyword research, and perform audits, and fix technical issues” and somebody who can actually deliver ROI.
Our marketing team is small, so I know I need to find someone who is used to getting their hands dirty and not somebody who is used to managing a department with hundreds of employees. And I know I need someone who is excellent with local SEO as we have 8 locations and are in a very competitive industry in very competitive markets. But beyond that, idk.
I really don’t want to be one of those people who makes candidates do homework/assignments as part of the interview process because asking for free work doesn’t sit right with me.
Any suggestions are massively appreciated.
Editing to add: Thank you everyone who took the time to share their thoughts. I got a lot of helpful feedback both in terms of how to think about the interview and how to better scope the role so that whatever candidate we choose is in a better position to succeed. I do apologize if I don’t get back to everyone who commented or DMed me, but I have read everything and do genuinely appreciate the helpfulness of kind internet strangers.