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Last month, we posted about the importance of blogging and explained how it benefits your search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is another topic we get lots and lots of questions about. So, we decided it’d be worth our while to do a deep dive into this topic as well. Without further ado, here are the top frequently asked questions (and answers) about SEO: 

 

Top Frequently Asked Questions about SEO 

 

• What is SEO? Why does it benefit my business?

• • • Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to increase its ranking in the search results. If you employ a solid SEO strategy, your site will move up in the organic search results, meaning you will receive free traffic to your website.

• What is the difference between organic and paid search traffic?

• • • You may have heard the terms “organic” and “paid” being thrown around when discussing SEO (or marketing and advertising in general). Organic search traffic is when an online user comes across your website by scrolling through the search engine results on their own. Paid search traffic is when a business has paid to appear at the top of the search results to get more clicks to their website. The more effective your SEO strategy is, the better your organic search traffic will be, which means spending less money on paid advertising!

• How much does SEO cost?

• • • The cost of SEO work will entirely depend on your specific website. Our team will analyze your current website and your approach, and then we will recommend a customized plan to help you reach your end goal. We adamantly believe in putting in the hard work to get the best results. No black hat SEO tactics here, just relevant, consistent, and honest marketing! 

• When will my website start ranking?

• • • While we’d love it if we could snap our fingers and your website would be ranked as #1, that’s only in our dreams! Working your way up on search engine results can take months of dedicated efforts. Not only can SEO techniques be complicated and time-consuming, but most of the time, we’re waiting for search engine crawlers to index the website’s new updates. Typically, websites will start seeing movement 3-9 months later. So yes, SEO is an ongoing process and the results aren’t immediate, but the results are long-lasting — remember that! 

• What is the difference between on-site and off-site SEO?

• • • Onsite-SEO includes ranking factors, such as content, keywords, load speed, internal and external links, URL structure, metadata, and mobile friendliness. Search engines examine each factor when determining your website’s rank. Many site owners stop after finalizing their on-site SEO strategies, but that’s just half of what needs to be done. You also need to employ an off-site SEO strategy to get the results you want. Link building is the most common off-site SEO strategy, and it’s very important. You need high-quality backlinks to build authority for your website. This will help you move up in the organic search results. Along with link building, your off-page SEO campaign should consist of getting brand mentions and social media marketing.

• Why should I continue to do SEO if I am happy with my current rankings?

• • • Once you incorporate your SEO strategy, you might think you can move on to other tasks. However, SEO is an ongoing process. Whether you are trying to attract readers around the globe or reach people in your local market, you need to work on your SEO campaigns monthly (or even weekly). Your strategy can always be finetuned to get better results, so never stop working at it. If you put the time and effort into it, it can pay off in dividends.

• Can you guarantee rankings with SEO?

• • • We have to be brutally honest here, there’s no way for us to both try something new and guarantee a top search engine result. Search engines are constantly updating their algorithms and the criteria at which they scale websites. That’s just the way marketing goes. BUT! Without a doubt, we are confident in our efforts and believe that smart SEO practices can add value to your business. We can offer invaluable knowledge about processes and strategies that you likely have never thought of before! 

• How are SEO results tracked?

• • • There are several different tools available use to track your SEO results. At TM, we utilize a combination of tools — Google Analytics, Ubersuggest, and DashThis to name a few. These reports help us monitor changes in keywords and traffic to your website. If you choose to partner with us, you won’t ever feel in the dark about how your campaigns or efforts are doing. We send in-depth reports to our clients every month. 

• Why should I hire an agency to do my SEO?

• • As you’ve probably picked up, SEO is a neverending process. For it to be successful, it has to be maintained and upkeeped. We encourage every company to utilize SEO to better attract and retain customers to your website, but we realize not everyone has the time or skills to do. If that’s you, we recommend hiring an agency to do so… maybe someone like Transformation Marketing in Lincoln, NE?! Give us a call at 402-788-2896 to get a consultation scheduled with us!