What is SEO?

Below, we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about SEO.

What is Search Engine Optimisation or SEO?

Search Engine Optimisation (also known as SEO) is the process of improving the ranking of your website in the organic search engine rankings to increase the amount of qualified and relevant traffic to your website over time.

By using advanced website optimisation techniques, your website becomes more attractive to search engines which in turn means your site will rank high in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS).

The SEO process involves website optimisation techniques that adhere to best practices as determined by the search engines and ensures that your website is search engine friendly. SEO is a continuous process and the initial optimisation of a web site is only the beginning. Due to the ever-changing nature of Search Engines and their rules for ranking websites, it is very important to continually maintain, update and alter to ensure the rankings you desire are achieved.

Why is SEO important?

Our research shows that the way people make decisions has changed significantly over the last few years, with Search Engines now an integral part of the research and buying process.

We all do it nowadays, no matter what you are looking for the first place you start is on Search Engines like Google or Yahoo. The results you get back from there have a major influence on you making a purchase.

A high search engine ranking can give your website an edge over your competitors, giving your business access to new customers and markets. This is why search engine optimisation is becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes no matter what business they are in.

Google alone conducts over 150 million searches a day. In fact, recent studies show that purchasers are about 12 times more likely to buy your products or services after finding your site through a search engine than all other traditional advertising methods combined (including trade shows, print ads, direct mail, radio, and even television)… at a fraction of the cost! Why? Simply put, when a consumer finds you through a search engine they are ready to buy. With traditional forms of media, you are broadcasting a message hoping to reach the right consumer at the right time.

As searchers generally only explore the first two pages in the search results, achieving high rankings on the search engines will make an enormous difference in the amount of visitor traffic your site receives.

How long does it take for SEO to start showing results?

This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on so many factors. Generally you can expect to see some results any time from between 2 weeks to 3 months. This depends on how quickly the Search Engines index your site and how much competition there is for the terms you want to rank high for.

Does every page on my site need optimised?

Yes. it is very important to optimise every page as each one can be used as a door or entry point to your site using different search terms or keywords. It is impossible to predict which pages of your site will rank highest with search engines, so it is important to optimise each page individually. If you have lots of pages then why not optimise them? It opens so many doors for potential customers to enter. Don’t assume that your homepage is the only important page on your site.

Can we not do this ourselves?

The Internet is a serious sales channel today. Top rankings in Google and implementing a successful search engine marketing strategy can have a 6 or 7 figure positive impact on the profitability of your company. Large amounts of time, attention and expertise are needed to achieve the desired results in such a constantly changing niche industry. The expense of adding personnel and necessary resources alone would quickly outweigh the cost of hiring our company, which is why outsourcing SEO is by far the most popular and cost effective method for maximum ROI.

Asking your IT person or web design company to be responsible for your SEO and website optimisation is like asking your Office Manager to be responsible for business development and hitting sales targets.

Can you guarantee position #1?

There are far too many factors involved in an SEO campaign to be able to predict how your site will rank. Search engines are constantly changing the algorithms they use for ranking websites, a competitor in your town may be 12 months into an SEO campaign and new sites being added to the web are all factors outwith anyone’s control.  However, we now offer a guarantee that should we fail to get your site on to page one of Google then we will work for free until we do.

How much will it cost?

This varies from customer to customer and depends on a number of factors like how many pages your website has, which keywords you want your site optimised for and how much competition there is for the same keywords from your competitors. There will be a one-off startup fee for the initial research and optimisation of your site followed by a small monthly fee for the duration of the campaign which ensures that a dedicated SEO specialist can continually monitor your search engine performance, and make changes when necessary, to keep you as high as possible on the search engine rankings.

Do you offer complete solutions?

Yes. If you don’t yet have a website, or if your current website is not particularly SEO friendly, we can offer complete website solutions which will include, if necessary, full re-branding of your business, website design, domain registration, web hosting and eCommerce (online shopping cart) solutions. We are extremely flexible and we will be happy to customise a package to suit your needs.

If you would like some more information on what we can do for you, please contact us and we will be in touch as soon as possible.