No doubt you’ve got a lot of questions about what search engine optimisation (SEO) is and how to do SEO to help your business attract more sales via the Internet. Here’s a list of that covers the key things you need to know about SEO.
Q. What is Search Engine Optimisation or SEO?
Search engine optimisation or SEO as it’s commonly known, is the process that helps your website rank more highly on the search engines and ensures your customers find your website not your competitor’s. The process will be in the form of on-site and/or off-site changes. Any changes carried out will be in line with the latest search engine guidelines and optimisation techniques. SEO isn’t about cheating, misleading the search engines or putting off paying customers. It’s about turning your website into a consistent way to generate business through search engines such as Google.
Q. Why Should I Choose SEO?
Because search engine optimisation is one of the most cost-effective ways to make money online. 93% of traffic on the internet is directed through the search engines. That’s 93% of the millions of people looking to research services and make purchases. SEO puts your website in front of those people, increasing the number of online sales that you receive.
Q. How Long Does SEO Take?
The amount of time it takes your website to hit the first page of the search engines depends entirely on your website, the industry you’re in and the key words that you’d like to target. If your business is in an industry with low competition online, chances are your still will rank relatively quickly. However, if your industry is more competitive online, it can take several months before your site appears on the first page of Google. If you’re in the UK, SEO expert help can help you shorten the time it takes to get your site ranked and found by your prospective clients and customers.
For an accurate estimate of how long it will take for you to top the search engines, complete the form on the right to request a free SEO Consultation and we’ll show you how to do SEO the right way.
Q. Which Search Engines Does Top UK SEO Expert Use to Track My Website’s Progress?
We focus most of our time and effort getting your site ranked on the top three search engines – Google, Bing and Yahoo. But we also track your progress on a number of smaller search engines which will deliver traffic to your site. As UK SEO experts, we focus our attention on ensuring we leverage all the tools at our disposal to help you attract the most effective sources of traffic to your website.
Q. How Can I Start a Search Engine Optimisation Campaign?
If you’ve got the time to learn about SEO, you can start your search engine optimisation campaign as soon as you’ve mastered what to do and how to do it. Alternatively, hire a UK SEO expert to help you discover how to do SEO effectively to achieve your online and business goals. We’d be happy to help you so contact us today and we will help you kickstart your company’s search engine optimisation campaign. Alternatively, complete the form on the right to request a free SEO Consultation to discover how to do SEO so that you website hits the top of page 1 of Google and the other search engines.
Q. What Are “Keywords & Keyword Phrases”?
SEO, UK or worldwide, is made up of the same basic elements, the most important of which are the keywords or key phrases that you use for your website. When someone types a search term into a search engine, we refer to this term as the keywords or a key phrase. For example, someone trying to find a real estate company may type “real estate Marbella” in the Google search box – “real estate Marbella” would be the key phrase here. Hiring a UK SEO expert will assist you with discovering the best key phrases to use for your business website.
Q. How Do You Apply Search Engine Optimisation For a Key Phrase?
If you decide to learn how to do SEO, you’ll soon discover that there are many factors involved in carrying out effective search engine optimisation. An important factor for most search engines is that the content of your site matches the typed in key phrase. Your site should therefore be written with certain key phrases in mind. We use the latest software that enables us to pinpoint the optimal key phrases that are associated with your business.
Q. What Makes a Good Key Phrase for SEO?
A good key phrase is one that actually gets typed in by users, but has very few other web sites competing for it. A key phrase like “web site design” is certainly typed in thousands of times every day, but there are tens of thousands of web sites competing for this phrase so it would be hard to get a good ranking for this. Also, a phrase like this is not specific enough for a web design company’s needs because someone searching for “web site design” may simply be searching for tips on good web site design. A better phrase to base your search engine optimisation on would be “web site design companies Spain”, which has less sites competing for it, but still receives quite a few business related search requests every day. Undertaking effective keyword research will enable you to discover the most appropriate words and phrases to use for your website.
Q. What is Link Popularity?
Search engines (especially Google) measure your site’s importance by looking at which websites link to your site. Each site that links to you is classed as a ‘vote’ – you get a higher vote if the site linking to you is both related and also considered important by the search engine. When you know how to do SEO or hire a UK SEO expert, you’ll soon discover how to find the most appropriate places to get links and increase your own site’s link popularity.
Q. Optimised Pages Have Lots of Text. Do People Read All Those Words?
They sure do and when you know how to do SEO effectively, you’ll be able to easily weave your keywords and phrases into your text yet keep it natural for the website visitor to read. Studies show that customers will read longer Web copy if the text is well presented and easy to read. Certain usability techniques can enhance readability, making even long text easy to read. Furthermore, customers like text – it’s the only way they can make an informed decision about whether they want to work with your company. Customers will read your SEO writing as long as it’s persuasive, informative and interesting.
Q. What is Spam and Do You Use These Techniques to Rank My Website?
Absolutely not! Spam refers to methods some companies adopt to deceive search engine algorithms, by exploiting “loopholes” in their systems. These methods only tend to work short term (if at all) and in most cases lead to a ban. Most search engines have a Spam reporting procedure and many companies will not think twice about reporting your site if it utilises spam techniques (especially if their site had been pushed down the rankings by yours!). Spam includes: doorway pages, cloaking, invisible text, tiny text, page stuffing, duplicate pages and keyword saturation.
Q. What is My Site Ranking Dependent On?
Site ranking tends to be “cumulative” and is dependent, among other things, on the following factors:
- the specific keyword phrases (search terms) that have been targeted
- the overall competitiveness of your industry online
- whether you are targeting a regional, national, or international market
- how well ranking is monitored and the site tweaked over time for SEO improvement
- the progress of your reciprocal linking campaign
- the number of competitor sites achieving new ranking themselves
Q. Can You Guarantee a Number #1 Position in the Search Engines?
Nobody can guarantee a number #1 position or specific ranking for your site for a given keyword phrase. There are simply too many factors beyond anyone’s control – the search engines changing their ranking algorithms, efforts made by competitors, and new sites being added to the Web. This is a sort of ongoing competition in which you must keep playing hard and using strategy to reach for the top.
We do however guarantee that we can get your keywords onto page 1 of Google within 6-9 months depending on the level of competition for your keywords and if you follow our advice to get your site ranked.
Q. How Will I Know How Well My Website is Ranking in the Search Engines?
We will email you a monthly online marketing report detailing exactly how your website is doing in the main search engines so that you can track your website as it rises to the top of the search engines.
Q. What is Pay-Per-Click Advertising?
Pay-per-click advertising is a process by which companies bid to have an advert shown on the first page of a search engine for a certain phrase or set of key phrases. It provides instant visibility on the search engines for those willing to pay for an advert. The most popular pay-per-click product on the market is Google AdWords.
Q. Why Should I Choose a Managed Pay-Per-Click Campaign?
In inexperienced hands, your pay-per-click campaign can drain your budget before it even has a chance to start making a return. Without expert assistance, you run the risk of wasting large amounts of time and money without gaining any new business.
Our team of pay-per-click experts have individual Google AdWords and Microsoft adCenter qualifications, meaning that every penny of your budget will work towards generating new business, removing the risks that come with running your own campaign.
Q. How Long Does it Take to Set Up a Pay-Per-Click Campaign?
Depending on how complex your campaign is our pay-per-click experts can have your company’s campaign up and running within an hour. For a more accurate estimate on how long it will take your adverts to appear on the search engines, complete the form on the right to request a free SEO Consultation to discover how to make pay-per-click advertising work for you.
Q. What are the Differences Between Sponsored and Organic Search Engine Listings?
An organic listing appears on the search engines as a result of search engine optimisation, with the most well optimised sites appearing at the top. A sponsored listing appears on the search engines as the result of a pay-per-click bid, with the highest bids appearing at the top of the sponsored listings column.
Q. What is Google Maps and Google Places Local?
It’s a free service offered by Google that works by presenting local businesses at the top of online search results in your town or city. Your business details, such as phone number, address and a link to your website if you have one, are displayed alongside a map of the area.
Q. Why Use Google Local Business Listings?
Getting a Google Local Business Listing will help your site get listed to show up in the local search results, especially if your prospects are searching using a smart-phone. And because Google has already done all the hard work for you, it’s a free way to advertise your business and offer your prospective customers, special offers and incentives to do business with you. This is a good way to get your business found online with minimal effort and fuss.
Q. Why is Local Search So Important?
Incorporating local search into your overall SEO activities is important because increasingly, your potential customers and clients are turning to the Internet and their mobile devices to find local businesses in their area for products and services. And once they’ve found the products and services they’re looking for, they’re posting reviews of local businesses to Google places and numerous online directories, which act as valued testimonial that work superbly at generating new sales for the companies that receive the reviews.
Q. How Easy is it to Create a Google Local Listing for My Business?
It’s reasonably easy to set up a listing, but creating a free mini site that ranks well – on the first page of local searches – takes a lot of practice and a deep understanding of how Google ranks businesses.
Every market, sector and industry is unique and requires a different approach, which is why it’s such a good idea to have your free mini-site professionally built by people who know what they’re doing.
Letting us do the work for you means a guaranteed page 1 listing that gets your business seen by potential customers at exactly the moment they search online for your products or services.
Q. Where Will My Google Local Listing Appear?
With all our services it’s our aim to ensure your listing and mini site appears at the top of the first page on Google local search results, alongside your phone number, address and a map of the area. That means if you have a bricks-n-mortar business and customers find you on their mobile phones, they’ll also receive clear directions to your business address.
Q. What’s Included in My Google Local Listing?
Your Google Local listing will include your company name, address and the phone number of your business, along with an email address and link to your website if you have one. Your listing will also include details of the products and services your business provides, as well as any discounts, promotions or special offers you have. You can add photos and videos to you listing and you should encourage your existing clients and customers to write reviews of your business to add to your Google Places page. Your listing will always contain a clear map of the area that your business serves, alongside a flag marketing your business’ location.
If you’d like expert advice on how to do SEO the right way, complete the form at the top on the right to claim your free SEO Consultation or call +44 (0) 1582 979736 for a friendly chat.