I spent a lot of time with prospective clients and small businesses, learning about them and relating what we do to how they can sell more online. I get asked a lot of questions. Today I thought I would address a few of the most Frequently Asked Questions about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and online marketing.
>>>>> What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
There are two main component to SEO:
(1) Onpage Optimization or what’s happening on your website
(2) Offpage Optimization or promotion of your website through other websites.
Onpage Optimization tells the search engines what the page is about. This is done through a variety of ways including, but not limited to, keywords, page titles, page descriptions, metatags, and so on. The goal of Onpage is to make each page on your site unique, targeted to what people are looking for and relevant to them. Onpage Optimization alone will rarely help your site to be visible on the first page of Google (which is where all of the clicking happens).
Offpage Optimization is the promotion of your content by getting strong websites that are related to what you do (but don’t compete) to link to your website. These are called Backlinks. In the case of Backlinks we are looking for both quality and quantity. These Backlinks are like references to Google and the other engines — they help you to establish your authority in your space. I know a great deal about Organic Farming, Google. But don’t just take my word for it, check out all of these really great websites, blogs, directories, etc. that are about organics and farming that link to my site.
>>>>> What does Conversion Optimization mean?
A. Conversion is a fancy way of saying that someone met your goal or desired outcome when they landed on your website. You asked them to buy your widget, to complete a form or make a phone call…and they did. When someone lands on your site as a result of a keyword search they need to be guided down the path to an action. That action needs to represent your goals.
If you sell insurance and know that once you speak with someone on the phone, you can usually make the sale, then a phone call is your conversion. (Oh, and we offer phone tracking as well so you can measure those calls.) The same holds true if you want someone to send an email, that email or form submission is your conversion. Your website has to ask people to convert. If you spend money to market a website that doesn’t convert then you are wasting your marketing dollars. Conversion Optimization is a process that involves strategy, design and site structure to guide folks to your desired goal.
>>>>> More of a statement than a question, but…No one looks for my service online.
Simply stated: Yes, they do.
We partner with you to learn about your product/service/million dollar idea. And then conduct extensive research to find out how many people are searching and what words they use to find a product or service like yours. And remember we aren’t overly concerned with how you or Sally in your office would look for your service online, but how the world would.
>>>> And the ever popular…How much does it cost?
SEO is not a one-size fits all, package solution. After extensive research, we custom bid each and every project to create the right plan to address your goals, timeline and competition. We work almost exclusively with small to mid-sized businesses to create affordable, trackable campaigns that get your website seen and that guide folks to do something once they get there.
Bottom line is that SEO is about having a great website that guides viewers to an action and that people can actually find it when searching.
