Frequently Asked SEO Questions

We regularly get asked a number of questions about SEO, and although happy to help – we thought it would be a good idea to collate them all into a useful page and publish it online.
If you think something should be added to this list (or would like to ask a question), please contact us my using the “Quick Contact” box on the right.

What Is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the art of actively promoting your website to achieve better placement in the search engines, and increase targeted traffic. It is also known as: Search Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, SEM.

How long will it take to get me on the front page?

Depends on the keyword(s). With some, very low competition keywords – it may be possible in 6weeks-2months. Competitive terms can take 9-12months+. Broadly speaking, the majority of keywords are achievable in around 3-6months.

I need fast results, how can I fast track this process and get to the top quicker?

In Short – You can’t! SEO is a gradual, time consuming process – therefore it should not be relied upon solely if you need results fast. A common tactic is to supplement the SEO effort with an Adwords (Pay-per-Click) campaign.

How many keywords can I target at once?

Over time – as many as you like. Usually we’ll tackle 4-5keywords at a time. Once ranking is achieved – we can identify and target more. If the keywords are not competitive – It may be possible to target more and get good results. Each keyword requires a certain amount of work. Therefore selecting too many may dilute the work too much (thus not achieving results).

“Keyword A” has the most number of searches, so it’s best to target, right?

Wrong (Usually). More searches equals more competition. Therefore it will take more time, money & effort to rank for. Secondly, less specific keywords are less likely to convert (people aren’t looking to buy). Take a look at this example:

Dave contacts us wanting to SEO his Satellite Phone store. “I want to be on page 1 for “Phone”” he says.

This is not the best strategy as: 1. “Phone” is hugely competitive, therefore will take a huge amount of effort to rank for. 2. People searching for “Phone” could be looking for:
Phone book, Cell Phone, Phone Cases, Phone Contract, I Phone, Phone Games, Phone Ringtones + more. You get it….

We’d suggest that Dave targets keywords that are highly relevant to his niche and website aims, and likely to convert. After doing some keyword research, we suggest Dave looks at these terms.

Buy Satellite Phone Online, Buy Satellite Phone, Best Buy Satellite Phone, Satellite Phone Deal

They have less search volume, but they’re much more likely to bring targeted traffic – and they’ll take a significantly less amount of time and effort to rank for (meaning you can target more!).

My website is brand new, does that mean it will take longer to get on the front page?

Yes – it probably will take longer. It takes time for the search engines to fully crawl your site and your link partners. Trust needs to be built up (which again takes time).

Why do you (and most other SEO companies) charge a monthly fee?

Typically speaking, SEO work is conducted on a monthly basis. We perform a pre-determined amount of tasks per month – and take the nominal fee.

Why don’t you promise or guarantee front page rankings?

No Credible SEO company guarantees rankings. Period. Why not? Many factors are out of our control, Google could change their algorithm tomorrow and we couldn’t do anything about it.

You keep saying that SEO takes time to make a difference. WHY!?

Search Engines need time to crawl your website. They also need time to crawl your link partners (and thus links pointing towards your site). Just because you build links today doesn’t mean they will be crawled (registered) tomorrow.

Search Engines like gradual, organic growth. You can be punished for rushing things (it does happen!)

Trust and Authority cannot be obtained overnight. Both these points make a real difference in the engines eyes, and you need time to influence them.

It takes time to attract links. If you’ve created quality content it may take time before people link to it.

In a competitive market, you’re not the only one optimizing…