Training Tools
Here you will find a number of helpful, graphics, videos, and resources to help supplement your excursion into the wide world of SEO. Contact us today with questions!
Training Tools
Here you will find a number of helpful, graphics, videos, and resources to help supplment your excursion into the wide world of SEO. Contact us today with questions!
Training Tools
Here you will find a number of helpful, graphics, videos, and resources to help supplment your excursion into the wide world of SEO. Contact us today with questions!
What is SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a $5 billion industry which began in the late 1990’s. Through SEO, businesses increase revenue with their websites by increasing exposure from the search engines. Google alone produces 3.5 billion search results per day, resulting in tremendous revenue for the companies that achieve a strong search engine presence. Search engines are very volatile and dynamic, changing on a daily basis to help improve the user experience. As the search engines evolve, SEO evolves with it.
How Big is SEO?
How Does SEO Training Work?
SEO works by understanding what the search engines look at to determine which websites best match a search query. Then, manipulating a website as needed to help improve search results. Google looks at over 200 data points to determine search rankings. Search engines continually evolve to provide an ever-improving search result for their users. SEO must evolve with the search engines to remain competitive. Google claims that is makes over 500 search engine ranking changes per year.
How Big is SEO?
Things You Should Be Suspicious Of…
Any discussion of SEO agencies and pricing isn’t complete without a few warnings. To help you guard against indiscriminate SEO agencies with unethical business practices, read and heed. Be suspicious of the following promises:
Guarantees. SEO firms generally can’t provide rankings guarantees; for example, a #1 ranking for some dream keyword. However firms with confidence and experience can feature performance guarantees where some level of success must be demonstrated each month.
Instant results. True, some SEO tactics can get “instant results” by gaming the system. Be warned that these can hurt you in the long run. Instant results often involve SEO practices that are against webmaster guidelines put out by search engines. Invariably, Google seeks out these techniques and penalizes them, resulting in lost rankings that can take months to recover.
#1 spot on Google. If an agency promises you the number one spot on Google, it sounds great. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get it. However, it’s not something that a firm can promise to hand over to you.
Costs lower than $750/month. When it comes to SEO, you aren’t shopping for the lowest price; you’re seeking the best level of service. Be wary of rock bottom prices or unbelievable deals.
Shady link building services. Link building is a crucial part of SEO. You can’t have a highly-ranked site without inbound links. But there’s a dark side of link building. Link trust is gaining importance to appear high in the rankings. Before you enter into an arrangement with an SEO agency for link building services, ensure that their link building services are ethical, white label services. You may even wish to ask them where they may be able to gain links for a business in your industry.
Things to Keep in Mind
SEO takes time. A monthly retainer is best. Think of SEO as a long-term investment. Aggressive campaigns and major pushes may have their place, but the most enduring SEO results come from a long-term relationship. In SEW’s Mark Jackson wrote, “The real value of SEO efforts are, generally, not realized in the first month(s) of the effort.” It’s true. SEOs don’t wave a magic wand and get instant results. Instead, they perform extensive operations that will produce results months down the road.
SEO changes, and your rankings will change, too. The field is full of competitors, and rankings rise and fall with the changing of algorithms and the entrance of new competitors. One-and-done SEO tricks simply don’t work. It takes constant monitoring to keep your website ranking well and performing at top-notch levels.
Not all SEO services are created equal. Again, SEO isn’t about shopping around for the lowest prices. It’s about finding the finest agency you can. Look for an SEO agency that defines its scope of services, and takes the time to educate you.
SEO is important. Do it. The point of your website is to increase and/or improve your business. Unless people are finding your website, it’s not even worth having one. The smart thing is to pay what it takes to keep your site findable by the people who are looking.
Hiring an SEO agency is best. You may be thinking, “Can’t I just do this SEO thing on my own?” A tiny percentage of business owners or professionals have the skill and savvy to do their own SEO. Even so, comprehensive SEO takes way more time than most business owners can afford. Even an employee who “knows a lot about SEO,” will be hard-pressed to deliver the level of services and excellence found in a SEO agency. You’ll rarely come out on top if you try to go it alone, and you’ll never get the same level of ROI that you would with a competent SEO agency.
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