Frequently Asked Questions About SEO, Answered.

by Kaitlynn Tovar |

February 22, 2023

Are you a business owner looking at implementing some digital marketing into your current business plan? If so, then you’ve likely looked into SEO already. However, unless you are an expect in all things SEO, then you likely have some questions. We’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions about SEO and provided our answers below.

1. What Is SEO?

Let’s start with the basics. What even is SEO? SEO stands for “search engine optimization”, otherwise commonly known as “organic search.” SEO is the process of developing pages and content that show up on Google search engine results, preferably at the top of the first page.

2. How Much Does Search Engine Optimization Cost?

This is probably one of the top questions businesses ask. While many small businesses spend anywhere from $300 to $2,000 a month on average, the cost of SEO really depends on a few things: your budget, the marketing agency you hired, your goals, and more. If you work with the right person who knows how to get results and help you reach your goals, SEO can be extremely worth it and have a good return on investment (ROI).

3. How Long Until I Start To See Results?

SEO is more of a long-term marketing strategy. Results will take time. But a good SEO strategy gets more effective over time. Factors like competitor analysis, link building, the effectiveness of web content, algorithm changes, and the time needed to gather data to make impactful pivots all play a part in building the foundation of a successful SEO campaign.

4. How Does SEO Get My Business Customers?

A good SEO strategy ensures the growth of your website’s authority, so potential customers can find you organically. Without a good SEO strategy in place, your website might not rank on the first page of Google search results. Roughly 75% of users won’t ever scroll beyond the first page of Google search results, according to imFORZA. If your customers can’t find your website, then you’ll likely lose them to your competitors who do show up on the first page.

5. How Can I Improve My SEO Rankings?

There are a few ways you can improve your SEO rankings, including:

  • Get high-quality backlinks:

If you have backlinks that point to your website, that’s a huge indicator to Google that your site is share-worthy and authoritative. They signal to Google that other sources have found your content valuable enough to link to it within their own content. You also want to make sure these backlinks are relevant and come from good sources. Never pay for these. If you are asked to pay, it’s a huge red flag.

  • Produce high-quality content:
To increase traffic to your site, you need to give visitors a reason to keep coming back. That being said, your content needs to be high quality, relevant, and up-to-date. Optimize your existing content and update it regularly to rank well on search engine results.
  • Improve your page load speed:
If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, you may be losing people! A website that is too slow to load will be recognized by Google, and it’ll harm your SEO standing. It will also impact the way people engage with your pages. Make sure your website is quick to load to improve your SEO rankings. Some ways to improve your site speed include: delete old plugins, clean up your code, optimize and compress images, reduce redirects, leverage browser caching, and improve server response time. 
  • Optimize your site for mobile devices:
Mobile use is on the rise. Most of your customers are using their cell phones to access your website, to contact you, and to do all their internet research. To ensure you don’t lose customers, you want to make sure your site is mobile-friendly. In fact, 63% of Google’s organic search traffic comes from mobile devices. That being said, your website needs to be optimized for mobile users – no if’s, and’s, or but’s! Google recognizes whether or not your website is mobile-friendly and ranks your site accordingly. Spoiler alert: they will not rank your site high if it’s not mobile-friendly! 

6. Does My Business Need SEO?

Short answer is yes. Every business needs SEO. If you’re able to get your website to rank high on search engines, then you will be able to benefit from more website traffic. According to Search Engine Land, about 53% of website traffic comes from organic search. That being said, it’s extremely important to rank your website. Investing in SEO is a must and foundation to any effective online marketing strategy. Here are the top reasons why:
  • Gets you more website visitors
  • Builds trust and credibility amongst your customers
  • Provides a better user experience
  • Increases engagement and conversions
  • It’s relatively inexpensive
  • It’s a long-term strategy
  • Your competition is doing it
  • It impacts the buying cycle

7. Should I Do SEO or PPC?

Both SEO and PPC provide potential for your small business. The best marketing strategy you can have involves a healthy combination of the two. More often than not, they work together to drive business and sales – and create the best results when used hand-in-hand. There is really not a one-size-fits-all approach to deciding whether to focus more of your time on SEO, PPC, or both. Each business has different needs, budgets and goals – and both SEO and PPC work in different ways to help your business grow.

8. How Can I Create A Successful SEO Strategy?

You should plan to hire a professional marketing agency that understands SEO to the fullest, and can help you create a strategy that will be successful for your business. Here are some tips to creating a successful SEO strategy, though:

  • Use effective, relevant keywords
  • Make sure your campaign is mobile-friendly
  • Write high-quality content and optimize it
  • Make sure your website is secure and loads quickly
  • Use meta descriptions, alt tags, and title tags
  • Improve the user experience with your structured URL

9. What Are “Keywords” and What Is Keyword Research?

If you’ve ever talked to an SEO professional, then you’ve probably heard the term “keyword” a time or two. A keyword itself is the word (or phrase) that a person might search for online when trying to find out information, products, or services. For example, if you’re looking for an electrician in your area, you might type in terms like “electrician near me” or “electrician.” Those would be considered keywords. Keyword research, on the other hand, is the process in which you research certain terms and phrases that people are typing into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. When it comes to keyword research, SEO professionals want to figure out the most important keywords (or rather phrases) your target audience is using when searching online so you can rank on SERPs (search engine results pages) for those specific keywords.

10. How Do I Get Started With Search Engine Optimization?

Unless you are well-versed in SEO, it can be difficult to create a successful SEO strategy without the help of a professional. Unfortunately, you could actually hurt your SEO rankings if you attempt to DIY. Search engine optimization is complex, the rules are always changing, and mistakes – no matter how big or small – can be very costly.  To get started, do some research on companies that specialize in search engine optimization. That way, you can ensure it’s done right the first time and get back to focusing on your business.

Need to hire an SEO pro? Look no further. Get in touch with our team at VitalStorm. Call us today at 877-311-5695 or visit more of our marketing tips here.