The Sparks Solution Small Business Technology Solutions
Did you know Google no longer displays more than 1 page of results? Do you know how long ago they made that change?
………
Ok, so they really didn’t make that change, they still display all 437,521 pages of results for your search, but how many of you were getting ready to check Google to see if that was true? That really proves the point of how important Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is and how Google holds the keys to unlocking more traffic for your business.
SEO is not new but more clients seem to be asking for specific SEO work when we talk to them about redesigning or building a new website. They ask questions like:
Can you guarantee me the number one slot?
What searches will we come up on when you are done with the site?
SEO is included in the price of the redesign, right?
I am writing this post to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive, since we get asked this so many times, maybe it will help if we start posting some answers for you all.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and the only reason you should you concern yourself with SEO is if you are interested in showing up on any of the search engines when people search for specific keywords.
One example: Here at The Sparks Solution, we were not interested in being found by anyone as we slowly grew the business part time. When we transitioned to full time in 2014, we implemented targeted SEO to better align our company with other web design firms here in Des Moines. The results have been fantastic and improve each week for us.
The quick answer to this question is No. If anyone guarantees your placement in a search engine without paying for ads, they are simply lying to you. We work with you on defining what keywords and phrases you want to rank high on Google for, and then tailor your content around those words.
Examples:
ElizabethErinDesigns on phrase Home Staging: #6 out of 18,500,000 results
ElizabethErinDesigns on phrase Home Staging Des Moines: #1 out of 66,200 results
McCargarWorks on phrase Snow Removal Des Moines: #3 out of 177,000 results
DoOverz is a newer client and they did not any pages that showed up in search results. We redesigned their site, implemented ongoing SEO changes and have moved from unranked to #3 out of 144,000 results. This was a remarkable change in a short 2 months. Google also brings up their profile on the right hand side when searched from Des Moines.
This is a difficult questions to answer. What we tell clients is that you should be moving each week, preferably up but some weeks you may move down a bit based on changes made. The point is that you should be checking and adjusting each week and you, as clients, should be given reports that show the movement over time so you understand what you are paying for.
You can absolutely do SEO yourself. Now with that said, you need to understand all of the components that go into your ranking, both on screen and behind the scenes with code. There are some wonderful tools out there to help you conquer this task including Google Analytics for some reporting.
I would feel bad if I didn’t recommend that you should be spending your time running your business, not understanding the ins and outs of SEO. This concept is what has propelled The Sparks Solution forward over the last 12 months with force… We are your IT department that you always wanted, but didn’t think you could afford.
This will vary based on the requirements from you. I am comfortable saying that we start at $50 per month and keep that plan for 12 months, formally reevaluating your entire internet presence at the end of 12 months. We are in constant communication with you over 12 months and we make adjustments weekly to the site but do a more formal review at the end of 12 months.
I would love if you shared this post with anyone that could use this information and please reach out to The Sparks Solution for a free quote on all of your SEO needs!
