SEO
The time it takes to rank your website depends on a few factors:
■ How competitive your industry is.
■ How competitive the keyword is.
■ How well known your company is in your industry.
■ Whether your website has been penalized by Google before.
■ Whether you have implement bad SEO practices in the past before.
Do Google Maps results count toward my SEO rankings?
Yes. Google SERP is showing different types of results, not just the traditional blue-link results. Google Maps is one of the results you can expect to see for local search queries. So a well optimized Google Maps listing can help you get clicks and walk ins.
Should I invest in SEO or PPC?
It depends on the stage your business is in and what your goals are. If you need to see results fast, it’s usually better to start with PPC channels, like Google ads, Facebook/Instagram ads. If you have the budget and want to stay in the game for the long-term, SEO should be part of your digital marketing strategy now. Generally search engine optimization is a long term, lower cost strategy, while PPC is a more immediate, higher cost strategy.
Why do my rankings fluctuate?
Google constantly update their algorithm to fight poor quality and not-so-relevant results. They are constantly testing these adjustments, establishing whether searchers engage more with these updated selections of websites. While you can expect some fluctuations in your rankings, an effective search engine optimization campaign will help your website increase rankings gradually over time, safe-guarding your site from penalties and dramatic ranking drops.
Why don’t my rankings match what my SEO reports tell me?
Our SEO dashboard updates rankings every 24 hours. Sometimes, there might also be slight differences in rankings because of personalized search results. Google is trying their best to give you results that match what you are looking for, and they take into account various factors such as your search history, interests, location etc. To get a more accurate and objective search result, try searching in Incognito mode.
SEO is an ongoing process, it is not a one-off project. If you are sitting in the 6th position for a popular search term, that’s great. However, there are hundreds of sites below you who want to push you down the ladder. An SEO campaign works to constantly monitor and maintain rankings, responding to fluctuations and changes in algorithm. More importantly, Google likes a website that publishes relevant and quality content frequently.
SEO packages vary in cost depending on the competitiveness of your industry and the amount of work that is required to get your site on the first page. Local, state-wide, national and global campaigns also vary in complexity and price.
Why is SEO worth the investment?
The traffic you get from your SEO rankings is essentially free. Compare that to PPC, where you have to pay for each click, SEO should be part of your long-term marketing strategy.
Why should I outsource my SEO rather than doing it myself?
The team at HOD started doing SEO 12 years ago, way before SEO became a popular digital marketing strategy. The knowledge you need to execute a successful SEO campaign cannot be learnt in a few months. Also, to do good SEO, you need a team of people with different skill sets - SEO, writing, coding, and backlinking. By hiring HOD for your SEO campaign, you’re hiring a team of advanced SEO strategists with different skill sets that can help you achieve solid and sustainable SEO results.
I’ve tried SEO before and it wasn’t effective. What does HOD offer that is different?
It’s not surprising that your SEO campaign did not go well. Most SEO agencies out there are not doing SEO based on the latest best practices. Most importantly, good and safe SEO that is sustainable is not cheap. It takes a lot of work and resources. HOD employs a team of experienced tech strategists who are constantly researching imminent Google algorithm updates and updating our processes to fit Google’s best practices.
What is the difference between SEO and PPC?
SEO is a service which aims to build your website’s authority and propel your site in organic search listings. For every click you get from organic searches, you don’t pay anything, Pay-per-click is an advertising strategy that places your website at the top of Google’s results page, in the paid ads section, and you pay for each click you get.