SEO Services Los Angeles (FreshSEO) CEO, Justin Lofton, did a presentation on search engine optimization basics for General Assembly.
Fresh SEO Company Los Angeles provides search engine strategies and solutions for businesses located in the Los Angeles area. Check out this SEO report to learn more about how you can market your brand and website using search engine optimization services.
2. AGENDA
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
Understanding Your Market
3.
User Experience Drives SEO & Conversions
4.
Creating Killer Content
5.
Driving Influence & Relevance
6.
Expanding Your Influence
7.
‣
How SEO Has Changed
Refining What s Working
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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3. INTRODUCTION
Let s Review The Facts…
‣
‣
16.7% = Microsoft Search Market Share (Bing)
‣
11.6% = Yahoo! Search Market Share (Bing)
‣
‣
67.5% = Google s Search Market Share
The rest don t matter (AOL & Ask)
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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4. MORE Facts
Organic Search = Traffic
‣
‣
86% of web searchers trust organic SEO listings
more than sponsored/paid PPC listings.
‣
‣
85% of clicks resulting from a search are on the
organic results rather than the paid ads.
The 1st, 2nd & 3rd organic positions deliver 61% of
the traffic from organic search
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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5. MORE Facts
DESKTOP Search hits all time
high…(March 2013)
‣
‣
Despite MASSIVE growth in mobile search
‣
Despite Large Adoption of Tablets
‣
‣
20+ Billion Searches Per Month
The Search Pie is Growing Rapidly
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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6. Other Important Facts
Buyers love Search…
61% of global Internet users research
products online. (Interconnected World)
‣
41% of online shoppers begin by using
a search engine. (Interconnected World)
‣
57% of TV viewers use the web
simultaneously. (Nielson)
‣
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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7. Introduction to SEO
1. How Has SEO
Changed?
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
8. 1. How Has SEO Changed?
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
New Signals Are Needed To Win
3.
Authority Means More Today
4.
Relevance Creates Authority
5.
‣
The Machine Is Smarter
Your Visitor Is Priority #1
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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9. 1. How Has SEO Changed?
The Machine is Smarter
•
•
Engaging Content Is A Must
•
‣
Science + Art = Success
Social Signals Play A Critical Role
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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10. 1. How Has SEO Changed?
New Signals Are Needed To Win
Old Signals
‣ Links
= votes (some more important than others)
‣ Content
= relevancy & builds PageRank
‣ PageRank
= Google s algorithm backbone
New Signals
‣ Social
Media = FB, +1, Rel Author, Twitter, etc)
‣ Authority
(Co-citation, Branded Anchors, Direct Traffic)
‣ Engagement
(Page speed, time on site, bounce rate)
‣ SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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11. 1. How Has SEO Changed?
Authority Means More Today
What Determines Authority?
1. Rel=Author
2. Direct
Traffic (Chrome, Gmail, Analytics)
3. Co-citations
4. Branded
(Is your brand name in content?)
Anchors Text
5. Relevancy
‣
(Post Penguin 2.0)
Creates Authority
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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12. 1. How Has SEO Changed?
Relevancy Creates Authority
Become more relevant to your niche and
authority with search engines will improve…
• Acquire
links from industry/topically related
websites (directories, associations, citation
websites)
• Organize
• Use
website content (create silos)
Rel=Author to create engagement and
conversation in your industry or with your
customers
‣ SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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13. 1. How Has SEO Changed?
Example of Rel=Author
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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14. 1. How Has SEO Changed?
Your Visitor is Priority #1
Focus on improving these key performance
indicators (KPIs)
‣ Time
on site
‣ Bounce
‣ Page
rate
speed / page size
These elements also lead to higher conversions!
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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15. Introduction to SEO
2. Understanding Your
Market
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
16. 2. Understanding Your Market
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
Who Are Your Competitors?
3.
Who Is Searching For You?
4.
What Is The Language of Your Market?
5.
‣
What Keywords Are Driving Traffic & Sales?
What Is The Market Asking About?
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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17. 2. Understanding Your Market
What Keywords Are Driving Traffic
& Sales?
•
Google Keyword Planner
•
SEMrush
•
Suggestions
‣
‣
Yahoo
‣
Bing
‣
‣
Google
Amazon
‣ eBay
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18. 2. Understanding Your Market
Google s Keyword Planner
•
•
Go to “Keyword Ideas” tab
•
‣
Brainstorm 5 to 10 broad
keywords in your market
Export all to CSV for easy
management
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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19. 2. Understanding Your Market
SEMrush s Keyword DATA
•
•
Grab main keywords
•
Add those back into
SEMrush
•
‣
Use your website first
Add all of those related
keywords to your CSV
from Google keyword tool
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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20. 2. Understanding Your Market
Google Suggestions
•
•
Grab all keywords
•
‣
Also use UberSuggest.org
Add all of those suggestion
keywords to your CSV
from Google keyword tool
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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21. 2. Understanding Your Market
Other Suggestion Data
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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22. 2. Understanding Your Market
Putting it together
•
•
Focus on relevancy to your
product or service
•
‣
Identify 5 to 10 Core
Keywords
Organize keywords so that
you have 20 to 50
keywords in each Core
Keyword grouping
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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23. 2. Understanding Your Market
Who Are Your Competitors?
Search Competitors
‣ Use
keyword research to identify 5 to 10 Core Keywords and 10 main
competitors that rank well for your those Core Keywords
Non-Search Competitors
‣ These
‣
could be offline or from Pay Per Click
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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24. 2. Understanding Your Market
Who Is Searching For You?
1.
2.
Use Google analytics data to understand
from what countries, states and cities are
driving your web traffic and sales
3.
‣
Use Alexa.com demographic data to
understand who is searching and visiting
your website and your competitors website
Combine this data with your sales data and
build persona(s) for your ideal prospects
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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25. 2. Understanding Your Market
What Is The Language of Your Market?
Step 1. Review Organic Search Results &
Content
‣ What
type of content and information is
ranking in the top 10 results of Google?
‣ What
messaging are those search
competitors using in their content?
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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26. 2. Understanding Your Market
What Is The Language of Your Market?
Step 2. Review PPC Ad Text & Landing
Pages
‣ What
words are used to drive the clicks?
‣ What
are the calls to action on the
landing pages?
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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27. 2. Understanding Your Market
What Is The Language of Your Market?
Step 3. Put The Information Together = Formula
for Success
‣ What
content type will engage your visitors?
‣ What
benefits are the rest of the competitors
using in their text?
‣ What
calls to action align well with your products
and sales funnel?
‣ SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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28. 2. Understanding Your Market
What Is The Market Asking About?
Yahoo Answers
‣ Search
for your Core Keywords
‣ What
questions are people consistently
asking?
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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29. 2. Understanding Your Market
What Is The Market Asking About?
Amazon
‣ Search
‣ Find
your keywords
top selling books (they rank at the
top)
‣ Read
titles, back of book & table of
contents
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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30. Introduction to SEO
3. User Experience Drives SEO
& Conversions
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
31. 3. User Experience Drives SEO
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
Use of Facial Imagery
3.
A Clear Call to Action
4.
Clear Messaging
5.
‣
Trust Elements
Use Testimonials
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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32. 32
3. User Experience Drives SEO
Questions Running Through The Consumer s Mind
During The Purchase Process…
•
•
Am I Making The Right Choice?
•
Is This All I Need?
•
Is This The Right Version?
•
What If It Doesn't Work?
•
Will It Take A Lot Of Time?
•
Can I Afford It?
•
Is It Easy To Use?
•
‣
Is It Right For Me?
What Will My Friends, Family & Peers Say?
•
Do I Know Enough About The Company
That's Selling It To Me?
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
33. 3. User Experience Drives SEO
Trust Elements That Work
Small Things Build Big Trust…
‣ Better
Business Bureau
‣ Secure
Checkout Images
‣ Guarantees
‣ Associations
‣ Credit
Card Images
‣ Mentions
‣
/ Featured On
‣
SEOClient Logos Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
Company Los
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34. 3. User Experience Drives SEO
Use of Facial Imagery
People Connect With People, Not Websites
‣ Align
‣ Let
With Ideal Prospects
Imagery Tell The Story
‣ Make
Sure Visitors See Eyes
‣ Show
The Emotions of Pain & Pleasure
‣ Use
‣
In The Fold All The Time
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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35. 3. User Experience Drives SEO
A Clear Call to Action
Keep it simple and tell them what to do…
‣ Minimize
‣ Make
Number of Calls to Action
Sure Buttons Look Like Buttons
‣ Use
Full Phone Number
‣ Use
Contrasting Colors
‣ Motivate
‣
With Benefits
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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36. 3. User Experience Drives SEO
Clear Messaging
Simple
‣ One
Idea Per Page
‣ Focus
‣ So
On Outcomes
What Test
‣ Use
Big Headlines
‣ Motivate
With Benefits
‣ SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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37. 3. User Experience Drives SEO
Use Testimonials
Build Credibility & Trust
‣ Align
With Ideal Prospects
‣ Keep
Them Short
‣ Use
Facial Imagery
‣ Videos
‣ Use
‣
Are Great Too
Throughout Sales Funnel
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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38. Introduction to SEO
4. Creating Killer Content
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
39. 4. Creating Killer Content
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
Killer Content Ideas
3.
Where Is The Low Hanging Fruit?
4.
Epic Headlines
5.
‣
Why Does Killer Content Always Win?
Optimizing Your Killer Content
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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40. 4. Creating Killer Content
Why Does Killer Content Always Win?
Who Ever Holds The Attention Wins
‣ It
Builds MASSIVE Trust
‣ It
Naturally Gets Shared
‣ Google
Gets The Signals It Wants
‣ It
‣ It
‣
Creates Conversation
Sets You Apart From Your Competition
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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41. 41
4. Creating Killer Content
Killer Content Ideas
‣ Videos
(instructional,
entertaining, demonstration)
‣ Slide
Shows (imagery,
instruction, Top X Lists)
‣ Mind
Mapping (unique
diagrams, charts)
‣ Flow
Charts
‣ Interviews
‣
(audio, video or text)
‣ Articles
That Educate
‣ Infographics
(graphics that
educate)
‣ Reports
‣ Free
That Educate
Tools
‣ Calculators
‣ Webinars
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
42. 4. Creating Killer Content
Where is The Low Hanging Fruit?
It s Easier Than You Think…
‣ Leverage
‣ Video
Is The King & Costs Are Reasonable
‣ Answer
‣ Push
Assets You Already Have
The Questions In The Market
Through All Channels
‣ Consistently
‣
Create Content
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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43. 4. Creating Killer Content
Epic Headlines
Use These Resources For Success…
• 101
Headline Formulas (Google it)
• PopURLs.com
• Digg.com
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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44. 4. Creating Killer Content
Optimize Your Killer Content
Google Still Loves Text…
• Core
of Google s Algorithm
• Books
= Evergreen Content
• Newspapers
• Clear
Headlines & Sub-Headlines
• Engaging
• LOTS
‣
= Blogging
Images and/or Video
of Text!!!
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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45. 4. Creating Killer Content
Optimize Your Killer Content
Let s Cover The Technical Stuff…
• META
Title – Lead With Keyword(s), End With
Benefits, Get Attention – 57 to 67 Characters max
• META
Description – Use Core & Secondary
Keywords, Reinforce Benefits – 140 Characters max
• META
• URL
‣
Keywords – Not Needed
– Include Your Keyword
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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46. 4. Creating Killer Content
Optimize Your Killer Content
What You Need To Do…
• Big
Attention-Getting Headline With Main
Keyword (H1 a must, H2 & H3 optional)
• Engaging
Image or Video (name your image or
video with secondary keyword)
• 600
to 1200 words of text (break it up with
bulleted and numbered lists & imagery)
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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47. Introduction to SEO
5. Driving Influence &
Relevancy
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
48. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
Directories That Matter
3.
Press Release Syndication
4.
Social Media Marketing
5.
Blogging Strategy
6.
‣
Competitive Link Analysis
Are You A Local Business?
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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49. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
Competitive Link Analysis
Hangout In Their Neighborhood…
• Use
MajesticSEO or OpenSiteExplorer
• Find
Websites Linking to 2 or More of Your
Competitors (industry hubs)
• These
Links Drive Relevance & Are Easier To
Acquire
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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50. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
Directories That Matter
They Still Mean A Lot…
• DMOZ
– Submit & Wait
• Yahoo
Directory – $299 Per Year
• Starting
• Best
‣
Point - $99 Per Year
of The Web - $299 Lifetime
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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51. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
Press Release Syndication
Yes They Work…Still
• PRWeb,
• Links
from Authority Websites
• Anchor
Text Relevancy
• Branded
• Media
‣
PRLeap, PRNewsWire
Mentions
Exposure
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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52. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
Social Media Marketing
Where Does Your Crowd Hang Out?
• 3
Must-Haves – Facebook, Twitter, Google+
• YouTube
now Social
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Tumblr
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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53. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
Social Media Marketing
I Thought This Was About SEO…?
• Linking
• Links
To Authority Websites
From Authority Websites
• Virality
Creates More Links
• Branded
Mentions Create Authority
• Consistency
Creates Both Influence &
Relevance
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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54. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
Blogging Strategy
Quality & Consistency is Key…
• Start
Out At Least Once Per Week
• Work
• Show
Social Buttons
• Allow
Others To Guest Blog
• 500+
‣
Up To Once Per Business Day
Words (no thin pages)
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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55. 5. Driving Influence & Relevancy
Are You A Local Business?
Google+ Is Your Friend…
• Claim
Your Google+ Local Listing
• Create
Local & National Citations
• Proactively
‣
Gather Positive Reviews
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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56. Introduction to SEO
6. Expanding Your
Influence
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
57. 6. Expanding Your Influence
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
Leverage Channels That Rank
3.
‣
Building Social Proof
Web Property Link Acquisition
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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58. 6. Expanding Your Influence
Building Social Proof
Google Top 10 Positions Are Beach Front
Property…
• Post
Penguin 2.1 – Now Displaying More URL
Diversity
• Push
Competitors Off The First Page
• When
‣
All Roads Lead To You…You Win!!!
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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59. 6. Expanding Your Influence
Leverage Channels That Rank
Some Properties Are Always There…
• Approx
• Short
70+ post Penguin 2.1
List
•
•
Tumblr
•
YouTube
•
Flickr
•
LinkedIn
•
Reddit
•
‣
Facebook
Blogger
•
Yahoo Answers
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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60. 6. Expanding Your Influence
Web Property Link Acquisition
Create A Web of Authority…
• Interlink
• Make
• Lead
• Use
It Easy For Visitors
Them Home
Branded & Keyword Anchors
• People
‣
Your Newly Created Properties
Searching Won t Have A Choice
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61. Introduction to SEO
7. Refine What s
Working
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
62. 7. Refine What s Working
What We Will Cover…
1.
2.
Follow The Momentum
3.
‣
KPIs That Matter
Wrap Up The Entire Market
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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63. 7. Refine What s Working
KPIs That Matter
What Ultimately Affects The Bottom Line…
• Leads
& Sales (set up goals)
• Rankings?
• Traffic
(overall)
• Referral
Traffic (beach front property)
• Engagement
– Time on site, bounce rate,
social signals
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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64. 7. Refine What s Working
Follow The Momentum
Make The Strong, Stronger…
• Focus
on Core Keyword Campaigns That Are
Increasing Leads & Sales
• Add
More Content On Those Topics
• Make
More Videos Related To Those
Campaigns
• Test
Content Types on Keywords That Are
Converting
‣
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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65. 7. Refine What s Working
Wrap Up The Market
All Ships Rise With The Tide…
• Remarketing
• Pay
Per Click – Search, Social & YouTube
• Affiliate
‣
– Search & Social
Marketing – Open New Channels
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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68. Bonus…
What We Will Cover…
•
•
Questions You Should Be Asking
•
‣
Frequently Asked Questions
Unbiased Answers - I ll do my best J
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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69. Bonus…
69
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
2.
How Much Time Will My Staff Have To Work On This?
3.
‣
How Long Does It Take To See Results From Search Engine
Optimization Efforts?
Our Competitors Are Way Ahead of Us Should We Invest In Another
Channel?
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
70. Bonus…
1. How Long Does It Take To See Results From Search
Engine Optimization Efforts?
•
•
It depends on the market and competition
•
It depends on the starting point
•
We often do see results within weeks
•
‣
I always tell clients that 3 months is a reasonable expectation
A long term outlook is critical – Think mutual fund investing vs day
trading (PPC)
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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71. Bonus…
2. How Much Time Will My Staff Need To
Work On This?
•
•
‣
The first 4 to 8 weeks are critical to getting SEO campaigns launched
After the setup period you will only need to approve ongoing content
creation and other changes that might be necessary to the website
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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72. Bonus…
72
3. Our Competitors Are Way Ahead of Us. Should We
Invest In Another Channel?
•
•
Most of your competitors will have large holes in their strategy so you
can take advantage of that and close in on them quickly
•
‣
At the end of the day, organic search will deliver the highest ROI
compared to other marketing channels
All channels are working together in today s marketplace so you need
to be there
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
73. Bonus…
Questions You Should Be Asking When
Choosing A SEO Agency
1.
Why Are Your SEO Services So Cheap?
2.
Why Do I Need To Sign A Contract?
3.
Do You Have Recent Case Studies & References?
4.
What Content Do We Have Available That Isn t On Our Website?
5.
How Can We Start Making Videos To Use In Our Marketing Efforts?
6.
Can I Handle SEO With In-House Staff Alone?
What Are The Biggest SEO Traps?
‣ SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
7.
73
74. Bonus…
1. Why Are Your SEO Services
So Cheap?
•
•
These price points are common for link builders or website
optimizers
•
‣
If you are being offered SEO services for $300 or less then you will
likely see no results
SEO should incorporate detailed market and keyword research,
website optimization, content creation, link acquisition and social
engagement strategies
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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75. Bonus…
75
2. Why Do I Need to Sign A Contract?
•
•
You need the ability to switch to another SEO partner if they are not
producing results
•
‣
Look for providers that will deliver services month-to-month or give you
a 3 month trial period before signing a longer term contract.
In today s market the nimble win. Waiting for a contract to end can
cost you far more than the cost of the contract itself
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
76. Bonus…
76
3. Do You Have Recent Case Studies &
References?
•
•
Make sure the proof is recent – due to ongoing Google updates
(Panda, Penguin, Penguin 2.0, etc) you need to know they are still
producing results
•
‣
Make sure you see proof of the SEO providers work
You should be able to contact current clients to get some comfort that
you are committing to a SEO partner that has what it takes to win
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
77. Bonus…
77
4. What Content Do We Have Available That Isn t
On Our Website?
•
•
‣
Have you created content for offline use that could be put online? –
pamphlets, books, articles for magazines, instruction manuals, reports,
testimonials, videos
You can catch to competitors much quicker if you try and leverage
assets you already have available to you
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
78. Bonus…
5. How Can We Start Making Videos To Use In Our
Marketing Efforts?
•
•
Low production videos perform better on the Internet
•
‣
Video should be a cornerstone of your content creation
How do we turn text based content into video content?
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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79. Bonus…
6. Can I Handle SEO With In-House Staff Alone?
•
•
The talented folks that are available demand big salaries and need
additional personnel to fully deploy and manage campaigns
•
You basically need a team to address on-page optimization, content
creation, link acquisition and social media
•
‣
In today s market it is very difficult to find talented people that
understand every element of search engine optimization
The ROI is typically much bigger when using a SEO partner that
delivers results, compared to hiring in-house staff
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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80. Bonus…
7. What are the biggest seo traps?
•
•
Worrying about Google penalizing your website
•
Being overly concerned with optimizing website content
•
Thinking you will see overnight results from SEO efforts
•
‣
Paying too much attention to the SEO industry chatter
Staring at SEO rankings on a daily basis
SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
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