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What exactly is search engine optimization (SEO)?

Search engine optimization is the practice of guiding the development or redesign of a website so that it will naturally attract visitors through top rankings on the major search engines for targeted search terms and phrases. The process can include a variety of services including: analyzing off-page aspects of a site (elements visible to search engines but not users), such as its underlying code and information architecture that determine its search engine friendliness and crawlability by search engine spiders, applying various techniques to generate quality inbound links pointing to a site and writing search engine optimized copy.

Is SEO really necessary for my website?

Search engines are the most widely used vehicles for generating traffic to websites. In fact, research confirms that more than 90% of Internet users use search engines to find products, services or information (90% of users also click on a result within the first three pages of search results.)  So, unless you created the perfect website solely as an artistic endeavor and you don’t want any more sales, then yes, SEO is a critical component for expanding your online business.

My web developer says that SEO services are included in her fee. Why do I need to pay for additional SEO services?

Web design/development and SEO are two completely different things, although they are closely tied together. Each requires a completely different skill set. The process of SEO requires hours of additional research and specific knowledge that are usually not included as part of a site development contract. (e.g. keyword research using an unskewed, subscription-accessed database, research-based meta tag development, ongoing link building efforts, content development, etc.,) While there are a few development firms that can also develop and engage in long-term optimization services, be cautious of any short-term website development contract that claims to include SEO. While they may be able to design an SEO-friendly site, they probably don’t have the time or skills to provide comprehensive search engine optimization or successful search marketing results.

My website already ranks #1 when I type in my business name. Why do I need SEO services?

While existing customers could find your website by typing in the name of your business, the majority of internet users don’t know the name of your company or website. If you want to attract new customers, you need to optimize your site for the type of search words and phrases people use to find businesses offering the types of products and/or services that your business offers. In other words, SEO helps you target new customers who otherwise wouldn’t find you.

I get emails from companies guaranteeing to get my site ranked on the first page after a single SEO site analysis. They’re so affordable.  Why shouldn’t I try them?

Sure, they may be able to get you ranked for keyword phrases with little competition, but it does you no good to rank #1 for a search phrase that no one actually uses.  Optimizing your pages for keyword phrases that nobody’s searching for won’t attract quality targeted traffic. This is actually one of the oldest tricks in the book for unscrupulous SEO companies. Good SEO requires skilled keyword research and ongoing link building efforts. Success doesn’t occur overnight and anyone who guarantees you first page rankings or an excessively high number of hits is assuredly unethical.

My web presence has definitely improved since optimizing my site, but why do my rankings fluctuate?

Every site owner will, at one time or another, experience a drop in rankings. Sometimes, the best course of action is to do nothing. If the ranking reductions are significant, you can always do a bit of research to try to identify the cause and decide what course of action, if any, needs to be taken. A number of factors can contribute to periodic fluctuations in rankings, including:

Changes to your site. While routine changes to web pages have minimal effect on rankings, major changes such as site re-designs and/or restructuring of site architecture (especially when URL changes are involved), moving or deleting pages, making significant copy changes across your site, and sudden and significant drops or increases in the number of backlinks pointing to your site can result in a dramatic drop in rankings. This is why updates and link building should be done with great care.

Server down time. Search engines won’t let a single instance of inaccessibility affect your rankings, but if your site is down repeatedly when search engine spiders are trying to crawl your pages, your rankings may be affected because they don’t have a way to analyze your site for ranking placement.  A good web host should prevent this from happening.

Competitor challenges.New competitors come online every day. Many of these pages target the same keywords as you. You could be competing not only against new websites and pages, but blogs, info sites, videos, etc. Search engines are on a constant quest to determine which sites are most relevant to any particular search query. Competing businesses can, at any time invest in optimization and link building that helps them gain ranking dominance. Enough of an investment on their part and you may suddenly find yourself at a disadvantage. Your best defense is to build a robust, authoritative site for your industry. Good SEO helps, of course!

Change in search algorithms. Search engines are constantly evolving. Changes are usually compromised of small, subtle changes that affect how certain ranking factors are weighted and scored. Sometimes, however, changes can be pretty drastic and result in a major upheaval of search results across the board. Google, for example, recently changed their algorithm to give bigger recognized brands more weight.

Geotargeting and personalization skewing. Search engines serve up different results to different users based on factors such as geographical location and personalized search. So, you could end up with different ranking results when you search for something in one city, than a colleague who searches for the same product or service in another city. Google and Yahoo know what a user has searched for in the past. So, if, for example, you’ve leaned toward a specific branded retailer in past searches, Google will skew future searches giving that retailer a position advantage.

Ultimately, all the high rankings in the world won’t matter if they don’t increase your revenues. So, rather than obsessing over rankings, try to focus on conversions and sales – those are much better measures of a successful website.

How long will it take to get my SEO report?

That depends on the type of service and/or package you require. Once we receive your SEO inquiry, you will be contacted by phone or email to discuss your specific needs, determine which of our website optimization services or packages will work best for you, and establish a timeline. A keyword and competition brainstorming session (via phone or in-person consultation) is the first step in the process. Once that is completed, depending on the depth of work that the service you purchased requires, you can expect your report within two weeks to 30 days. An in-person consultation will be scheduled after you’ve had time to review your completed report so that we can answer any questions either you or your web developer may have.

Will WESST make the changes on my website?

WESST does not implement the recommended changes to your website ourselves. We are SEO consultants that provide you with a specific strategy for long-term solutions versus actual implementation of that strategy. Either you or your web developer will need to make the changes that we recommend.

When can I expect to see results?

Once the recommended changes have been implemented, it can take between 4 weeks to several months to see results, depending on the search engine, the age of your site, and the extent of changes made to your site. Often, changes can take a year to have an impact—especially if your site is brand new. Results for new sites in Yahoo and MSN usually take less than three months. Also, if the marketplace is highly competitive for your product or service, it may take longer to see significant results regardless of the search engine. If your industry is extremely competitive, you may need to invest in some Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, such as Google Adwords, to help jumpstart your site’s visibility while it ages and your on and off-page optimization efforts have time to take effect.

How does social media relate to SEO and how can I use it market my online business?

One of the most important factors in achieving good search engine rankings is the number of quality inbound links to a site. Since social media is one of the most powerful (and increasingly most popular) ways to generate inbound links, it is closely tied to SEO as a tool for marketing your business online. Does your business have a blog? Have you set up a Facebook profile for yourself or your business? Do you write original articles for Digg or vote on articles you like? Do you bookmark favorite sites in Delicious? You will need to get familiar with these sites if you don’t want to get left behind. WESST can help you leverage the power of social media to market your business or personal brand. (Refer to this article for more information about social media marketing.)

What qualifies WESST to provide SEO consultation?

WESST is well regarded within New Mexico’s economic development community and has a reputation for integrity and innovation. Since its inception 20 years ago, WESST has been deeply committed to growing New Mexico economy by cultivating entrepreneurship. WESST employees are equally dedicated to staying on top of the latest trends and strategies to help their clients achieve success. The WESST SEO program was born out of a desire to share what WESST has learned about SEO methodology and to offer its services at below-market rates so that more New Mexico small businesses can reap the benefits of SEO.