Frequently asked questions about Search
Engine Placement, Traffic Generation, and what we do
Q: What is Search Engine Optimization?
A: This is commonly referred to as SEO. Simply put, it means that your page will
have codes and content added to it to make it search engine friendly. The search engines
use robots, also called spiders, that go through the code on your page and decide whether
it meets the rules set up for that search engine. If it does, then your page will be
listed. If it doesn't, then the spider crawls on to the next site. Understand that the
spider can't see the pretty pictures and great design layout that you have spent so much
time and/or resources on... it is only the code and the content of your pages that matter.
Q: Why do I need to be in the search engines?
A: Approximately 90% of people who find you will do it through the search
engines. If you are not listed, or if you are not high enough on the list, you will miss
out on all that traffic. To increase your traffic, and your visitors (i.e. potential
customers) you need to be listed, and listed correctly.
Q: What does it mean to be listed correctly in the search engines? Isn't it
enough to just be in them?
A: Just being listed is definitely not enough. If you sell books, for example,
and you submit your site to the search engine and verify that you are listed, but don't
make sure that you have been listed correctly, you probably won't come up in a search.
There are thousands of other book sites on the web... you need to get the search engines
to notice you so that you will be one of the sites people can find. There is a right way
and a wrong way to submit a site, and the content of the site itself and the way it is put
together will affect the listing as well.
Q: Won't the search engines eventually find me?
A: Possibly, but probably not. If your site is only on the web to show off your
pets, then maybe that is fine for you. But if you need or want people to find you, then
you need to be submitted properly to the search engines. This is especially important for
business sites.
Q: How do I find out how much traffic is currently coming to my site?
A: Talk to your hosting service, or the person or company that put your site
together. There should be a built-in tracking system. If there is not, then you need to
find out why, and possibly move to another location. You need to look at the total visits
per day and month and the total hits. Hopefully, it will also provide you with a lot more
information, but this varies from company to company.
Q: What kind of traffic should I be getting?
A: That depends on the purpose of your site. Your goal should be to saturate your
target market with your presence. You want to be the listing that stands out in the search
engine, and the site people will remember for its content. This may mean you need 1000
visitors a month, or 10,000, or 100,000 visitors. It has been our experience that as
visitors increase, so do sales. So if you have a business site, are you selling all you
can? If not, you probably either need more traffic, a better organized site, or both.
Q: Can I do all of this myself?
A: You very well may be able to do what we do. We have spent many, many hours
researching which search engines are best, what their rules are (what will make them
accept or drop a site) and how to optimize webpages. If you designed your own site and set
it up, then you can do some research, learn what we have learned, and add the necessary
codes and content to your pages. Then it is just a matter of making sure you keep up with
all the changes they make. Most people would rather hire us to do the work for them and maintain
their listings so that they do not lose their ranking because the rules changed.
Q: I like the way my site looks now, will it change?
A: The look of your site does not have to change, but when you learn why we do
what we do, you may want to modify it some. If your site has a lot of information and is
easy to navigate, then the look probably will not change at all. Even if it isn't
currently in that condition, we can often add what needs to be added and preserve the
overall look of the site. There are ways to preserve it intact and just add extra pages to
do what needs to be done as well. However, some of our customers have asked us to do an
overhaul on their site, and have been very pleased with the results.
Q: I have a terrible site, can you redo the entire thing?
A: We are able to revamp your entire site. To do this, we will need to research
your subject, business, or products. We will then rebuild the site from the ground up,
optimizing each page as we go. Contact us for a quote.
Q: What kind of information should I have on my site?
A: You should have as much information about your subject as possible, and it
should be easy to navigate. If your visitors can't get around, they probably will not be
back. And that is not what you want.
Q: What do you do for your customers?
A: We have several different services. We optimize web sites for search engines,
submit the sites, and maintain the listings and the sites themselves. We have also
overhauled sites, and built entire sites from scratch.
Q: How do I know if I need your services?
A: If your web site traffic is exploding and you have all the business you can
handle -- congratulations! You don't need our services. If business and traffic are less
than you would like, you might want to think about hiring us. Take our quiz
to find out.
Q: Bottom line... how much do you charge?
A: That really depends on what you want us to do. We have a standard rate
schedule for optimization and submission. Any services you would like that are not on our pricing page will need a customized quote.
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