search engine optimization faqs Can you make me number one on Google? Well, that really all depends. Ranking #1 in Google for very competitive keywords will take an immense amount of time, effort and work (and numerous other factors come into play such as age of domain, competition's optimization, inbound links, etc.) However, we will sit down and come up with realistic keywords to target in Google. It is reasonable to rank well in Google for longer tail, more focused keywords. Give us a call and we will see what we can do for you. The guy down the street said he could guarantee first page ranking on Google… Can you? No, first page ranking on Google is not something that we can guarantee to any client (and is something nobody else should be guaranteeing either in our opinion). Due to the competitive nature and constant altering of the search engines, Aztek cannot guarantee first page rankings that will last forever. What we can guarantee is that we will build you a website with high quality code, keyword rich pages, strong content structure and all of the necessary SEO so your site has a better change at ranking well in the search engines. There is a blog with disparaging remarks about me/my company… can Aztek help me to stop them from showing up in Google? There are a number of ways to approach this problem and Aztek can assist you in making sure that these disparaging remarks do not show up on the first page of Google results. These strategies could include: contacting the blog if the post is indeed slanderous, create new content for your site optimized for your company name, etc. The main goal is to create as many new listings and content as possible to be picked up by the major search engines. How much does search engine optimization cost? There is no set price for SEO. The cost of search engine optimization will depend on the scale of the project, ongoing efforts, strategy creation, reporting, etc. Basic SEO is part of every website design or re-design project. However, ongoing optimization- such as content additions, regular updates and link building- is critical to a site's performance in the search engines. Creating an SEO plan and assisting with an ongoing SEO strategy will be priced on a case by case basis. How can I get more traffic to my website? There are a number of ways to increase traffic to your website. The tactics chosen will depend on a number of different factors including a client's budget, commitment and overall strategy. Some ways to increase traffic include: increased natural search traffic through a SEO campaign, paid search traffic by running an Adwords or other paid search campaign, advertise online using banner ads, launch an email marketing campaign, include offline marketing tactics, getting inbound links from other relevant websites, etc. Can you help me choose a good domain name? Yes. Aztek has all of the experience and tools to help you choose a good domain name or name(s) for your website. Can I have more than one domain name pointing to my website? Yes. Aztek can help you choose these domain names as well as set up all of the necessary redirects for these domains. Is SEO included in a website redesign? Yes, basic SEO is included in a website redesign. This includes: extensive keyword research, content audit, in-depth page analysis, page/file/directory naming convention, optimization of all site pages and content within, unique and keyword rich title & meta tags for every page, alt tagging of all images, internal linking strategy, placement of Google Analytics code for tracking purposes, and creation/submission of XML sitemap. How will you determine which keywords to target on my website? Aztek will work with you to determine which keywords are realistic to target on your website. This will take into consideration many factors including competitiveness, annual searches and other metrics. We'll help guide you through the process to avoid making SEO mistakes. What kind of keywords can I realistically target? This will depend on the nature of your website. Single word keywords such as “widgets” are usually harder to target and rank well for than longer, more specific keyword phrases such as “blue widgets in Cleveland”. The web marketing team at Aztek will work with you to determine what these realistic keywords are for your particular website. Should I run ads for keywords I organically rank for? You can or you can choose not to- that is a decision that each person has to make for themselves. Some clients prefer to not run ads if they are organically ranking for a keyword while others opt to run the ad so that they have another piece of prime real estate on the 1st page of the search results. Aztek can help you make this decision when the time comes. Is there a limit on how many keywords I can target organically and for paid search? No. However, to rank organically for a keyword, there must be content on the site dedicated to that keyword- so be ready to write as much content as needed. In terms of paid search, there is no limit to the keywords you can target. But again, be ready to pay for clicks on these keywords and develop landing pages for all of them. How long does it take to start to show up in the natural search results? There is no set time frame. However, in some cases, it may take 3-6 months for a site to show up in the natural search results. This all depends on a number of factors including if the site/domain is new, competition levels, etc. Is it normal for search rankings to fluctuate daily? Yes, search rankings fluctuate all of the time. Is optimizing a site for all search engines the same or are there different tactics for each individual search engine? Overall, the optimization strategy is the same. SEO best practices span all of the search engines. Do you ever condone using "black" or "gray" hat SEO strategies? No, only white hat techniques at Aztek! Are web analytics included in web design projects? If so, which kind? Yes, Google Analytics are included in all of our web design projects. If you choose to host with Aztek, you will also receive SmarterStats, which is a log file based tracking tool. How can I write good web content for SEO but not sounds like I am "writing for the engines"? Do exactly that- don't write for the search engines. Keywords will naturally be included in this content as you write about your business, its products and/or services. Aztek will review this content once it is complete and add in keywords as needed. How can you help me turn visitors into customers- increase my conversion rate? Aztek will design a website that is built to make it easy for visitors to figure out how to become a customer. We have years of experience in website usability and how to correctly funnel visitors through to a conversion. We have this all under control- you can be sure of that. What type of information does my web analytics provide? Aztek implements Google Analytics on all websites that we design. This tool provides an immense amount of information ranging from number of visitors a month to the most popular pages on your site. Once the site is launched, we would be more than happy to walk you through all of the great features that this tracking tool provides and how you can use it to make informed business decisions. Walk me step by step through your optimization process? How involved do I need to be? You will need to be involved in the initial stages of the optimization process during which we decide on which keywords will be targeted. The actual optimization of the site will be up to Aztek. If ongoing optimization is in place, then more participation will be required from the client. The initial optimization process follows: Keyword bucket brainstorming & research Competition research Completion, review and approval of target keyword list Finalized keyword list sent to design team Keywords will be considered during all steps of build out and design Basic on site SEO completed (including Google Analytics implementation) Sitemap creation and submission Monthly natural ranking reports to track progress and performance What do you know about Local search? Aztek can assist you with all of your Local search needs including submission to Google Local Business and optimization for these important local search terms. How many words should I aim my pages to have? There is no set number of words that should be on each page. However, it is important that all pages of the site have a good amount of content so the search engine spiders can index the site. Every page and every site is unique. There is no universal correct or incorrect answer to how much content is right. Include enough content to express your ideas and cover all important information. How is SEO different from SEM? SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of generating and improving the volume and/or quality of traffic to a site from search engines in the form of "natural" or un-paid search engine listings. Generally speaking, the goal is to appear as high in the search results as possible because the higher you rank in the natural search results, the more visitors you will receive. SEM is a form of web marketing that aims to promote and drive traffic to a website by improving its visibility on the SERPs through paid placement, contextual advertising and paid inclusion. How do you find the best keywords for my business? Aztek, with the assistance of your team, will work through extensive keyword research to determine which keywords to target. This will include analysis of search volume, competition, relevancy and other factors. What is the difference between Black and White Hat SEO? Black Hat SEO is search engine optimization techniques that are used to improve search engine rankings in an unethical manner. These techniques break search engine regulations, create a poor user experience and "trick" the search engine spiders. Some examples of Black Hat SEO include: keyword stuffing, doorway pages, and invisible text. White Hat SEO is the use of ethical and search engine approved techniques to improve your natural rankings in the search engines. These are all tactics that meet the acceptable standards of the search engines. White Hat SEO's initial results might be slow but it generates long lasting and stable results. Can Aztek help with ongoing SEO efforts, tactics and strategy? Yes, Aztek has the experience and tools to help you plan an ongoing SEO and content strategy for your website. The level of Aztek's participation in your ongoing SEO will depend on your business's unique needs, availability of your team's staff and your goals. Why should I choose a Cleveland Search Engine Optimization firm? Cleveland, Ohio is home to many great web marketing firms. Cleveland SEO firms have been leaders in the industry for many years and continue to stay up to date on the most recent search engine changes. This is how we educate our clients. When you choose a Cleveland web marketing firm, you can be sure that you are working with a top notch, experienced firm.