Website owners are just as diverse as their websites. Some take care of almost everything on their own, while the others rely heavily on expertise of the professionals. And the same counts for optimisation of their websites. While some websites need only a few improvements, others need a complete overhaul to make them search engine friendly and subsequently, improve their rankings in search engine results pages (SERP) which is of course the main goal of SEO. As a result, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. So if you are thinking about hiring an SEO provider, you should therefore consider what exactly are you looking for. The options include:

• On- and off-site SEO. SEO can’t do magic. If your website doesn’t contain quality content incorporating the right keywords or if there are any coding errors, even the greatest experts won’t be able to help you if you don’t let them take care of both on- and off-site SEO. This is unfortunately quite expensive option (although it isn’t as unaffordable as many people think) but if you aren’t sure what you are supposed to do to optimise your website, it is better to leave it over to the professionals.

• Off-site SEO. If you don’t like the idea of another person reviewing and editing your website for one reason or the other and are absolutely positive that your website design and content meet all search engine requirements, you may hire an SEO expert to optimise your website by helping you increase the quantity and quality of backlinks. In addition to winning you extra “points” at search engines, these will also help increase traffic to your website. Be sure, however, not to insist on large number of backlinks because a dramatic increase of links all of a sudden may achieve adverse effect on search engines. Rather than interpreting them as proof of your website’s popularity, they will probably interpret them as an attempt of manipulation and punish you by degradation instead.

• SEO consultancy and training. If you feel confident in your knowledge of SEO and have the time to optimise your website on your own, you should perhaps consider SEO consultancy and training to find out all about the latest SEO strategies. You may end up hearing what you already know but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have wasted your money. It may also mean that you have an excellent knowledge and that you are on the right track.

• Penalty recovery. Did an SEO “guru” get your website degraded or banned? Don’t despair because nothing is lost yet. There are unfortunately many unethical SEO providers out there but luckily, there are also many who can help you repair the mess and restore your online reputation in the eyes of both search engines and web users.

SEO and SEM are often used interchangeably but they are two completely different things. In order to help you understand the difference between the two and make the right choice, we will briefly go through the basics of both SEO and SEM.

SEO Basics

SEO or search engine optimisation is the process of increasing a website’s visibility by improving its search engine results pages (SERP) ranking. Different SEO experts use different strategies but a typical SEO campaign usually involves both on- and off-site optimisation: using the best web design practices, developing well-written and original content and link-building campaign, to mention only the main components.

By improving a website’s SERP ranking, SEO increases traffic to the website, while various on-site optimisation techniques also encourage visitors to return and leave backlinks on other websites with relevant content which further improves both the website’s traffic and SERP ranking. Unfortunately, SEO campaigns take time to achieve a noticeable improvement in SERP ranking but they bring lasting results if conducted professionally.

What is SEM

SEM refers to search engine marketing which sometimes also includes SEO. But it typically focuses almost exclusively on paid text advertisements such as pay-per-click ads which appear on the top or right side of SERP. Advertisements are purchased mainly from major search engines such as Google and Yahoo which, however, also display other paid advertisements in a particular ranking sequence. Yahoo for instance, gives the No. 1 position to the advertiser who pays the most. Google’s ads, on the other hand, are listed according to the number of clicks. Ads which receive more clicks are ranked higher and interestingly, charged less.

Besides purchasing pay-per-click ads from major search engines, SEM may also purchase advertisement spot on other websites, typically for a fixed monthly fee.

Which is Better, SEO or SEM?

Whether to choose SEO or SEM (or both) depends on your goals. If you’re looking for immediate results, SEM is probably a better choice. But you should keep in mind that SEM brings results only as long as you are paying for the ads. If your budget runs out, you’re pretty much at the beginning.

In comparison to SEM, SEO is considerably less expensive, while its effects last long after completion of the campaign. But as mentioned earlier, it takes some time for your website to get to the top for relevant keywords. It is important to mention, however, that there is no guarantee that your site will make it to No. 1 on Google or even to the 1st page of search results. But you can be sure to steadily climb the SERP ladder and reach more of your target audience after an SEO campaign.

So you want to know when you’ll be able to see the results of your SEO campaign. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to this very important question.

SEO is about improving a website’s ranking but it is also about shortening the time needed to get to the top of search results. After all, you could wait for your website to move higher in search engine results pages on its own if time wouldn’t be important. When will your SEO campaign start showing results therefore matters. A lot!

Before actually launching an SEO campaign, most providers conduct a thorough analysis of the website and develop a strategy to improve its visibility. This can take a week or two, depending on the work needed to optimise the website itself. Only when they make sure that the website design is search engine friendly, they will develop a plan for the SEO campaign. Although this may seem a lot of time but you really don’t want to speed up this process because:

• firstly, you can’t expect improvement of your website’s ranking if the search engines can’t “read” it and

• secondly, there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all approach to SEO

After the actual launch of the SEO campaign, you won’t see any significant improvement in its ranking and traffic for at least three months. But it can also take longer. Now, a question occurs why is there such a difference in time needed to see the results of your SEO campaign?

Several factors play a role in the time needed to see the results of the SEO campaign but above all, it depends on strength of your competition for relevant keywords. It makes sense really if you think about it better. You can’t expect to catch up with websites that have been working on content and link building for years in just a few days. Not only they are ahead of you with SEO but major search engines such as Google also give advantage to relevance and consistency. In the eyes of search engines, a website that’s a decade old or older and has hundreds or thousands of backlinks deserves to be ranked higher than a website that was launched over a few months ago and has only a few backlinks.

What about SEO companies that promise fast results such as getting your website to No. 1 on Google within just one week? If you want to benefit from your online presence, you are highly recommended to stay away from various self-proclaimed SEO gurus promising too good to be true results. Because that is just what they are. Too good to be true because:

• firstly, no one can guarantee No. 1 position on Google not even the greatest SEO experts in the world because SEO simply doesn’t work that way. And

• secondly, yes, you may actually see a dramatic improvement of your website’s ranking in a very short period of time but there is a catch. Fast results never last long because they are typically based on creating hundreds or thousands of backlinks literally overnight. And search engines soon figure out that they have been manipulated. And when they do, you won’t only need SEO but penalty recovery as well.

Unfortunately, not even the greatest SEO experts know the secret of achieving and retaining the No.1 position on Google though there are many SEO providers who make big promises. The thing is that Google (as well as other search engines) are changing algorithms virtually on a daily basis and all the debates about what Google will do in the future are purely speculations. However, one thing is certain. The world’s most popular search engine is getting smarter and smarter. You should therefore be very careful whom you entrust optimisation of your website.

Don’t Fall For Big Promises

The thought of No.1 position on Google in a matter of weeks is very tempting, however, you are highly recommended to resist the temptation to hire SEO providers that make such promises. A well planned and led SEO campaign can help you achieve a significant improvement in search engine results pages (SERP) but it is impossible to foretell whether you will rank 1st on the 1st or 1st on the 2nd page of search results. As much as fast results are concerned, they are not impossible but there is a trick. Just because you have achieved a major improvement in ranking or possibly even No.1 position on Google in a very short period of time, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have made it. To benefit from your SEO campaign, you need to retain that No.1 position and here is where things get more complicated.

Never Try To Manipulate Google

Not long ago, Google caused a panic among website owners including those who held the top positions for years. What happened? Many of the big players were no longer anywhere to be found in SERP. They were penalised for using manipulative SEO strategies which are strongly disapproved by the search engines. So if you want to retain a good ranking and hopefully, achieve that No.1 position it is of utmost importance to make sure that your SEO campaign is based exclusively on the use of strategies that are approved by Google. Yes, the search engine approves SEO and even provides a guidance on how to make your website more search engine friendly. Take these guidelines very seriously otherwise you are risking a penalty.

Don’t Take Any Chances And Leave Over Your SEO Campaign To Our Experts

The wrong selection of an SEO provider can cause a serious damage to your website and online reputation. You are therefore highly recommended not to take any chances and leave over your SEO campaign to our experts. In addition to having years of experience, our experts are specialised in organic, ethical and Google-approved SEO which will help you make the most out of your online presence. We don’t promise No.1 position on Google or to deliver results overnight but we promise to use only ethical SEO strategies that are approved and even recommended by the search engines.

SEO software promises to show you all the secrets of high Google ranking which in turn will help you increase the profits of your online venture. All you need to do is download the software (of course not for free) and do exactly what the software tells you to do. Sounds too good to be true? It’s because this is just what it is.

How SEO Software Is Supposed To Help You Rank Higher?

There are many types of SEO software but all basically work the same way. What they do is analyse the top ranking websites in your niche, and tell you how they differ from yours and what you need to do in order for your website to become one of the top ranking sites. In other words, SEO software tells you to copy your competition.

Is SEO Software A Waste Of Money?

This depends on how you look at it and what you expect from it. If you think that SEO software is an inexpensive alternative to SEO specialists and that you simply need to follow the programme’s instructions, then you will be disappointed. Just think about it. Do you really think that anyone would be paying SEO specialists if a software would be just as effective or even more so as promised by some developers? This, however, doesn’t necessarily mean it is a waste of money.

While copying successful websites won’t get you anywhere, there are some rules that need to be followed if you want your site to be loved by the search engines. And analysing the top ranking websites in your niche can be very helpful for identifying potential errors and little tricks that can make a big difference in your position on search engine results pages (SERP).

SEO That Brings Results

If you want to improve your current SERP ranking and continue to move upwards, please keep in mind that you can’t expect results overnight. What SEO software doesn’t tell you is that the majority of the top ranking websites are authority sites which have been online for years. And this has a major influence on SERP ranking as well.

If you just can’t achieve a breakthrough or think you may need some help with SEO, don’t hesitate to contact our SEO specialists. We don’t promise fast results but we promise tangible results and most importantly, results that last because we use exclusively Google-approved SEO strategies.

The overwhelming majority of traffic comes from search engines. Ranking high for relevant keywords is therefore crucial for your online success. But what keywords to target with your SEO campaign? How many searches have particular keywords on Google and other major search engines? How strong is competition? A keyword suggestion tool will help you answer all these and other important questions which should be answered before launching an SEO campaign.

How Keyword Suggestion Tool Works

A keyword suggestion tool will help you identify the most searched keywords and the strength of competition, both of which play the key role in the selection of keywords to target with your SEO campaign. Obviously, you want to rank high for keywords that have a large number of searches but it is of utmost importance for them to be relevant to your website’s content. Unfortunately, the most searched keywords usually also have the strongest competition. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t stand a chance but if the top positions are taken by big players, it may take several years to achieve any significant improvement in search engine result pages (SERP) ranking.

In addition to helping you understand what the market actually wants and what are your odds to break through with particular keywords, a keyword suggestion tool will also help you identify alternative keywords. These may have a lower number of monthly searches but they also have a weaker competition. As a result, they can bring more results in terms of traffic and sales than the “premium” keywords. In fact, these account only for about one third of all searches. The other two thirds consist of the so-called long tail keywords.

Which Keyword Suggestion Tool To Use

There are many keyword suggestion tools out there and all promise to help you with the selection of the right keywords for your SEO campaign. The majority of them of course foresee a monthly fee. They mostly deliver what they promise but there is no reason to pay because Google offers a keyword suggestion tool for free.

Putting The Theory In Practice

A keyword suggestion tool will be of no use if you don’t know what to do with the information acquired and how the chosen keywords can help you make the search engines love your website. Obviously, you should incorporate the chosen keywords in the content but be sure not to exaggerate because the search engines may think that you are trying to manipulate them. Also, incorporation of the keywords mustn’t appear artificial or affect readability. Remember that you need to persuade your website’s visitors as well. If you manage to win the web users, you will move higher in SERP because the search engines reward websites that are popular with online audience.

The number of people accessing the world wide web using smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices is rapidly growing. In fact, mobile devices have already overtaken PC sales and are expected to overtake Internet use as well in the near future. But what does this have to do with search engine optimisation (SEO)? A lot!

Why Optimise Your Website For Mobile Users

Just because you are ranked high on Google and other major search engines that doesn’t necessarily mean you have made it. In order to make the most out of your online presence, you need to attract your visitors’ attention. Then, you need to make it as easy as possible on them to navigate your website and purchase your products. Remember, mobiles sales have surpassed those made via PCs. But besides encouraging your website’s visitors to purchase from you, optimising your website for mobile users will also help you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERP) by lowering your bounce rate. So with each day you postpone mobile optimisation, you are losing potential buyers and risk losing your SERP position. Obviously, you don’t want either of both.

Responsive Web Design Vs Separate Mobile Website

To reach the mobile audience, attract their attention and encourage them to make a purchase, you have two options. You can either have your current website design made responsive, that is to adjust to various devices and screen sizes or leave your website the way it is and launch a separate mobile site to serve mobile users. Google is fine with both options although most people got an impression that the world No.1 search engine prefers responsive web design over separate mobile website. And so do we for the following reasons:

• Friendlier for users. Regardless from which device and screen size the website is accessed, it is always optimised for ultimate user experience. In addition, it is a lot easier to interact and share a website with other users if you are dealing with a single website all the time.

• Friendlier for search engines. Obviously, you want your website to be friendly for search engines. A responsive web design is just that because the entire content is on a single URL. As a result, responsive web design makes it a lot easier for search engines to crawl and index your content.

• Easier for SEO. Responsive web design offers two advantages over creating a separate mobile website with respect to SEO. Firstly, you don’t have to launch two separate campaigns which reduces both the time and money needed to benefit from your SEO campaign. And secondly, you can expect better results because all efforts are focused on one rather than two separate websites.

Easy to remember domain name, attractive design, lots of content, etc. all sound good and well but aren’t enough to benefit from your online presence. In order to truly benefit from the world wide market, your website needs visitors. Lots of visitors! And the vast majority of them will come to your website from Google and other major search engines rather than directly. To be noticed on the world wide web, it is therefore crucial to impress the search engines.

What Do Search Engines Want

Many website owners make a huge mistake by simply hiring a search engine optimisation (SEO) specialist without taking a few minutes to understand what do search engines want in the first place. By doing so, they aren’t only risking falling into the hands of self-proclaimed SEO gurus who often do more damage than good. They are also highly likely to be disappointed not due to poor service but due to non-realistic expectations from what SEO can and can’t do. The truth is that SEO can’t do magic. No specialist can guarantee the No.1 position on Google or make you rich. A quality SEO campaign can only help you meet the requirements of search engines which may or may not help you get that No.1 position everyone is trying to reach.

Before launching an SEO campaign, you need to understand how search engines work. Believe it or not but they have to compete for users just like website owners have to compete for visitors. Google is the No.1 just because it delivers the best user experience. And to remain the most popular search engine, it needs to continue to provide the best service. As a result, Google as well as other major search engines are doing whatever is in their power to direct their users to websites with the most relevant content for searched keywords. If you want them to rank you higher for particular keywords, you therefore must persuade them that your website is the most relevant. To do this, you need:

• Relevant content. Search engine users aren’t only looking for products but they are also looking for interesting and useful information. And search engines know that very well. Therefore it is crucial for your website to offer quality, original and engaging content.
• Attractive yet user friendly design. Does your website immediately attract attention? Is it easy to navigate? Does it load fast? All these factors have a major influence on how well you rank on search engine results pages (SERP) because if you have a high bounce rate, it means that your website probably doesn’t provide a good user experience.
• Backlinks. These indicate your website’s popularity, so the more backlinks you have the better. However, it is highly important to remember that the days when large quantities of backlinks did the trick are long gone. Google and other major search engines have found a way to distinguish between natural backlinks (those that are left by satisfied users) and artificial backlinks.

Bottom Line

There are no short cuts when it comes to improving your online visibility and dirty tricks don’t work, at least not for long. To achieve a better SERP ranking and make your website a success, you need to play by the rules. If you need help in making your website more search engine friendly and are looking for results that last, please contact our SEO specialists.