Gervais Group LLC

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Internet Marketing Advice Column

My website doesn’t rank and I’m not getting visitors. Why?
If I start search engine optimization now, how long will it take for results?
How does my site get ranked?
Does every page of my website really need to be optimized?
Why are SEO services so expensive?
I’ve been guaranteed a top position by a firm. Can you do that?

Q) My website doesn’t rank and I’m not getting visitors. Why?
A) The two issues are probably related. If your site isn’t ranking, it’s going to be very difficult for people to find you.  Having your website rank high in the search engines is a labor intensive science pursuing search engine algorithms which are unknown even to experts in the field. If you’ve put some keywords into your content and left it at that, you’ll remain anonymous as sites need to be search engine optimized and marketed to make it to the top rankings on the websites.

Q) If I start search engine optimization now, how long will it take for results?
A) That depends on several factors including online competition for keywords, size of the market, and the budget dedicated toward SEO. Search engine optimization could start showing results within a month for a niche with few players while a new website in a very competitive and/or global market could take over a year (or two).

Q) How does my site get ranked?
A) Websites are measured and ranked by search engines using numerous criteria cumulatively referred to as an algorithm. The criteria which can affect rankings include:
* The selected keywords that have been targeted for optimization
* The competition for those keywords
* Whether you are targeting a regional, national, or international market
* The amount of new and relevant content on the site
* Whether the site is spider friendly
* The amount of incoming links from relevant websites
* The number of competitors in the field

Q) Does every page of my website really need to be optimized?
A) Every page of a website should be search engine optimized as a potential landing point for incoming visitors. Optimizing for different keywords on different pages gives you the opportunity to diversify over a number of keywords which can increase the odds of searchers finding your site. As a whole, having all pages of your website optimized reinforces a uniform theme for the site which is another criteria for ranking.

Q) Why are SEO services so expensive?
A) Productive SEO requires research, planning, and experience. Additionally, successful SEO is extremely time and labor intensive. The time and labor are required so that the process can be implemented in a manner which will deliver targeted traffic in numbers that will translate to conversions and revenues. Compared to traditional advertising venues, however, SEO typically delivers much higher return on investment numbers.

Q) I’ve been guaranteed a top position by a firm. Can you do that?
A) It’s possible, but not in a way that will make a difference to your bottom line. A company could theoretically optimize a ten word key phrase, which no one else is using, and get you a top ranking for the phrase as long as the ten words are keyed in verbatim. So the company delivers a top ranking which doesn’t matter because it doesn’t drive traffic, and now they have your money. In any competitive situation, nobody can guarantee a number one position or specific ranking for your site for a given keyword phrase. There are simply too many factors and moving parts to be able to make such a statement. Think about it; how would an SEO company know what your competitors are doing to further their own search engine agendas? Anyone offering a guaranteed spot is not out for your best interests, to put it mildly.