SEO Made Simple – Your Questions Answered

Search engine optimisation can be a complicated business. So you won’t be surprised to hear that FirstFound’s expert consultants are asked dozens and dozens of questions every single day.

So in this edition of SEO Made Simple, we’re going to take the time to bring you the answers to the questions that keep getting asked.

So read on – we’ve got all the answers!

How long does it take to get to the top of Google?

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How long is a piece of string? So many variables are involved with ranking a site that it’s impossible to give a timeframe that’s accurate for every website. That said, in the majority of cases, FirstFound customers usually see significant improvements in website rankings within four months – as shown in this month’s success stories.

How many phrases can my site be optimised for?

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Again, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer here. If there’s enough content on your website, it can be optimised for almost any number of phrases.

While every website can be optimised, larger websites have more space to target additional phrases. That’s why you’ll see gigantic sites like Wikipedia top of the search engines for hundreds of phrases. However the key to SEO is quality, not quantity. One well-chosen key phrase can generate more business than dozens of less effective phrases.

Can blogging help my SEO? And how often should
I add a new post to my blog?

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There’s a reason that company blogs are popping up everywhere. It’s because a well-written, popular blog can really help your site’s SEO.

Just make sure you post regularly (at least once a week), and that you use or include important key words in your posts. Using those words to link back to relevant pages on your site will help even more!

Someone’s offered me a link from another site
in exchange for money. Is this a good idea?

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No. Google’s terms and conditions clearly state that you shouldn’t buy or sell links. And any gains you make on the search engines will be short lived, as Google have a habit of removing link-buyers from the listings.

I’m ranking well, but I’m not getting any business. Why?

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There are many reasons why a well-ranking site doesn’t perform. Your website could be built or designed in a confusing or off-putting way. There could be issues with your contact forms, or with placing an order.

Technical issues can affect all sites, from large e-commerce sites to small brochure sites – and they can sometimes be overlooked.

So phone a friend (or your FirstFound consultant) and ask them to try and get in touch through your website. Their experiences might well show you where you’re going wrong.

What is Google PageRank, and does it influence my ranking?

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As we discussed in Issue 8, PageRank is a red herring. And it doesn’t affect your search engine ranking at all!

You shouldn’t judge the success of your search engine optimisation campaign by looking at PageRank. Concentrate on your rankings, and how much business your website is generating.

If we’ve not covered a burning question that you’d like answered, get in touch with your FirstFound consultant on 0161 909 3411 now.

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