Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions we hear from prospective clients. For your convenience, we have compiled a list of questions and answers to introduce you to the basics of SEO. To discuss the specific needs of your website and devise a strategy to make your business stand out in the rankings, please call 08450 52 52 79, and a member of our team will be happy to help.

 

Click these links to go straight to the relavent answer:

What is Search Engine Marketing?

What is Search Engine Optimisation?

How long will it take before my site will appear in the search engines?

How can you get my site to the top of all the search engines?

Why should I use a Search Engine Marketing company instead of doing it myself?

What is the difference between a 'keyword' and 'keyphrase' and which one should I use?

What is the difference between a Search Engine and a Directory?

How can I improve my rankings in the Search Engines and Directories?

If I have the Keyword I want to be found under in my domain name, will this help me to get ranked higher in the search engines?

 

- What is Search Engine Marketing?

Search Engine Marketing is a focused program by which you use Search Engines and Directories to drive high quality traffic to your website. By arranging to list links to a domain on sites which enjoy authority with the search engines, an SEM campaign results in improved ranking for the keywords related to the target site.

- What is Search Engine Optimisation?

Search Engine Optimisation is the process of making your website Search Engine-friendly, helping you to rank higher in the results. SEO begins with a diagnostic assessment which reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the language and placement on the page. By arranging to have the right terms in the proper place, search engine optimisation is a the critical first step to a successful effort in marketing via the search engines.

- How long will it take before my site will appear in the search engines?

Search engines like to get to know new websites in stages. New sites are generally assigned a probationary status popularly known as a "sandbox," during which the site may appear in the search engines, but may be unable to rank for any keywords. This is normal, and the only solution is to proceed with laying the groundwork for a rapid rise in the rankings once the site emerges from the sandbox.

 

There are are variety of delays you may have to endure once your site has been optimised and the submissions start. This is because each search engine has different indexing times and waiting periods for reviewing and adding sites. Knowing and understanding these waiting periods before beginning can eliminate any frustration and confusion.

Waiting periods can range from two days to four-six months. As a guide, you should be able to see a boost in your rankings on Yahoo within 14 days.

 

There is a difference between "organic" listings and paid-per-click listings, such as Google Adwords. Both bring high-quality visitors from a search query for your relevant phrases, but organic listings are calculated by a ranking algorithm based on the link popularity of a site, whereas PPC listings are arranged by bidding.

Adwords in Google can appear within 24 hours, but it can take up to 6 months to climb the natural rankings for the same search. Each type of listing has advantages and drawbacks, and at 123Ranking we recommend a combined effort in both arenas to ensure maximum short-term and long-range success.

- How can you get my site to the top of all the search engines?

For most business niches, competition is rather fierce at the top. The top spots are occupied by companies who have professionals on the job full-time. The more precious the traffic, the more work it takes to drive it home. No one can guarantee a particular ranking for a website. Factors beyond anyone's control help govern the way websites are presented by search engines. However, through application of known principles of SEO and strategic placement of quality links, nearly any website can be given a fighting chance. Our mission is to take the guesswork out of the confusing world of search.

 

Unless you bid the most on a PPC listing in a program such as Google Adwords, there is no way to be certain of achieving the number 1 spot. Remember, Search Engine Optimisation companies don’t own the search engines! We use our expertise to optimise, submit and monitor positions.

- Why should I use a Search Engine Marketing company instead of doing it myself?

Search Engine Optimisation isn't rocket science, but it is a science. It is also labor-intensive, especially for those who are new to keyword research, link-building, and on-page SEO.

 

The major players in any industry employ a full-time team of SEO professionals to make sure they are taking full advantage of this explosive new advertising medium. An amateur must contend with the superior knowledge, experience, and connections of the experts managing the marketing for these companies.

 

A successful SEM campaign, whether organic or PPC, requires constant monitoring and revising of statistics and tracking metrics. Even if you have the knowledge to do this, as a business owner, do you have the time?

Let us use our expertise and knowledge to work with you to obtain the rankings your site deserves-and leave you to do what you do best...serve your customers.

- What is the difference between a 'keyword' and 'keyphrase' and which one should I use?

A keyword is simply a single word appearing on a website which alerts the search engine to the subject at hand. Intelligent use of the correct keywords is the essence of SEO.

 

A keyphrase is merely a string of words which includes one or more keywords. Since most search queries are for phrases, choosing the language which appears on your site is critical to attracting interested visitors to your content.

Keywords and keyphrases must be relevant to your site. An example of a keyword would be 'car'. An example of a keyphrase would be 'British car' or 'Classic British car'. If you want to drive good quality and focused traffic to your site, you must use a good descriptive keyphrase.

- What is the difference between a Search Engine and a Directory?

Search Engines rely on automated tools called "robots" (sometimes also called 'spiders') to collect information from websites. This information is added to the Search Engine's database, based on a number of criteria, including page content, page title, links, etc.

 

Directories use human editors to look at websites and to decide how to categorise sites for inclusion. Yahoo! and Open Directory Project are two popular Directories. There are also many independent directories which offer free and paid listings.

 

Both bring traffic to your website, but directory listings also influence search engines, who add importance to sites which are linked to by authority sites.

- How can I improve my rankings in the Search Engines and Directories?

The best way to improve your ranking is by incorporating good design and good content into your pages. People who come to a website are looking for information, and the best sites are those with the best information. If you have good text and tell a compelling story, you will rank higher. If it is easier for people to move around your site to collect that information, you will rank even higher.

 

The other important factor is link popularity, which is a measure of how often inbound hyperlinks to a site appear on the Internet. Search engines keep track of this as they crawl the web, and assign a score to the links they discover.The more frequently a web address is found, the higher it rises in the rankings.

- If I have the Keyword I want to be found under in my domain name, will this help me to get ranked higher in the search engines?

This is at best a minor factor in the modern search engine environment. While it may give a slight edge for branding purposes, the same effect can be achieved by using keywords and phrases to name interior pages.

 

Due to the number of unethical webmasters who abused this area of the algorithms, most of the main search engines have reduced the weighting of your domain name in regards to getting your site ranked. In addition to this, having multiple sites with different domain names in order to try and improve ranking across a number of terms is more likely to have a negative impact then a positive.

 

Search Engines offer an unprecedented opportunity for exposure and direct contact with potential customers. Get it right and you're climbing the ladder; but mistakes could bury your site where no one will see it.

We are always happy to advise on anything that you feel you would like to do on your site to improve rankings, so please ensure that you speak to your account manager before making any major changes, or investing in practices which might be unwise. A brief consultation might not only save you a fortune, but also protect your hard work.