Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is the practice of making a website rank better in search engines. Some common search engines are Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo. If you want to increase the number of people who find your website through search engines, then SEO might be something for you to start doing. There are other marketing channels that will drive traffic to your website. But on average, there is no digital marketing channel that will generate a lower cost per lead than SEO.

There are many facets to search engine optimization. But, if you’re just getting started, there are a few key points you should consider. First, make sure to optimize your website for the keyword phrases your target audience is searching. For example, if you help people get over addictions in Pensacola, Florida, then don’t target “addiction recovery pensacola” as the words you think your audience is using. I say that because they’re more likely to be searching “behavioral counseling in pensacola,” “mental health pensacola” or something along those lines. Don’t assume you know what they’re searching in your area. Rather, make sure you know.

Once you’ve identified what your audience is looking for, focus on creating relevant and highly valuable content on your website. The content should answer every question your target audience is asking and should ask. Next, make sure you’re developing great relationships with other websites and making it so those websites create links to your website. When someone links to you, this is called a backlink. You want as many high quality backlinks as you can get. Also, before you start doing SEO, make sure to brush up on black hat SEO tactics to avoid.

Search engine optimization methods we use are tailored to each website’s strengths and weaknesses; however, the types of improvements made with SEO fall into 3 categories:

• Website construction. The behind the scenes Web languages and technology that holds your site together, i.e., static vs dynamic pages, content management systems, quality of HTML/CSS, etc.
• Content. All the information (text, images, media) on your site, its structure, its accessibility to search engines and people, and how well it satisfies the needs of your visitors.
• Marketing: The use of social media to create buzz and increase links to your site. Backlinks from search engine respected websites in turn earn your site that respect, and boost your rankings.

This is one of the most important questions you can and should ask. Also, there are multiple answers we can give. If we look at it from on hourly perspective, the average cost will range from around $49 to $150. However, from a monthly on-going SEO perspective, the typical company in the United States that invests in their own SEO will spend around $350 to $1,200 per month. If you’re doing regional SEO, and not just local SEO, the typical SEO budget is from around $1,000 to $5,000 per month. If you’re doing national or local SEO, and you want to compete with other similar websites, you’ll probably want to spend around $1,500 to $10,000+.

While the numbers above are general averages, the exact cost for you can be significantly different. Factors that can impact what you should invest in SEO include your specific market, timeline goals and the level of competition within your industry. As an illustration of how competition can impact cost, it’s probably safe to assume an attorney (very competitive industry) will need to invest more into SEO than someone who sells VHS cassette tapes.

This question is similar to the “How much does SEO cost” question. The amount of time required to rank well for one website versus another can vary significantly. But, the general rule of thumb is to expect to start seeing good results in about three to six months of SEO. Recently we’ve seen some thought leaders in the industry say four to six months. However, this is definitely a general rule of thumb and the exact amount of time needed for you can be different.

Going back to the example shared in the question about SEO costs, if you’re an attorney, it may take a lot longer than six months to rank well on search engines. Then again, if you sell VHS cassette tapes, it may take a lot less than three months to rank well.

Also, consider your budget. If you’re spending significantly more/less than what most companies spend, that can also impact the amount of time required to rank well on Google. We’ve had clients rank amazingly well in as little as one month. We’ve had other clients in competitive industries focus on a small and steady climb, and actually spend years building up their SEO. The amount of time it will take you depends on your unique and specific situation. But, as a general rule, expect to start seeing good results in around three to six months, assuming your situation is “normal.”

At Bridging Gap SEO, we understand that your brand’s overall online image is just as important to you as high search engine rankings are. We have never believed—and never will—in tactics that could have any possible negative impact on your business’s brand or online reputation. Each improvement to your website’s search rankings should also strengthen either its content, its usability, or its long-term web visibility—and certainly never detract from it.

Our goal is to help you achieve high rankings for your most competitive search terms, and help you stay there. We believe in “doing it right the first time”, so that Google updates and changes to their algorithm are unlikely to adversely affect your ranking.