SEO Frequently Asked Questions

online shopper after seeing seo organic marketing

SEO FAQs

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization, the practice of ranking websites based on the use of relevant keywords and queries, is a tactic employed by brands to boost their visibility and increase web traffic organically.

Do I really need SEO?

In today’s digital climate, search engine optimization plays an incredibly important role. In fact, half of an average website’s visitors are directed there from a search engine. Failing to incorporate SEO into your overall digital strategy is a missed opportunity, especially since almost a third of American consumers use the internet to find local businesses daily. And because three out of four web searchers never scroll past the first page of results, it is crucial that your site ranks high.

I used to get twice as many visitors from Google. What happened?

If your website has experienced a sharp decline in traffic from Google, an algorithm penalty may be to blame. Because Google updates their search algorithm each day to best serve users, the websites that break any rules are penalized. Penguin and Panda are the most common algorithm penalties. Penguin is designed to eradicate spam, while Panda penalizes sites with sparse or short-form content. If you’re experiencing decreased search engine traffic, Motivated Marketing’s SEO team can help your brand get back on track!

Does my business need SEO?

Absolutely. SEO not only increases web traffic but does it without attaching a price tag to each click. This organic strategy has proved beneficial for countless brands – so add yours to the list today!

Should I do SEO, run PPC ads, or both?

The best brands often mix SEO with targeted pay-per-click campaigns. This method is highly cost effective, ensuring you get the most bang for your buck and reach a wide audience.

So, can I just buy a bunch of backlinks?

No, it’s not that simple. While some brands are enticed into purchasing backlinks for just a few dollars, this violates Google’s policies and will decrease their ranking significantly. Instead, create killer content featuring the right keywords – and watch your web traffic soar!

How can I find the keywords that people are searching for to find businesses like mine?

Here at Motivated Marketing, our experienced SEO team can help determine which keywords your target audience are searching for. As part of our overall strategy, we’ll create engaging content that prominently features these terms, ensuring your site stands out – and ranks high on search engines’ results page.

How long does it take to rank on Google?

There’s no exact timeline, but keep in mind that a solid SEO strategy is no “quick fix.” It often takes some time to move up in the ranks, especially if your website was recently launched. As your site continues to earn organic results and gain credibility with Google, you’ll see this progress reflected in your ranking – often within six months to a year. Your designated marketing specialist will handle every aspect of your SEO strategy, freeing you to focus on what your brand does best.

What is the difference between on-page SEO and technical SEO?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there are some key differences worth highlighting. On-page SEO involves your website’s content, images, meta tags, etc. Technical SEO, in contrast, refers to the way that Google crawls and indexes your website, measuring site speed, data, and more.

What PageSpeed score should I aim for?

PageSpeed is just one of Google’s ranking factors, used to measure how quickly your site loads and functions. The higher the page speed, the better – but a score of 90/100 is very respectable. Because boosting page speed can be pricey and time-consuming, you may choose to focus on other aspects, as long as your page speed is higher than your direct competitors. Your M2 SEO specialist can help run your competitors through the PageSpeed Insights tool to determine whether improving page speed should be a priority.

How can I find technical SEO errors?

Identifying and fixing technical problems is crucial to achieving peak performance. The SEMrush Site Audit Tool can help, monitoring your site and producing reports that assess crawlability, site performance, and more. These reports will also point out any problems, warnings, and other important notices that need to be addressed. Here at M2m we offer our valued clients a monthly SEO report that highlights Google Analytics and Google Search Console metrics, as well as site audit findings.