Marketing Mallorca

SEO FAQ

30 SEO questions you always wanted an answer to - questions 1-10:

1. What does SEO stand for?

Usually it stands for Search Engine Optimization, but it is often used also for Search Engine Optimizer. This can get somewhat confusing - an SEO who practices SEO - so I prefer to call SEOs “SEO specialists”. (Not “SEO experts”, but that’s another rant for another day.)

2. What exactly is Search Engine Optimization?

Search engine optimization is the process of overseeing the development or re-development of a website, so that it will naturally attract traffic by securing top ranking on the major search engines/directories for selected search terms and phrases.

3. Is SEO spam, bullshit, dead etc.?

No, but if you expect it to be science, you will likely think it is all of the above. SEO is much more sport than science - multiple players competing for specific, limited rankings for each keyword. Think about all the goes into a sports champion - drive, training, strength, agility, equipment, discipline, player size, nutrition, coaching, funding, concentration, massage therapy… Neither the team that wins the Stanley Cup nor the athlete who brings home the gold medal for diving is tops for all these factors. The champion is the one that assembles the best combination. No matter how well you and your competitors do SEO, there will always be ten websites in the top ten. No matter how poorly you and your competitors do SEO, there will always be ten websites in the top ten. Somebody will always be tops - in tennis, in boxing, in bowling and in SEO; you just have to be better than each of your opponents. SEO is a sport. Just like bowling, only less dangerous.

4. Why aren’t we #1 or on page 1 at Google?

Because somebody else is. Read the answer to Question #3 above.

5. Why am I on #1 all the time but when my wife searches for me she doesn’t find me?

Often people searching from different computers are sending different geographic data to the search engines (such as a different location for a person’s home and workplace ISP). Or there are elements of personal search enabled. Or your wife lives in a different time zone.

6. When will we see results?

You start a new softball team with all rookies, no equipment, no training, no funding, no discipline, no muscles and no massage therapist. Then you hire an experienced coach (an SEO specialist). How long does it take to win the championship? I have found many clients want to know exactly when they will achieve a certain position, and then they will own it. Just as the team that stops playing baseball will fall in the standings, so too the website that stops doing SEO will fall in the rankings.

7. Can we rank for iPhones?

Yes. You can rank at least 2,112,888 for iphones at most search engines with very little effort. If you want to rank #1 for iphones, you will need:

- lots of money

- lots of time

- lots of strategy

Why? Please read the answer to Question #3 again.

8. Can we rank for everything (huge list of keywords)?

Yes, some countries take home Olympic medals in a wide variety of sports. But most countries take home medals in just a few sports where they have chosen to concentrate. In the land of Internet, deciding how big a country you are - or can realistically be - is an important strategic decision. Indeed, if you hire an SEO specialist, he should be able to help you make that call. Just remember, the more searches you want to rank for, and the more competitive those searches are, the deeper pockets you will need.

9. How much does SEO cost?

How much does a baseball coach cost? The little league team down by the park pays their coach with a big High Five after every game. Rumor has it the New York Mets pay theirs slightly more. It all depends on what you are competing against, how determined or entrenched your competitors are, and how good an SEO specialist you wish to hire.

10. Why is SEO so expensive?

It’s not. SEO is an investment that earns you money. But if you plan to invest just EUR 200/month in SEO, don’t expect to see any ROI during your lifetime.

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