What is SEO?
What is SEO?
SEO is the practice of optimizing many different aspects of a website and online business presence to help you rank higher in search engines, like Google.
In simple terms, SEO is all about making sure Google can properly access your website, understand what it's about, and rank your pages for relevant keywords.
So, how does it all work?
Well, it's a bit complicated. Of course, Google won't tell us how its algorithms work — it's one of the biggest and best-kept trade secrets in the world. (That would be like Coca-Cola giving away its formula.)
That said, we still know how to optimize websites to get results based on:
- Years of experience working in the field of SEO
- The successful results of other clients
- Findings from the SEO community in general. SEOs like to spread the knowledge when projects go well, and it's a tight-knit community
- Some guidance from Google. They do have general guidelines all website owners need to follow, as well as basic suggestions when it comes to things like technical SEO and local SEO
The Goals of SEO are To:
The Goals of SEO are To:
Help your website rank higher in Google search results
Rank well in Google Maps (for local businesses)
Encourage potential customers to click on your business instead of your competitors
Make sure your website visitors can easily and quickly find all the information they need
Build up an online reputation through online business listings and backlinks
How Do I Know If I Need SEO?
How Do I Know If I Need SEO?
The bottom line is that if you want customers to find your business online, you need SEO.
Without SEO, you risk losing leads to competitors simply because your business isn't showing up at the top of Google, Google Maps, or other search engines they might be using.
Here's What Our SEO Services Include
Here's What Our SEO Services Include
There's a lot that goes into SEO.
While our services cover all aspects of this valuable digital marketing channel, each SEO strategy will be 100% customized for you and your business. We focus on what we believe will move the needle for your search engine rankings and traffic!
With our SEO services, you'll get:
- On-page optimization
- New content creation
- Blog writing
- Local SEO (if it's applicable to you)
- Technical SEO
- Comprehensive SEO audits
- Monthly reporting
Local SEO
Are you a local business? There are specific areas of SEO that require more focus for local businesses compared to a national company.
- Google Business Profile optimization. This is one of the most powerful (free!) tools local businesses have at their disposal. A Google Business Profile is the company information that shows up in Google's local search results and on Google Maps. It's vital to make sure your business has one and that it's fully optimized.
- Citation building. Citations are a fancy word for online business listings, like Yellowpages and Yelp. There are general listing sites, like Yelp, but also niche listing sites that vary by industry. Whether you're a local dentist or lawn care company, we'll make sure your business is listed everywhere it needs to be (and where all your competitors are)!
- Location targeting. Do you work in multiple cities? What about multiple states? We'll make sure your online business presence and website are fully optimized for your target locations.
On-Page Optimization
This facet of SEO refers to optimizing all of the content that already exists on your website. Whether you're a local business with a ten-page website or a national company with hundreds of pages, we'll make sure every single page is optimized for search engines!
On-page optimization includes tasks such as:
- Adjusting existing website copy. We want to make sure your content is relevant, easy to read, and includes the topics/keywords you want to rank for.
- Building up internal links. Google crawls the internet by following links. Linking between pages on your own website is a great way to let Google know what each page is about and guide users to related pages.
Content Creation
We will write new content to target exactly what your potential customers are searching for. This might be in the form of a services page, blog post, or a location page for one of your top service areas.
We created highly-targeted, optimized content written by our in-house team of SEO specialists. We never outsource our content writing, so you can rest assured we write with expertise and a voice that perfectly matches that of your business.
In-Depth SEO Audits
At the start of your SEO services, we'll conduct an in-depth SEO audit. An SEO audit takes a comprehensive look at every single thing related to your website, online business presence, and how you stack up against your competition.
This SEO audit identifies where you're doing well, where there's room for improvement, and drives the SEO strategy moving forward. It's full of actionable, detailed items and examples so we can walk you through exactly why we're setting up your SEO strategy a certain way.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is all about making sure Google can properly find, process, and understand your website. Google's crawlers want to see organized, digestible code. They also look for important elements of code to help them understand your website better. We'll make sure everything is in perfect shape!
This includes:
- Improving site speed
- Adding structured data to your website (this powers some cool features in Google search results, and helps Google understand information about your business)
- Ensuring your website is properly indexed in Google search results (sometimes, whether intentional or not, you could be blocking Google from finding all of the pages on your website)
- And… a lot more that's probably too boring to explain here
How Much Do SEO Services Cost?
How Much Do SEO Services Cost?
We offer affordable SEO services, starting at just $995 per month! While our services bill monthly, you aren't locked into any contract.
Want to Learn More About Our SEO Services?
Get Started for FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” a digital marketing practice that’s comprised of several tactics involved with ensuring your website and online presence work alongside Google and Bing’s search algorithms, with the end result being:
- Your business and website rank higher on Google (and Bing, etc.) and in Google Maps,
- Your business moves closer to becoming or becomes THE go-to business in your industry, and
- Your business receiving more leads from people searching online for businesses like you.
Can I do my own SEO?
Yes, you absolutely can — however, it’s worth noting that in order for SEO to work well for your business so you actually receive qualified leads which will turn into verified customers, you’ll be required to study and learn Google’s (and Bing’s, and Yahoo’s, etc.) best practices, a fair amount of coding, and consistently monitor keyword ranking and results. Thus, small businesses tend to hire out for this marketing tactic.
How long do I have to do SEO for?
Most marketing success comes from consistency of practice, and that goes the same for SEO. First-page rankings don’t happen overnight — it’s an in-depth process that requires an ongoing strategy to adjust existing content, build out new content, and consistently remain up to date with Google’s best practices and algorithm updates. In order for SEO to work for your business, we recommend at least 12 months. We’re not saying you need SEO forever, but implementation and testing will be required for at least 12 months to verify your website and online presence are aligned with SEO best practices and, ideally, producing qualified leads you can see results from.
Is SEO really necessary though? Can’t I just run ads online?
Yes, you can just run ads online — and you should! We offer Google, Facebook, and Instagram ads with Everywhere Small Business. However, SEO is not the same as running ads and should be done alongside running ads, and here’s why: SEO addresses if your business shows up in Google (as just one search engine example), and in Google Maps when a prospect enters, say, “best Real Estate in [your city name]” into Google’s search engine. If your business is NOT showing up when those keywords are entered into Google, you definitely need SEO. Ninety-three percent of online experiences begin with a search engine, which means your prospects are VERY likely using a search engine (Google being the most popular) to seek out a business. Plus, Google Maps has become a very popular search tool — especially on mobile devices — to search out local businesses. Thus, if your business depends on local customers, you need to ensure your business shows up when someone searches for a local dentist, plumber, handyman, contractor (or whatever else you are), inside Google Maps. Try searching for your business’s industry, as if you were a brand-new prospect, on Google and in Google Maps. Don’t show up on the top of the search results? SEO services will help you.
Does PostcardMania’s SEO services just cover Google?
Nope! Our SEO services cover Google, Bing, Yahoo, and every major search engine customers today are using. We also manage your online reputation across all the major rate and review platforms such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, Angie’s List, and more that are pertinent to your business’s niche.