Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is search engine optimization? Is SEO the same thing?

Search engine optimization is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a website. This is done by preparing a website in a certain way, in order to achieve higher ranking in search engine page results. It is an ongoing process that starts with the initial optimization, and then is maintained through regular evaluation of search results, and adjustments to the site based on those monthly evaluations.

Yes, they are the same thing. Occasionally SEO is also used to shorten the term "search engine optimizer", which is a professional who specializes in search engine optimization. On our website, however, SEO is the acronym for search engine optimization.

What does a search engine marketing campaign have to do with search engine optimization? When is the right time to start one, and how long will it last?

A search engine marketing campaign is the overall definition for promoting websites by increasing their ranking in search engine results. Search engine optimization is a search engine marketing campaign strategy.

The best time to start a search engine marketing campaign is when you are in the initial planning phase of your website. But if your website is already established, then don’t despair! A good campaign can be started at any time, making right now the best time to start one.

Can I do all of this optimization on my own?

Website owners can try to do search engine optimization on their own. The problem with a "Do It Yourself" approach is that it takes a large amount of time, expertise and attention to detail in order to achieve the desired rankings in search engine results. Not many website owners have these things, as they are busy doing what business owners should be doing: running their businesses. Which is why it’s better to be the expert at whatever your business is, and let AntSEO be the experts at doing SEO for your webpage.

Can search engine optimization increase the amount of customers who visit my website?

Yes, search engine optimization will increase the amount of customers who visit your website. The goal of SEO is to increase targeted traffic to your website. 90% of all Internet buyers find the products or services they are looking for through Internet searches, and most of them choose a website located on the first three pages of search engine results. Since the purpose of SEO is to place your website at least on one of those three pages, an excellent SEO plan can give you your share of that 90% of buyers.

If AntSEO gets my website higher in the search engine rankings, how will I know if my business increases as a result of those top rankings?

There are many web analytic tools available specifically for the purpose of tracking the effectiveness of a search engine marketing campaign. There are also website that offer free SEO reports, and of course any good SEO company is going to provide you with regular analysis as part of their services.

How do search engines find websites?

Search engines find websites in two ways. The first is by accepting submissions from website owners and SEO professionals. Most search engines have a section for submitting your website’s URL; however, merely submitting your website doesn’t guarantee listing! The second way is through crawling. The search engines send out spiders to follow each link in and out and within a website, which then add any new URLs they find to the search engine database.

I tried submitting my website to a search engine, and it wasn't accepted. Why?

The main reason websites aren’t accepted by search engines is because search engines are for-profit business, and have the right to refuse any website for any reason. Submitting your website doesn’t guarantee a listing in the search engine results. Which is another good argument for hiring SEO professionals, who make it their business to get your website accepted by search engines for listing.

Why doesn't my website have a very high ranking in the search engines?

There are a variety of different reasons a website might not rank highly in the search engine listings. Some of these reasons might include: no TITLE tag content, or incorrect use of the TITLE tag. Too many of the same word in any given page, also known as spamming. Another reason why your website may not be ranking high is because you could be missing H1 or H2 heading tag content. If you're missing ALT tag content in each of your graphic links, that could account for not ranking high. In addition, having less than 200 words per page, or having few pages on your website could be other factors. Any one of these reasons, and more, can keep your website low in the search engine rankings.

What does search engine ranking depend on?

Search engine ranking depends on a number of factors. These factors include, but certainly aren't limited to: the specific search terms that have been targeted, the competitiveness of your field, the width of your market (regional, national or international), how many competing sites are receiving new rankings, and even how well your ranking is monitored for possible improvements. If your ranking is low, an SEO professional can help you determine the reason for this, and develop a plan for bringing your ranking up.

Can search engine optimization get search engine ranking higher?

Yes! Bringing your search engine ranking up is the key to increasing targeted traffic, which is the whole purpose behind SEO. The higher your website is ranked, the more potential customers who see your listing and click through to your website. And the more click throughs your website gets, the more business you get.

If I hire AntSEO, how long will it take for the optimization changes to start working?

It will take anywhere from a few weeks to a month to start seeing results, which will include your website ranking improving in search engine results, and an increase in targeted traffic. It depends on how long it takes your SEO professional to complete changes to your website. Once your website has been submitted, it will depend on how often each search engine updates their indexes and re-ranks their websites.

Can your company guarantee #1 ranking in the search engines?

Unfortunately, no company or professional can guarantee a #1 ranking. What we can do is make sure your website’s SEO is the best that it can be, and continually monitor that SEO plan for ways that it can be improved.

Do you have to make changes to my website? Do you need to have access to my web server in order to make changes?

Many changes needed for optimization are done in the source code, but on occasion changes might need to be made to the website’s layout or copy. In this case, any professional SEO company, including this one, will post changes to a test server for the website owner to approve before going live with those changes.

In order to make the needed changes for optimal search engine optimization, access does need to be granted to the web server. This is necessary for uploading and updating webpages, both initially and as part of the regular evaluation and maintenance process. Again, any SEO professional will do his or her best to keep the website owner informed when uploads or changes will be taking place.

Why do I have to have extra elements added to my website? If extra elements are so important, why weren’t they added to my website when it was designed?

Search engines often use spiders to look for certain factors on each webpage it crawls. When those factors are present, the spider computes a higher ranking for that webpage. Part of the SEO process is identifying spidering issues, and correcting them by adding the elements spiders look for.

The reason that these factors might not have been included when your website was designed is because many website designers are not trained in search engine optimization. Their job is to create a website that reflects your ideas, and they may not have known how to create a search engine friendly website design, or even why SEO is so important. In addition, search engines are always changing their criteria, and website designers may not always be up to date on the latest changes in criteria.

Do I have to have every single page of my website optimized?

Yes. Each and every page on your website has the potential to be the first page visitors see. Neither you nor the SEO professional can predict which pages are going to rank the highest for specific keywords, meaning that each and every page should be individually optimized.

How do I know AntSEO will choose the best keywords, ones that will actually increase my website traffic?

In one word, experience. A combination of experience and the best in keyword generating software allow AntSEO to create a list of keywords that are the most effective, not to mention well searched, ones in your field. By working with you, a keyword profile is created that will be the most beneficial to your product or service goals.

How often will I receive search engine ranking reports?

Search engine ranking reports go out once a month to clients, or more often upon request.

How often do you resubmit my site to search engines?

As often as necessary. Ranking reports and maintenance checks are done every four weeks after the initial submission to search engines. If these show that your website ranking is high, then resubmission is not necessary. If, however, your website has dropped in ranking, it will be checked for problems and resubmitted.

What should I look for when choosing someone to do search engine optimization for my website?

The best choice is going to be someone who understands marketing, business and technology as they relate to online search engine results. In addition, you’ll want someone with a high degree of integrity, as there are many unethical methods of SEO. If you choose someone who uses these practice, you run the risk of getting penalized, or even completely kicked off of search engines altogether.

Who can I talk to if I have more questions?

We are always happy to answer questions and talk with website owners about the best options for their search engine optimization needs. You’ll find a contact link at the top of every AntSEO webpage. Simply click on the link, and then fill out the contact information, along with any questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact AntSEO – our goal is to provide you with the absolute best in SEO!

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