Frequently Asked Questions
SEO
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What is Search Engine Optimization?
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the act of improving content and web pages in order to organically rank higher on the search engine results page. Search engines have algorithms that determine which webpages hold the most relevant results, and those pages are ranked highest among the search results.
What is organic search?
Organic search refers to any unpaid search result listings. These organic search results occur when a user searches for your brand by name or your business appears on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) based on the search engine’s ranking algorithm. Organic search does not include any traffic or listings resulting from paid advertisements but rewards relevant content and web pages who are SEO optimized.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is optimizing for the area that your business serves. This type of SEO is utilized when users are using a proximity search to find products or services near them. Building local SEO requires being listed in local directories and building out your Google My Business profile, among others. You also need to make sure that your city and state are listed prominently on your website.
What is on-page SEO?
On-page SEO refers to improving your website in order to improve your position in the SERP’s (Search Engine Results Page) placement and increase relevant traffic. This includes but is not limited to adding headlines, titles, alt text, internal links, meta descriptions, and images when publishing all content.
What is off-page SEO?
Off-page SEO involves focusing on factors that occur outside of the website such as backlinks, and promotional advertisements.
Domain authority is also an important factor of off-page SEO – websites with a higher domain authority are more likely to receive a higher position in SERPs.
PPC
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What is the difference between PPC and SEO?
PPC involves paying a search engine to promote your ad at the top of search results. In the “Pay-Per-Click” model, you pay only when your ad gets clicked on. A main benefit of PPC is that it can start driving traffic to your website instantly while SEO is more of a long game approach. The traffic that you get through SEO will be free (no paying per click) but a lot more time and work is necessary to optimize your online presence and ensure you’re ranking for organic search queries.
How does pay-per-click advertising work?
Brands can place bids for their ads to be featured in the top ad placements on search engine results pages. Each bid is placed on the specific keywords and phrases that the company wants their ads to be displayed for. Each search engine has its own ad auction process that determines which ads are the most relevant and valuable for each user query. The “winning” bid is the one that will be displayed to the user on the SERP.
What is considered local? How far does Local PPC Reach?
Local SEO is specifically intended to help connect businesses to customers nearby. The technical answer to this is question is that it varies. If you have steep competition in your market the reach can be limited where as if you are providing more of a niche or specialized product or service your reach can be expanded. Each business has unique circumstances therefore ZipLocal uses a strategy first approach to ensure results.
Which is more important: SEO or paid marketing?
SEO and paid marketing both work best when they work in tandem. Having campaigns set up is a good way to see which works best for your business so you can allocate more marketing resources to the most effective and ROI-driven practice. Paid marketing also provides the benefit of a shorter amount of time needed to see results but also comes with the downside of generally a higher cost per conversion.
LOCAL
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What is proximity marketing?
Proximity marketing involves targeting consumers based on their physical location. Beacons allow businesses to send marketing messages to mobile devices within a specific radius. This means companies can offer discounts to consumers near the storefront that will encourage foot traffic and sales.
What are online local directories?
An online local directory is a list of businesses within a certain location, organized by industry. Each business listing is complete with the business name, address, phone number, reviews, and industry. Business Directories create a citation that provides verification of your business information. We actively monitor the highest rated directories and make sure your information is listed accurately and consistently.
How do local directories help my SEO?
There are now thousands of directories online all with varying degrees of importance and relevance. Being found in the top directories can help build trust that your information is accurate and consistent. Rather than falling into the trap of chasing thousands of directories we focus on the important ones. Trusted Directories build rapport with search engines.
What is Google My Business profile?
Google My Business is an online tool that helps companies appear on Google Search and Google Maps. With a GMB Business Profile, companies can connect with users and post updates, photos, special offers, and promotions. The profile also allows companies to post important information all in one place, including address, phone number, website, and open hours. Many consider a Google My Business Profile to be the modern equivilent to a phone book listing and therefore an essential part of your businesses digital foorprint.
Website
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Do I really need a website?
In a word, yes! Not only do you need a website but you need a quality website that represents your business accurately. Your website is often times the first introduction to your business for consumers. The age old truth that you only get one chance to make a winning first impression applies directly to your website. Your website should give your company credibility, boost brand awareness, and should be a major source of business and lead generation if done the right way.
How will search engines find my site?
With a Strategy First approach and a customized SEO plan you can identify your business needs and utilize all the tools available to make sure your messaging is clear to your target consumer as well as search engine crawlers.
What is conversion optimization?
Conversion optimization is the process of increasing the number of website visitors that convert into active customers. By improving your website’s user experience, users are more likely to complete the desired action on the page.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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What social media platforms are best for my business?
Each company has their own unique social media needs depending on their industry and consumer base. For some, Facebook will be the best platform for business, while Instagram may be better for others. To determine which platform is best for your business, it is important to first determine your target audience and social media goals.
