SEO is very important because every industry needs it and helps build their brand. Once you’ve understood the basics of SEO, you may want to utilize few SEO tools to make the learning curve even easier.
But there are hundreds, if not thousands, SEO tools available on the Internet (some paid and others free). Using each one of them can overwhelm a newbie SEO optimizer, not mentioning you will also have a difficult time find the ‘right’ ones.
So if you have been asking yourself: “What are the best SEO tools out there for beginners? How can I start to SEO like a pro?” we have written this article that address this issue and help you SEO like a pro.
If you find SEO tad bit difficult at first, remember that you are not ‘alone!’ There are plenty of great tools you can learn to use starting today and get familiar with the SEO practice.
You may either take a SEO class (practicing 30-60 minutes a day or week) or learn on your own if you’re like DIY like myself.
No matter which course your take, for you to SEO like a pro, you need to handle all the basics first. That means you need be familiar with SEO terms like “domain authority,” or “PageRank,” “Backlinks” to a page, among many others that will speed up your learning curve.
* PageRank ranks every single page on your website while * Domain Authority” ranks your entire domain.
If you are ready, let’s learn how to SEO like a pro:

a) Publish Good Content.

If there was only one SEO method to use in your on-page SEO campaign, then that would be to fill your website with good content. As long as you have a good content (useful, valuable, and interesting content) on your site, your website will still perform better without any well-thought-out SEO tactics and gimmicks.
It’s the only one thing that is constant no matter how many times a search engine algorithm changes. Good and relevant content is what drives more people to your site in the first place. All other elements such as website layout, graphics, fonts, colors comes secondary.
Good content makes your visitors happy and satisfied once they land one the web pages on your site. So, try to at least come up with original content or content that is not re-written or copies from somewhere else on the Internet.
Also include variety of content types such as infographics, videos, podcast, and articles.
Try to provide useful content to your visitors. Useful content adds value to your people. They are highly relevant to your niche/industry, well-written, and tries to answer almost all types of questions your visitors may have.

2. Optimize Page Titles, Descriptions, Headings, etc.

Do you know what search engine crawlers read when they scan through your web pages? They read your page titles, descriptions, and headlines as well as image text first.
These elements on a web page are very critical as they tell the search engines what the page is all about and how it can be relevant to a particular keyword search phrase.
With this knowledge, search engines will be able to figure out how to properly index your pages in the search engine result pages.
Here’s how you can optimize these page elements:
a) Page titles – Think of unique and descriptive keyword-rich titles for your page so that it is easier for search engines to figure out what your page is about. A good page title would be like, “SEO Like a Pro – Top 3 Things to Do.” Bad page titled is “SEO,” or page having no titles like “Untitled.”
b) Page descriptions – Create unique and descriptive keyword-rich page description. Summarize your page in brief as this section acts as an initial sales copy that plays a huge role in convincing people to click-through to your website and know more about what you do and offer.
For page descriptions, limit its lenght to 150 characters.
c) Page Formatting – Use proper formatting to make it easier for your readers to read content on your web pages. Use headings (H1) and sub-headings (H2, H3, and so on) to emphasize important sections within the page.
Moreover, highlight important points with italics, underlines, and bold faces.

Use easy-to-read fonts (use 12px font size).

Use small paragraph. Do not use more than 2-3 sentence in each paragraph for easier reading experience.

3. Optimize Images on Your Website

While it true that good content can stand on its own, but other web pages elements such as graphics can also make your page stand out and make them more interesting.
For example, original images may help convey the ‘right’ context of the page to the readers so that they know quickly what the topic is about.
* If you’re using someone else’s images, make sure to give a credit to your source.
Next, optimize the image size. Keep your image size smaller without compromising its quality. Use tools such as Photoshop (any version) to quickly optimize your images.
Use a descriptive filenames – Use keyword-rich filenames, as it will help search engines index your images better.
Well there you have it. We just discussed 3 ways you could start to SEO like a pro.
Tell us if they were helpful? Have you used any of these strategies to make your web pages more useful, interesting, and engaging to your audience before? Please share your thoughts and idea in the comment box below.
If you’re a small business, hiring a SEO agency will not be a viable answer to your SEO needs. Having an in-house SEO department will be sufficient.
However, if you’re running a large corporation that needs SEO service, having an in-house SEO department will be somewhat limiting for the growth of your business as your SEO requirements may be greater than what your internal department can handle.
Things can go pretty nasty especially when the in-house SEO department do not have the “right” SEO tools and know-how to solve the pressing issues.
In this case you’ll have to seek the help from a third-party SEO provider/agency.
SEO agency may be costly for small business, but for large corporations, their services might be bliss in terms of costs, time, and productivity. They can get things done rather quickly and smoothly, saving you plenty of time and money, which an in-house SEO department may lack.
So, let’s discuss the pros and cons of having an In-house SEO department and know when to utilize each other’s services depending upon different situation you will face.

 

Pros and Cons of Having an In-House SEO Department

 

Pros of having an In-house SEO department:

1. A Fully “Dedicated” and “Focused” SEO Team for Your Business

SEO agencies have several projects at their plate on any given time. Even if they’re working for your SEO projects, they’ll still be working along with other clients. That means your projects may not always be their number 1 priority. As a result, your projects suffer due to lack of commitment.
On the other hand, having an in-house SEO means your SEO staffs will be spending their entire time focusing solely on your projects only. Your SEO requirements will be their priority.
As a result, you’ll likely get higher ROI and within deadlines too!

 

2. Foster Better Communication/ Higher Productivity between Departments

Having an in-house SEO department is an added bonus for your business. Instead of mixing marketing with SEO, keeping a separate small department in your business (depending upon your company size) will help foster group cohesion and communication among members of different group.
Throughout the day, your SEO staff may be working together with the marketing, or creative, and even web design experts. As a result, any bottlenecks in terms of communication will dissolve, issues will begin to subside, and productivity will increase.
Well, those are the two benefits of having an in-house SEO department at your company. Now let’s see some disadvantages you may face.

 

 

Cons of having an In-house SEO department:

1. Costly in Terms of Resources – Time, Money, and Tools

Having an in-house SEO department may mean additional cost for your business, especially if you’re in a budget.
A separate department means purchasing new furniture (desk and chairs), computers, find additional office space, and software and tools, all of could add up to serious money. You’ll also have to offer employee benefits such as allowance, offer vacations, insurance, and other perks that comes with hiring an employee.
On the other hand, you can have all you SEO needs fulfilled by simply hiring a professional SEO agency/consultant and pay for their services, without having to hire anyone!

 

2. In-House SEO May Not Be For You

If you’re looking to grow your business, SEO is crucial to quickly set yourself as an industry expert, build a strong brand, and increase web traffic to online sales. However, if you’re just starting out your business as a small business, you’ll want to be careful while setting up a different SEO department.
As discussed above, not it can be costly for your business, but SEO department may actually hinder your success too, especially when you do NOT have experienced and well-trained SEO staffs. You’re never sure until you get results.
In addition, hiring SEO staffs doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get higher ranking. You’ll also need an effective copy (content) that needs to be produced on a regular basis. Or there must be a solid link building strategies that needs to be care of.
Other times, you’ll also have to use pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns to grow your business to the next level. All these marketing tasks cannot be handled by the SEO department only.
You’ll have to get a help from a professional SEO consultant who are qualified and result-oriented to offer SEO and Internet Marketing services too.

 

If you are operating an online business, but struggling to rank for keyword phrases related with your niche, then you may probably look for a SEO company to propel your online efforts with their “specialized knowledge.”
Why should you hire an SEO company to take your business to the next level?
Because, after a certain stage, and most likely with your limited amount of knowledge on SEO and limited resources, it become very difficult to keep up with the SEO updates, rank for your major keyword, particularly if it’s highly competitive.
Yes, using the specialized SEO knowledge of a professional company is best way to gain MORE visibility for any business, especially if they have all the right tools, techniques, experience, and proven results so that you stay one more step above your competition, gain all the traffic you’ve craving for, and then, literally profits from MASSIVE online sales.

 

Here’s how you can propel your online efforts with specialized knowledge:

 

Keep Your Content Up-to-Date –

 

1. Keep Your Content Up-to-Date

Does your site contain the same old, outdated, or worse, irrelevant content on it? If it does, you will probably irritate your potential clients.
Don’t do this as your visitors spend plenty of time to come up with search terms to find exactly what they need. They want to land on sites that provide relevant and up-to-date information for their search terms.
Here’s how you can propel your online efforts – start creating relevant, unique, and helpful articles, with engaging pictures, and other documents. Keep them updated, frequently.
Remember the golden rule to online success – always keep it real and fresh.

 

2. Use Proper:Relevant Keywords on Your Site -

 

2. Use Proper/Relevant Keywords on Your Site –

People will find your site faster and easier when you use proper (relevant) keywords on your site and its content. This is because search engines often want to redirect customers to the most relevant site for their search terms.
So when you use highly relevant and popular keywords that best describe your business, then MORE targeted people will start visiting your site and purchase what you have to sell.
Plus, they will less likely visit your competitor’s site too.

Happy group of finger smileys with social network icon

3. Establish Social Networks –

Do you want to gain higher search engine rankings for your site, quickly? Why not use social media networks and become active to engage, inform, and attract your customers?
Create a Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other bunch of popular social media accounts for FREE and start interacting and building genuine relationship with our potential customers by adding value to them.
If they like what you have to say, they’ll not only purchase from you, but they’ll help make it go viral by sharing it to their friends, families, or someone they know who may benefit from it.
Not to mention, you’ll also likely see surge in rankings you’ve been imagining before.

4. Post Videos to Engage Your Visitors on Your Site –

4. Post Videos to Engage Your Visitors on Your Site –

Most people who visit your site are in a hurry, and they want helpful information quickly. As a result, they only spend few minutes and leave after they’ve found the information they need.
But if you want to keep you visitors longer on your site, there’s a better way to do so – upload relevant and helpful videos. Videos offer an effective and easy way to learn MORE about your services and products.
Not only people will understand what you offer, but they will also start to trust you more, and hopefully do a business with you, soon.

 

Get a HELP of a Professional SEO Company –

 

5. Get a HELP of a Professional SEO Company –

If you are newbie on the Internet, or simply don’t have the right tools, resources, and expertise to develop and maintain an engaging site, then you can hire a professional SEO company who have specialize knowledge to make your site relevant, popular, and highly profitable.
Hiring a professional SEO company is the best way to benefit your business and take it to the level you’ve always imagined.

 

To Sum it ALL …

Setting up a strong online presence and maintaining it requires that you are well-versed in the latest SEO methods and practices so that your business is always a step ahead of your competitors.
However, if you do not have the tools, time, and resources to follow effective SEO strategies, then you can hire a professional SEO consultant who can handle all these technical stuffs for you.

Contact us to get ethical, latest, and effective SEO services.

Hiring a professional SEO consultant may be your first step towards promoting your site/blog, but the wrong choice could be disastrous to you – pouring tons of money, hiring the wrong consultant, not ranking in search engines, and so on.
You get the picture?
So make sure you are aware of the advantages of hiring an SEO specialist as well as all the risks involved and potential damage a bad SEO consultant can do to your business and your site.

1. Don’t believe their “Hype”

1. Don’t believe their “Hype”

If an SEO consultant or a company guarantees “#1 ranking in Google” in a very short span of time, within a week, inquire about their SEO tactics. If they hesitate, just move and find another one.
Fast ranking is possible, however, it takes time.
In fact, it takes a lot of time, probably 3 to 6 months at minimum to rank for a competitive market/ keywords.
So do me a favor – ensure that your potential SEO consultant is not going to get you there by using Google Adwords paid service!
Well, there’s nothing wrong using Google Adwords paid service to bring more traffic to your site, but if your potential SEO consultant tells you that you are not going to rank well in search engines without pouring money in “Google paid service,” its time your move on.
Remember, paid service (ads) is not search results!
It is acceptable to supplement traffic to your site using Google ads in order to rank, but just ensure what you are paying for. Nobody can predict high SERPs rankings, but many SEO firms do make unrealistic guarantees.
Watch out when they make wild promises to submit your business site/blog to 1000s of directories, or any other “apple in the sky” schemes that are impossible to achieve.
Heard about the old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true?”

Inquire About the SEO Consultant and Accept No Secrets

2. Inquire About the SEO Consultant and Accept No Secrets

Sit down and talk with your potential SEO consultant and figure out what you will be getting and also how they will plan to achieve those results.
Just remember – you are putting your business reputation on line when you submit your site to a SEO consultant. How your site will rank and get in the 1st page of Google could either make or break your business.
For instance, if the potential SEO consultant are using “black hat SEO” tactics or by violating Google’s rules, it is YOUR site/blog that will get penalized or even banned from SERPs.
Of course, most SEO consultants won’t tell you all the details about their SEO tactics as it would be tiring and time consuming.
Sometimes, the best search engine marketers also don’t know everything about the SEO methods they will use until they actually get “into” the project. If search engine optimization was that simple, you could have done that all by yourself wouldn’t you?
In fact, SEO is not only a time consuming process, but also a very complex and evolving process.
So, if a SEO consultant sighs away from giving you at least an overview of their optimization process and claim that it’s their “well-kept secret,” then they are someone you don’t want to trust your business with.

In order to avoid hiring a “Bad” SEO consultant, you can ask these questions during an interview-

In order to avoid hiring a “Bad” SEO consultant, you can ask these questions during an interview:

  1. Ask them to show past success stories – i.e. examples of their work
  2. How do they figure out what keywords phrase to target for your business?
  3. Do they comply with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines?
  4. Do they have marketing experiences besides search engine optimization service and backlink building?
  5. Do they offer any other type of marketing services?
  6. What kind of result you will likely expect from them and the timeframe to achieve it? How will they measure the site’s success?
  7. How do they get backlinks? Do they use paid link schemes in low-quality sites that won’t do anything useful in search engine rankings?
  8. Localization is very important! Do they have experience in local marketing – in your country, city, or region?
  9. What different SEO strategies they use and what do they consider the most important?
See, finding a trustworthy SEO consultant can be really difficult, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t take time to make an informed decision.
Take plenty of time and select SEO Company wisely as it can not only save you lot of time and effort on your part, but also give you the results and awesome ROI your business desperately needs in order to excel online.
Remember – if your SEO specialist doesn’t know proper SEO, you’ll only attract more potential hazards and downfall than promoting your site online successfully.
Of course, you may want to choose us as your SEO consultant. We perform SEO (on-page and off-page) very well, and we do it right. Here is why.
Contact us and feel free to ask us anything you have in your mind to know about our professional SEO consultancy service.
If you are running an online business website, at some point or other, you probably have come across this question: “how much should I spend on SEO?” or “how much do I spend on SEO?”
Well it’s a tough question, but I’ll try to answer it anyway!

 

What is your major goal of your site?

The question “Should I spend for SEO or not?” begs for another question and that is “What is your major goal of your site?”

So, if you are running a real online business where you are thinking of supplementing your current income, or even, transform it into a “real source of income,” then I think you need to be open on “investing in search engine optimization (SEO).” Period!

SEO often turns out to be the foundation of online marketing and continues to be one of the major sources of regular traffic.
Not only will you need to invest money, but sometimes you will also need to invest considerable amount of time too and there’s a reason for that.
There’s a wide spread misconception across the Internet about starting online business! —
There’s a lot of build a site and see traffic mentality going on among website owners. In other words, most people think if you just set up a site/blog and leave it just like that, viola … you have money making machine overnight.
While it’s true that doing business online is cheaper and easier and even quicker than doing business offline (you don’t have to set up a physical stores and face other issues while running a brick and mortar business), but by no means it is a sure thing.
That means you still have to put effort to make it a success!
No, don’t get me wrong. I am NOT saying starting an online business isn’t worthy, or profitable, or you shouldn’t. I am just pointing out that if you want to grow your business and make it profitable, you need to treat it seriously too.
With that said, yes, you will have to spend both your time as well as your hard earned money into generating traffic. Because without traffic, you don’t have money, right?

 

So now you know whether you should spend CASH for SEO or not, another question pops up, i.e. “how much should you spend on SEO?”

Well, you will need to spend some numbers in order to:
  1. Figure out how many visitors it takes in order to make a sale.
  2. Plus, you may want to know how much a sale is worth to you and then fine-tune your SEO budget accordingly.
If you are using PPC as part of your SEO campaign (most website owners waste TONS of money on PPC that fails to convert) then spend wisely, otherwise, it can suck you dry!
For organic traffic, though, you may find SEO services costing you everything from $19.99 for “mass submission service” (avoid them as you’ll likely lose your $19.99) to thousands of dollars each month worst, you get your website penalised by the search engines like Google.
Likewise, most small- and medium-sized enterprises (SEMs) usually spend around $300 – $800 per month. Sometimes, the numbers may also go a little bit higher, probably $500 to $1500 per month.
So if you’re spending somewhere between that range, then you should expect to get a quality SEO services from SEO consultants.

 

Often do I get surprised to hear people getting irritated or even hesitant to spend for quality SEO services.

Business owners don’t hesitate to pay for their doctor bills, or a mechanic bill, or even hire an expensive web designer, but when it comes to marketing their business seriously, they resent to pay for SEO.
If you have both the SEO know-how and ample amount of time, then by all means, please don’t pay any SEO consultant for their search engine optimization services.
Instead, we encourage for you to do it yourself (DIY).
However, if you cannot dedicate few hours a day or don’t have knowledge of proper and current SEO tactics, it is highly encourage that you should budget spending for SEO services.
Remember, driving traffic to your online business site is the key factor to make it become profitable and certainly not an area where you want to go cheap.