SEO Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re reading this, we’re going to assume you know some of the basics of search engine optimization (SEO). If you need a refresher, check out our recent blog, Small Business SEO: A Beginner’s Guide and visit our other SEO pages.

 

What is SEO Marketing?

SEO marketing is online marketing for your business. SEO Marketing is the modern-day replacement for the Yellow Pages.

 

As a business owner do I need SEO Marketing?

If you want more business then there is a very good chance SEO can help you get more business.

 

IS SEO Marketing cost-effective?

SEO marketing can be cheaper than most other marketing strategies and it works best if you are looking long-term business growth. The issue with paying for ads versus SEO is when you stop paying for ads, that approach will stop getting you results as your marketing disappears immediately. When working with SEO, your positioning starts out slower, but after 6 months or so, you will start getting good leads that usually increase the longer you stay on SEO.

 

What is the difference between local SEO and Organic SEO?

Local SEO Search is your listings on local website directories and a search engine’s local search area. For Google, it is near the top of the search engine results page that has a map and 3 listings showing. Your Google Business Profile account can also help you with local search. Local SEO is very important if you have a defined service area of several cities or counties.

Organic SEO Search listings are below the local listings and there are at least 10 organic listings on page #1. Your website may appear in both the top local and organic listings if we’re doing everything right.

 

Should I get help with Local Search or Organic Search?

In most cases you will want to do both Local SEO and Organic SEO. In some cases there are too many corporate listings in organic search so your money may be better spent focusing local search. A good example of that is restaurants where most of the 1st page listings are delivery services and not local restaurant listings.

 

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What is a keyword phrase?

A keyword phrase is what someone types in a search engine to find the services or products they are interested in. For example, someone might type in “need a plumber to install a new hot water heater”. Or they may type in “plumber in the baltimore area” or they may just type in “plumber near me”. Each one of these phrases will place different results on every search engine.
We use industry tools to see what phrases people are really looking for. We then optimize for specific phrases that you can be competitive for. We set it up so you have a unique keyword phrase on each web page. In this way, you can cover all of the ways someone might search for your services.

 

Do I need to be on page #1 for my keyword phrases?

If you want to get more business then YES! There are usually hundreds of competitors in Local Search for a specific keyword phrase and millions of competitors in Organic search. And statistics show the majority of searchers don’t go beyond the first page to find what they are looking for. It is a challenging task to get you to the top page, but it is definitely doable. But it takes working with an SEO agency like Coastal Web to make it happen.

 

How do you get my keywords on page one?

We start by focusing on one phrase then add a 2nd phrase, 3rd, 4th, and so on. The longer you pay for SEO the more keywords we get you to perform well on. We may create new content for your website, consolidate content, or delete some altogether. For local search its all about popularity so we help you become the popular company.

 

Why should I work with Coastal Web Marketing over other SEO companies?

Coastal Web Marketing has been providing SEO Services since 2001. Coastal Web has been listed as a TOP SEO Agency for multiple years. We get results for our clients!

 

How much does SEO cost per month?

We normally charge $100.00 per hour for our services but since COVID we have been offering 2x more hours for our seo programs, averaging $50.00/hr for our services. We expect to continue that pricing through 2024. So now is the time to get onboard with our SEO services! Most of our competitors are charging between $125.00 to $175.00 per hour.

 

How many hours of SEO will I need per month?

The more hours we can spend on your Local Search or Organic Search, the faster we can get you placed higher on local search listings. Local search is usually in the 6-9-month time-frame for existing businesses to start getting really good leads and 9-15 months for new businesses. For organic the time is 12-18 months. The sooner you start the faster you get there! That timing depends on a few things:

• How many competitors you have in your area
• How much SEO your competitors have done
• How much SEO you have done previously (if any)
• How much your previous SEO company has done incorrectly
• Your physical location (small vs large town)
• Do you have a brick-n-mortar store or do you work from a residential home
• If you are focused on a small local area or multiple counties
• If your website SEO-Friendly
• How fast you want to get to the top of the SERPs

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What is the actual cost of SEO each month?

Our plans run anywhere from $400.00 per month to $ 2,400.00 per month, depending on your business and your budget. Some businesses have low competition and can get SEO marketing for as little as $ 400.00 per month. Other businesses, like HVAC and real estate agents, have much more competition and will need to pay more more month to get in the Top 3 on search engines.

 

Can you give an example of what I should be paying for SEO each month for my business?

It is hard to come up with an exact price as there are many factors and we would need to know your goals, and your budget, then we would perform a couple hours of research. Once that is done, we can get you a couple options.

 

How do your invoice for your services?

We offer a month to month commitment only so no long term contracts. We tell you right up front that SEO Marketing will take 6 months or more to get good leads so there are no surprises. If you absolutely need immediate leads then we can’t help you! Google recommends at least $ 2,000.00 per month for their pay per click programs to be successful so we recommed you go to a company that offers ads.

Once you look at your report, talk with us, ask questions and say yes to our SEO Program, we send an invoice on the 15th of the month and must be paid by the 1st of each month for the upcoming month. We offer ach, credit cards or debit card for payment.

 

OK, I’m interested in talking about SEO for my website. What’s next?

 

Get Your FREE SEO Report

Call us at 410-420-9390 or use our FREE SEP REPORT form. We’ll use industry tools to analyze your website as well as your main competitors, and go over all the results with you, showing areas where we can improve your online presence. If you sign up for an SEO plan with us, we can get started on the 1st of the upcoming month!