Frequently Asked Questions

We start every SEO campaign by deeply understanding your business: your products/solutions, ideal customers, industry, and competitors. We combine this knowledge with your business goals to create a strategy that drives qualified traffic—traffic that converts. For e-commerce clients, this means increased revenue. For other businesses, it translates to more Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs).

Keyword selection begins with understanding your audience and products. We then research competitor strategies to identify opportunities and gaps. Crucially, we focus on search intent. A seemingly obvious keyword might have nuanced intent, and our deep dive into search results helps us uncover this. By targeting relevant informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional keywords, we reach and nurture your audience throughout their customer journey.

We track a list of target keywords and monitor their ranking progress. Visibility reflects this progress. For example, if we track 100 keywords and initially rank at position 100 for all of them, our visibility is 0%. If we improve to position 1 for all keywords, visibility becomes 100%. Realistically, we'll see a mix of quick wins and more challenging keywords, resulting in a varied visibility percentage. The goal is consistent upward movement.

If you're familiar with "cost-per-click" (CPC) in paid advertising, you'll understand organic traffic value. Our tools estimate the CPC for a keyword. If we rank #1 for a keyword with a $5 CPC and 1,000 monthly searches, the organic value could be $3,000-$5,000 (based on estimated clicks). This helps quantify the value of your organic traffic. We often see articles with monthly traffic value in the thousands.

Organic traffic value helps demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) of your content. For example, if a blog post costs $1,500 to create and has a monthly traffic value of $3,000, you've achieved a 2x ROI in just one month. Content is a fixed cost, so if that piece generates $30,000 in annual traffic value, the ROI (or Return on Content Spend - ROCS) becomes 20x.

It depends. While that's the honest answer, we understand it's not ideal. Every website is different. A site like the NYT Wirecutter might rank for a competitive keyword in two weeks, while a new website could take 6-12 months and still not rank for the most competitive terms. Our clients typically see content ranking within 3-6 months, with this process accelerating over time. Year one focuses on building a foundation, while year two sees compounding benefits in ranking and traffic growth. However, it does depend. Schedule a consultation for a more tailored timeline.

Domain authority (DA) is a metric (similar to the older PageRank) that estimates a website's overall authority. It considers factors like website age, backlinks, and traffic. DA provides a benchmark to understand your competitive landscape and estimate how long it might take for your content to perform well. We also track DA growth over time.

Users are unique individuals visiting your site. Sessions represent the number of visits and pageviews. For example, 1,000 users might generate 1,800 sessions if some users visit multiple pages.

We have a detailed guide on SEO ROI. In short, ROI can be calculated as: ROI = (Incremental revenue from SEO - Cost of SEO) / Cost of SEO x 100 = % Example: ROI = ($600,000 - $60,000) / $60,000 x 100 = 900%

Keyword volume (or search volume) is the estimated number of monthly searches for a specific term. This data helps us understand the potential traffic for a blog post on that topic. For example, "why is bacon so good" might have 390 monthly searches. Depending on where your content ranks in search results for that keyword, your site could capture a percentage of those searches as visits.

For new sites or those new to SEO, it's important to be patient. SEO is a marathon. Early signs include increased impressions (Google indexing your site for more terms), followed by increased clicks. The primary indicators are growing organic traffic and attributable revenue or leads.

Paid ads require continual payment for traffic. SEO is more of a fixed cost. You invest in content, which then ranks and drives traffic over time. Think of paid ads as renting land, while SEO is like building a house – you’ve earned and own the asset (your organic traffic). Both have their place, but we focus on building your organic presence.

We're experts, but our focus is on building relationships. We become trusted mentors, helping clients grow traffic and revenue while also empowering their digital teams. We handle technical, on-page, off-page SEO, and content strategy effectively. But what truly sets us apart is our team and values. Learn more about them here.

We excel with e-commerce and B2B clients. In e-commerce, we love "third space" businesses—those catering to hobbies and passions (e.g., cycling, coffee). In B2B, we thrive on complex, technical industries (e.g., SaaS, MedTech, Manufacturing). We adapt our approach to the unique customer journeys in each sector. See our case studies or contact us to discuss your needs.

No, but we can happily refer you to agencies specializing in local SEO.

No reputable agency can guarantee specific rankings. SEO depends on many factors, including Google's algorithms. We do guarantee that we won't take on your business unless we're confident we can deliver results. We use proven frameworks and set realistic expectations.

SEO requires consistent effort over time. We typically work with clients on a 12-month contract to allow sufficient time for SEO to gain traction and deliver results.

Our contracts last 12 months. We find this timeframe necessary for effective SEO. We prioritize relationships and transparency, so we set clear expectations upfront.

SEO and paid ads work well together. We also encourage clients to repurpose our content for social media and email marketing. We can help you maximize your content's reach and impact.

Content is essential. It drives traffic, supports internal linking, and builds authority. It's the engine powering our SEO strategies.

Organic traffic growth (the right traffic) and revenue/lead growth.

SEO supports your digital marketing strategy by increasing organic visibility, driving qualified traffic, and enhancing lead generation and brand awareness. We tailor SEO to align with your unique goals and amplify efforts across other channels like paid media and content marketing.

Many SEO efforts have lasting value. However, traffic can erode over time as competitors create better content or Google changes its algorithms. Ongoing SEO ensures you stay ahead of the curve.

We proactively monitor updates, analyze their impact, and adapt our strategies. We avoid knee-jerk reactions and focus on long-term best practices.

We approach it like building a house. We start with a solid technical foundation, then build the on-page elements, add walls (content), and establish authority (off-page). We typically begin with an audit to ensure the right order of operations.

It depends on various factors related to your particular industry and the website’s authority. Some clients see results within a few months, and others take longer. Review our case studies or schedule a consultation for a more personalized estimate.

As organic traffic and leads increase, you can strategically reduce your paid ad spend. However, many clients choose to maintain both for a diversified approach.

Not always, but a website redesign can significantly improve user experience and conversions, especially as your SEO efforts drive more traffic.

Absolutely. We can discuss specific examples during a consultation.

We're constantly learning, following industry leaders, and attending conferences. We stay on top of the ever-evolving SEO landscape so you don't have to.

AI presents both challenges and opportunities. We're excited about the possibilities and have developed a framework called C.L.A.R.I.T.Y. to help our clients navigate this new terrain and gain visibility in emerging channels. Learn more about C.L.A.R.I.T.Y. → 

In most cases, yes. However, there might be situations where it's not the best fit. Contact us for a consultation, and we'll assess your needs and provide honest advice.

Yes! Schedule a consultation to discuss your business and how we can help you achieve your organic growth goals.

Not at all. Our team can confidently drive your organic performance. While an in-house team can be beneficial, it's not essential.

Yes, we enjoy collaborating with in-house teams. This often allows for larger-scale SEO plans and can be a cost-effective approach.

Absolutely! We provide valuable insights and perspectives that your team might have missed due to our broad experience across various websites and industries. Let's discuss how we can empower your team.

Yes. Our audits range from $3,000 to $10,000+ depending on the project's size and complexity. Contact us to discuss your needs.

We offer international SEO as part of our services for existing clients, but not as a standalone service. Let's connect to discuss your specific requirements and create a tailored plan.

Yes! Schedule your consultation here.