Search Engine Optimization
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization, or Web Page Optimization, is the process of fixing a web page to better please the algorithms used by search engines. Your web pages must be optimized with specific keyword relevancy and must meet specific requirements set forth by each search engine. Web Page Optimization is a great option for a cost effective, long term solution for exposure in the search engines. Our search engine experts will work diligently with you to meet and exceed your company's marketing needs. Our experts are devoted to providing top keyword rankings in all the major search engines.

How does SEO compare to Pay-Per-Click marketing?

With a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing program, you can have listings in the search engines in just a few days. It's relatively fast and easy to achieve top 10 listings. The down side to PPC is you have to pay the search engines each time someone clicks on your listings. Over time, this can be expensive, depending on your industry. Eventually, your costs will outweigh your profits. Whereas, Search Engine Optimization is more cost effective over time. You do not have to pay for each click in the top listings. SEO takes longer to implement, but the results are worth the wait. Top placement can be achieved in 60 to 120 days. 

How much does SEO cost?

Ever heard the saying, "Time is money, and money is time"? When it comes to Search Engine Optimization, this slogan gets to the bottom of it. In other words, the more competitive your keywords, the more time and work it will take to achieve top placement for your keywords. The costs of an effective SEO program are related directly to your keyword list. Choosing specific keywords that are more targeted to your industry will increase the chances for top placement across many search engines and keep costs low and manageable.

Another factor that greatly affects the cost of your SEO program is your web site. The content, programming, layout, style, and images of your web site will affect the amount of work needed for optimizing your pages. Each web site is different and every web site needs to be analyzed by a SEO expert to determine the amount of work needed to implement a successful SEO program for your business. 

Pacific Internet provides a unique, custom SEO proposal for each new customer. With respect to the factors listed above, setup fees range from $1500 to $4000 for website optimization of 30 keywords. The more keywords, the more optimization needed, the more expense.

Why do my listings need maintenance each month?

A combination of research, optimization, submissions, link popularity and maintenance is the driving force to consistent, improved rankings in the search engines. It is not enough to do one without the other. In an ongoing effort each month, our SEO experts will monitor your listings and modify the codes on your web pages, when necessary. These modifications are done to keep your listings above your competition as best as possible. We will also continue to add and build links to increase your link popularity in the engines, which will boost your listings. Any time we modify your web pages, or create a new link, we must resubmit those web pages. This combination of maintenance ensures top positions in the engines, which is our ultimate goal.

With respect to the factors listed above, monthly maintenance fees range from $300 to $3000 for 30 keywords. For example, much effort is needed to maintain a top 10 listing in Google for the keyword "plastic surgery", whereas, less effort and maintenance is needed to maintain a top 10 listing in Google for the keyword "Fort Lauderdale liposuction". There are several other factors that affect the ability to maintain top 10 placement in the search engines i.e. market size, number of competitors, etc. etc.

How long will it take to get listed in the engines?

There are many factors that affect the time frame on when your listings will appear in the engines. The search engines all have their own way of indexing pages and some take longer than others. Our Search Engine experts try to anticipate the time frames on when to submit your web pages for indexing to expedite this process. Some of your listings may appear after 3 weeks of submitting, while others may take up to 6 months. It really depends on the engine and the competitiveness of your keywords.

Can I get the #1 position for my favorite keywords?

It depends on the competitiveness of your keywords. For example, the keyword "home loan" is more competitive than the keyword "ohio home loan". Achieving top placement for "home loan" will take a very long time because there are many companies who desire top placement for this keyword. 
However, the more specific your keywords, the better your chances for top placement and the more targeted your visitors. Targeted 2 phrase and 3 phrase keywords generate more qualified visitors who are looking specifically for your products or services, which in turn, result in a better conversion rate (that is, the ratio of hits to sales). A better conversion rate or ROI (return on your investment) is more desirable than being "king of the hill" for one or two generic keywords. 

How does SEO work?

Each search engine has a set of criteria or "algorithms" that it uses to analyze a web page on the Internet. These algorithms change from time to time. The search engines use a "spider" to crawl through all the web pages on the Internet. This spider will survey each web page and report how well the web page has met the search engines' algorithms. If your web page is optimized to meet the algorithms it requires, then, your web page will be indexed by the spider in the search engines' listings. Where you appear in the search engine listings depends on how well your web page met the criteria of the search engine, and how many other web pages are competing for placement for those same keywords. Pacific Internet Consulting Group's team of experts consistently study the changing algorithms of the search engines to maintain it's clients at the top of their keyword markets.

What is a Paid Inclusion?

According to Google in October 2007, there are 9.3 billion web pages on the world wide web. Many of these web site owners desire top placement in the search engines, just like you. The amount of web site owners who request to be indexed in the search engines is far greater than the search engines can handle, thus the delay in indexing. This volume of requests result in weeks and even months before a site is spidered and indexed in the search engines. Therefore, for faster indexing, some search engines offer an 'express service' called "Paid Inclusions". For a fee, the search engine will send it's spider to your web site and have your web page ranked within their index in 48 to 72 hours after payment. This submission fee varies per search engine, and is usually charged per web page. Some Paid Inclusion programs also charge a pay-per-click fee. Which means, each time someone clicks on your listing, you are charged a small click fee. Paid Inclusion is a great way to get your Search Engine Optimization program initiated quickly and start receiving visitors to your web site, while waiting for the search engines to spider the rest of your web pages, which just takes time and patience.

What's the difference between Paid Inclusions and Pay-Per-Click?

The most obvious difference between a Paid Inclusion and Pay-Per-Click program are where your listings appear on the search engine results page. The listings that appear in a Paid Inclusion Program are in the natural search results of the search engine results page. The listings that appear in a Pay-Per-Click Program are in the "Sponsored Listings" page or the "Match Listings" section of the search engine results page. Location of your listing is a very important factor. Statistically speaking, according to research conducted on how Internet users use the search engines, 7 out of 10 visitors will click on the natural search results (located in the body of the search results page). Whereas, only 1 out of 10 visitors will click on the "Sponsored Listings" results. Another difference between these two programs is that some Paid Inclusion engines do not charge a pay-per-click fee.