If your business has a website, you know one of the most frustrating things about marketing is getting it found by Google and other search engines like Bing, Yahoo, etc. The odds of your website being successful without ranking highly in Google is pretty remote. Let’s face it, for the vast number of customers on the internet, their adventure from home to product/service and back starts with a Google search!
So, to find out how this process works, we enlisted the insights of one of the top Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing Pros in the business, Todd Hunnicutt, Chief Marketing Officer of Real Internet Sales, to answer this and other questions about the confusing world of SEO.
HERE ROCK HILL (HRH)
Todd, thanks for joining us today to answer questions and help us understand the world of Search Engine Optimization.
Todd Hunnicutt
Glad to do it! Thank you for having me.
HRH
First, can you explain how sites get ranked on Google and why it’s important?
Todd Hunnicutt
Oh wow, that’s a relief. I thought you would ask about the nature of life or something like that. I mean, in reality, your question is that sort of question. It’s really broad in the sense that there are several ways a site gets ranked, and there are reasons that you might want to define that first.
HRH
Great. That sounds like a great place to start. Why don’t you define how sites get ranked?
Todd Hunnicutt
Sure. Google has two types of “ranking.” There are paid ads. These are often called Pay Per Click (PPC), and if you search on Google then you will see the word “Ad” beside these. Then, there is another type of ranking called Organic Optimization.
HBH
So, how do those two types of ads differ
Todd Hunnicut
Well, the PPC Ads are something you “buy” directly from Google. You “bid” on keywords, and based on your bid is where you appear in the search. The great thing about it is fast. The bad thing about it is that it really doesn’t “improve” your website. You’re basically just “renting” your ranking from Google. And, like rent, when you stop paying for it, you lose it immediately.
Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) enhances your website with new content and technical writing. You generally pay a marketing company or Search Engine Optimization company to work on your site, and fees are normally between $75-500 an hour. Organic SEO, unlike PPC ads, stays for longer periods; because it is direct website work that Google indexes. However, with competitive search terms over time, if you don’t keep adding new content, then it’s likely your ranking will begin to fall. But Organic SEO is much more like “owning” your ranking than renting it.
HRH
How much work and how long does it take for search rankings to improve with these different methods – PPC and Organic SEO?
Todd Hunnicutt
Well, PPC generally works as soon as you go on Google Adwords and buy your keywords. With organic SEO, it can take 6 months or longer (depending on the term), even though most people start seeing results in 60-90 days.
HRH
Wow, that’s a huge difference. Why would anyone wait for the Organic for up to 6 months when they could have PPC right away?
Todd Hunnicutt
Well, I love getting that question. It’s what I call Google’s dirty little secret. According to Google’s own statistics, only about 15% of Google users click on Ads or PPC. That means if you do decide to use PPC only as a means of advertising on Google, you are, by definition, going to miss 85% of the market.
HRH
Wait a minute, are you saying that Google’s stats say that only 15% of Google users, i.e., potential customers, actually use or click on the Ads?
Todd Hunnicutt
Yep. That’s what I am saying! And that’s normally the reaction I get from most of our clients as well.
HRH
Okay. So let me ask this, why would you ever use anything except Organic SEO?!?
Todd Hunnicutt
Haha. That changed your tune pretty quickly, right? But, there are many occasions when PPC is the perfect call. For example, if you’re a retail store and have a sale (or inventory to clear quickly), PPC works because you need the speed of it. You don’t have 60-90 days to index new content. So, PPC is your best bet!
HRH
Okay. That makes sense. So, when would you use Organic SEO?
Todd Hunnicutt
To generalize, in almost every other situation, organic SEO is the right call for our clients. First of all, it’s work that we can do that establishes them in their marketplace. In other words, even though we may be focusing on one keyword (new homes), by the very nature of content creation, we end up creating many additional keywords in the content (like energy-efficient homes, neighbor amenities, new home construction, etc.). So, our clients end up with many new “hooks in the Google water.” The creation of this content produces a lot of “long tail” keywords.
HRH
That sounds interesting – what is a long tail keyword?
Todd Hunnicutt
A long tail keyword is a keyword with specificity. In other words, it’s the difference between searching for “homes in Rock Hill” and “new homes in Rock Hill with neighborhood amenities.” It’s a much more specific search, and by the nature of content building in SEO, we create many more of these specific search terms linked to your site in Google. And one other thing that search engine research has shown us is that the more specific the search is the higher probability of “conversion,” which is just a fancy way of saying the more specific the search, the more likely a person is to buy.
HRH
Wow. That makes sense!
Todd Hunnicutt
Well, great! That’s one for me today. But, if you find the right digital marketing or SEO firm, they should be able to explain it in a way that makes sense. You shouldn’t buy it if they can’t explain it to you. Unfortunately, many firms in this space don’t do a very good job, and there is no standard rating agency or index. So, ask a lot of questions!
HRH
Thanks so much for your time. And, if any of our readers want further information, how can they contact you?
Todd Hunnicutt
If anyone wants to contact me, please call our firm, Real Internet Sales, at (803) 708-4015 or email me at todd@realinternetsales.com! I enjoyed it! I am always happy to answer any questions on Search or Internet Marketing. Thank You!
