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1 By: Tony Draper

2 Table of Contents Why Search Engine Optimization?... 3 About Your Local Internet Marketing Team... 5 Why Hire a Local SEO Consultant... 6 Benefits of Hiring a Search Engine Optimization Consultant... 6 What Should You Look for in a Local SEO Consultant?... 9 What Questions Should You Ask Potential Local SEO Consultants? Conclusion Page 2

3 Why Search Engine Optimization? With the invention of high-speed Internet, smartphones, and mobile tablets, consumers now have a convenient and quick way to find local products, services and companies. People hardly ever rely solely on newspaper, radio, and television ads to get information anymore. Those options have been replaced by online video marketing, online stores, social media, and more. This makes the Internet extremely powerful for local businesses. Yet, since most businesses are now focused on getting more online exposure, the competition has intensified. Therefore, it s important to make sure your company is doing all you can to gain more online visibility. It takes a LOT more than just having a website. You need a website that is visible in the search engine results. Every day, people flock to the internet search engines to type in phrases such as, Houston Real Estate Agent, Italian Restaurant in Atlanta, and Milwaukie Hair Salons. These location-based search terms are what your company should focus on in your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. This way, your site will receive highly-targeted traffic; which means it will come up higher when people in your local area are looking for your type of products or services. Companies that have invested in effective SEO are getting all of the traffic. Did you know? There are more than 100 BILLION searches per month just on Google alone 71% of purchase decisions are started with a search engine More than 1/3 of all MOBILE searches are for LOCAL information (12 BILLION) 75% of users never click past the first page when performing searches Page 3

4 As you can see, having a strong search engine presence is a must if you truly want to use the internet as the powerful lead generating tool it is capable of being. SEO is powerful because it: Provides more online exposure Increases website traffic Helps you achieve higher search engine results Extremely targeted Builds Trust and Credibility Generates interest in your products and/or services Cost-effective when compared to other types of marketing All of this translates into more leads, sales, and profits; so the more eyes you can get on your business online, the more revenue you can bring in as a result. However, it s difficult to increase your search engine rankings unless you have the tools and expertise to push your company website prominently to the top. SEO involves a lot of work including: Keyword research Proper keyword placement Link-building Citation-building Local listings optimization Onsite optimization Offsite optimization Social Media Engagement Blog Writing..and much more Doing it on your own can take up a lot of time that you just don t have; not to mention, the knowledge and skills it takes to do it properly. Page 4

5 About Your Local Internet Marketing Team Your Local Internet Marketing Team is a UK-based team of experienced senior marketing practitioners with backgrounds in world-leading brands, agencies and technology startups. We can either work alongside your own employees and teams to build and strengthen your in-house digital capability across a range of digital marketing disciplines or we can take away the hassle and act as a Digital Marketing arm of your business. Our services include (but are not limited to): Digital Marketing Strategy Social Media Marketing marketing Online Advertising Content marketing Video Marketing Digital marketing training Websites, mobile, apps and infrastructure Marketing technology support Sales Funnel Analysis SEO Outsource Management Project Management Clients include in-house teams as well as agencies who like to access our deeper level of expertise in particular platforms and approaches. Page 5

6 We re flexible, responsive and creative, but unlike a lot of specialists we don t hoard our knowledge. In fact our preference is to coach clients so that they are up-skilled and empowered to deliver solo when required. We promise no-nonsense commercial advice, and hands-on input, from a senior consultant, no matter what. Why Hire a Local SEO Consultant Quite frankly, there s a lot that goes into increasing your search engine rankings; and in order to do it correctly, you may want the help of a professional. An experienced search engine optimization consultant understands this and possesses the experience and expertise needed in order to boost your company s online brand and presence. Search engine optimization (SEO) covers an extremely broad spectrum and if not handled properly, it can quickly become overwhelming. There are multiple techniques involved in effective SEO marketing optimization. Unless you have the time to devote, as well as in-depth training on the ever-changing methods, chances are you ll need a professional. Benefits of Hiring a Search Engine Optimization Consultant 1. Experts in SEO: Even if you have some basic understanding of how SEO works, a search engine optimization consultant has in-depth, intricate knowledge that will help push you and your company above and beyond. Page 6

7 In addition, there are a lot of SEO techniques that greatly benefit one business yet wouldn t work as well for another. In other words, no two businesses are alike and SEO options need to be customized according to each company. Most professional SEO consultants have worked with several companies in many different industries, which will help them bring many avenues of expertise and SEO techniques that most people aren t aware of. A successful SEO plan requires adequate skills and knowledge to implement the best approaches to each client s individual needs and goals. You may have also thought about asking one of your employees to take care of SEO techniques for your company, but this is usually not a good idea. A professionally-trained SEO consultant is typically more experienced than someone who hasn t been properly trained on the various tools and techniques associated with SEO optimization. 2. Informed on the Latest Trends and Techniques: As you may or may not be aware, Google and the other major search engines are constantly changing the algorithms used to determine website rankings. One thing may work today, but tomorrow, it could be totally different. As a busy business owner, it would be difficult for you to keep up with all of different details of these changes. While it is important for you to stay in the loop and understand the basics, digging in and trying to apply these updates to your own website could be very laborious. Search engine optimization specialists stay on the cutting-edge when it comes to trends and techniques. A polished SEO consultant is always in the know about new marketing trends and SEO processes. Furthermore, they will let you know of any changes that need to be made to your optimization campaigns as a result. 3. Takes the Pressure Off of You: SEO implementation takes a lot of time and focus in order to be done properly and effectively. There s a lot of Page 7

8 research to do, as well as many different tactics that need to be implemented, which are also very tedious. As a business owner, you probably don t have the time it takes to successfully run an active SEO campaign and carry out all of the marketing tasks needed to optimize your website to the fullest. Getting a website to rank higher is a very intense process with many different moving parts. A search engine optimization consultant can handle all of this for you to ensure your site is ranked as quickly as possible without a lot of work required from you. Not only that, but they will help to ensure your website rankings are maintained whenever changes and updates are made by Google and the other search engines. In addition, a well-qualified consultant will keep you in the loop so that you understand what s going on and notify you on the progress of your website rankings along the way. 4. Comprehensive Competitive Analysis: It s no secret that a lot of people are very particular about where they spend their money these days. Some studies show that consumers have a higher opinion of brands when their websites come up on the first page of the results. In other words, they automatically trust those companies that come up high in the search engine results more than they trust the lower ranking websites. We all know that a higher ranking website doesn t always mean that the company s products and services are better; however, this is how the average consumer thinks. Therefore, in order to gain the edge on your competitors, you need the help of a local SEO consultant that will help you keep up with what your competition is doing. With a plethora of analytic tools and cutting-edge techniques, they will be able to thoroughly analyze your closest local competitors rankings and determine what you need to do to out-perform them. 5. The ROI is Great: Investing in a search engine optimization consultant will pay for itself time and time again. In fact, the fees alone are probably Page 8

9 less than the amount of time you d have devote to trying to run a SEO campaign yourself. Unfortunately, some business owners think that hiring a consultant to boost their online exposure is costly option or something they just don t think that they need. However, it s one of the most profitable investments you can make. A professional search engine optimization consultant can help you reach your goals quicker than trying to figure it out on your own. In return, you can expect to generate more leads, sales, and revenue. In fact, if you were to invest the same amount of money into less effective traditional advertising methods, your results wouldn t reflect anything near what a strong, solid search engine presence can bring. 6. Consistent Monitoring and Tracking: An experienced search engine optimization consultant knows which tools are needed to measure and monitor a website s rankings. In order to track the effectiveness of your SEO efforts, there are several detailed steps that come into play. This intensive level of tracking takes the expertise of someone who knows what to look for, as well as know how to be proactive to ensure your company s website rankings stick. Furthermore, a profitable SEO campaign involves getting your website ranked for additional keyword terms over time. Therefore, consistent monitoring is necessary in order to do so efficiently. What Should You Look for in a Local SEO Consultant? Many businesses have yet to hire a search engine optimization consultant because they re not sure about how to go about choosing the RIGHT one. Some companies seem to have a skewed idea about the honesty of SEO consultants. Unfortunately, some of them have heard of (or been victims of) unethical so-called SEO specialists. Although there are a few exceptions, most SEO consultants are typically honest, reliable people who aren t out to scam you. But unfortunately, Page 9

10 anyone can place the word expert and consultant by their name, even if they don t have the needed experience to help you and your company. So deciding whether or not your company should hire one can be a tough decision. However, there are some things you can do to ensure you are hiring someone who knows the business very well and will help your company website get the search engine exposure it deserves: Should Understand Your Target Audience: A good Local SEO consultant should learn as much as they can about your company in order to effectively rank your website. Ranking your website to target specific local consumers can only be accomplished if they understand the types of products and services you offer and what type of consumer you want to attract. If the person you are considering doesn t show a real interest in your business and the needs of your target audience, they may not be the right fit. If they re simply focused on trying to convince you that Local SEO is the magic bullet you need to rank your website to the #1 spot of Google in one week, beware. Real SEO takes time to achieve those types of results. There are rare cases when the above scenario can be accomplished, but it s not the norm. A good SEO consultant will ask you some very detailed questions about your products and/or services, your company goals, and the wants and needs of your customers. They should also be able to analyze your company s current search engine positions and tell you what your strengths and weaknesses are. Additionally, they will explain in great detail how they plan to help you actually solve the week areas and turn things around with SEO. Page 10

11 Should be Knowledgeable about Keyword Placement: Keywords (or the terms that people enter into the search engines when looking for information) are the foundation of any effective SEO plan. For instance, a Dentist operating out of Miami, Florida may want to incorporate the following keywords into their strategy: o Miami Dentist o Teeth Whitening Miami, FL o Affordable Dentist in Miami A good SEO consultant will spend some time with you determining what type of keywords your target audience is using the most. By optimizing your website, social media, online videos, and other online properties with these keywords, your company will gain a stronger search engine presence over time. Should be Focused on Content Strategies: Fresh, unique content is the bread and butter of a solid SEO campaign. The more content you publish across the web, the more traffic you can bring to your website. Search engines love content and use it as one of the primary ways to determine what your business is all about. As a result, the search engines deliver this content in the search results right in front of your potential customers. An experienced search engine optimization consultant makes sure that your website s content includes the most pertinent keywords and information. Not only that, but your content should offer information that your visitors would find useful keeping them coming back for more. This in turn will boost your search engine rankings, as well as bring in more leads and sales. Should Understand the Various SEO Levels: Search engine optimization is composed of: o On-page optimization (such as keyword integration, etc.) Page 11

12 o Off-page optimization (such as link-building, social media integration, etc.) o Content creation and distribution o Site structure (to make sure the search engines can crawl and index your website) o Local Listings (such as Google+ Local, Yelp, etc.) A knowledgeable SEO consultant will have a thorough understanding of all of these areas; they should understand how to analyze and improve all of them to help you achieve higher website rankings. Should be Ethical and Forth-Coming with Information: A reputable SEO consultant should have no problem answering any questions you have. So when talking to potential candidates, be sure to pay close attention to how willing they are to provide information. Be cautious of anyone who seems secretive about the methods they plan to use. There are a lot of unethical methods out there that could have a negative effect on your rankings; so be sure to ask specific details about how they plan to help your site achieve higher rankings. What Questions Should You Ask Potential Local SEO Consultants? 1. Ask to See Samples of Their Work: If the consultant has worked on in the past, ask to see some samples. This is the best way to assure you that they know what they re doing. You can check for yourself to see how well those websites are ranking simply by going to Google and typing in search terms related to that industry. 2. Ask How Long it Will Take to See Results: Again, SEO takes time; it is not a get traffic quick type of operation. If someone promises you that your site will rank for hundreds of keywords in a short amount of time, chances are they are not someone you want to work with. Sure that Page 12

13 sounds like it would be a good thing. However, real SEO does not happen overnight. 3. Ask About Their Experience: Don t hesitate to ask how long they ve been involved in SEO. Although longer, doesn t always mean better, it could be a good tie-breaker if it came down to it. Experience is always a good thing, so be sure to ask this question just so you know what you re dealing with. 4. Ask for References or to See Testimonials: An SEO consultant should have no problem connecting you with a few of their satisfied clients. This way, you can assume that if they re happy with the work they received, you should be too (in most cases). If the consultant seems hesitant about giving you references of letting you see testimonials, there s probably a reason for it. 5. Ask Detailed Questions About their Service Fees: You most certainly don t want any surprises when it comes to services, and the same thing goes for fees. Make sure you and the consultant are on the same page beforehand by getting detailed information about all fees involved. Be sure to understand any up-front costs, as well as on-going maintenance costs before you agree to work with anyone. Also ask about any additional fees that could come up along the way. Conclusion When it comes to boosting your online presence, gaining new customers and spreading the word about your business, a search engine optimization consultant is a necessity. Whether you are just starting up or you re an established business looking to maintain your position in the current local marketplace, you ll need a professional to help you with this labor-intensive process. Page 13

14 Remember, the Internet is constantly changing; if you want to effectively tap into your local audience via higher search engine rankings, you need the help of an expert. Ready to hire a local SEO consultant? I can be reached at I would love to discuss your ideas and help you develop a plan that will further grow your local business. Tony Draper Skype ID: tony.draper1 tony@yourlocalinternetmarketingteam.com Page 14