Good SEO services don’t come cheaply. We have some of the best SEO services Adelaide has to offer. One of the reasons we’re comfortable in making that claim is because we know we aren’t the right investment for every business.
First of all, let me enlighten you on the jargon, SEO stands for “search engine optimisation”. It’s an area veiled with mystery, where your website ranks on various search engines is dictated by their secret algorithms.
As with anything mysterious and secret, website SEO has garnered a reputation for being difficult to understand and achieve. Combine the mystery with elements of distrust that are resultant of ‘black hat’ technicians.
When we start talking about SEO services it’s important to understand that there are more than one type. This blog posts is specifically about local SEO services, how they work and what that investment means for your business.
Local SEO Services
Local SEO services are typically businesses like ReachLocal, Sensis (Yellow Pages) and HIPages obtain location based leads for your business via landing pages.
There’s a good chance that they contacted you first. Or your mate suggested you give it a go because it’s been getting them leads.
You’ll pay them money each month and, before long, your business will be ranking as a first page listing for your service type and area.
For example, if you’re a plumber in Seacliff, SA then it’s good for business if you show up on the first page when someone searches plumber Seacliff as well as plumber Brighton, plumber Seacombe, plumber Darlington, etc.
For as long as you pay your monthly bill then you’ll show up in searches based on your chosen service industry and locations.
Stop paying the bill and you disappear.
Why is that?
How Local SEO Services Work
ReachLocal, Sensis (Yellow Pages), HIPages and every other directory listing / lead generation services generally work by building a website and landing pages for you on a sub domain and leveraging their domain authority to get you on the first page of Google.
Less credible SEO services will usually work to achieve similar results through link building. TIP: If you’re talking to someone about SEO services ask them if they use link building. If the answer is yes then hang up the phone.
Ahh…there’s that jargon again. What does that sentence actually mean? Let’s break it down.
Lead generation – A process where leads are collected via an online form. In the case of service directory listings the leads are typically people who are looking to solve an immediate problem. Leads arrive in your inbox and you make contact to book an appointment.
Landing Page – A single page with one, specific purpose. In the context of service directory listings they’ll be a contact form that relates to a particular search term.
Sub Domain – A secondary domain listing from a primary website. EG yourbusiness.reachlocal.com.au
Domain Authority – How well trusted a website is by search engines.
Keyword – Search terms that people type into search engines to find something that they’re looking for. For example if you typed in SEO Services Adelaide hopefully that would have brought you to the Hardwood Digital website.
Link Building – Links to your website help search engines determine your credibility and authority. Links from well regarded websites are a good thing that will help you rank higher but are typically something you have to earn. Links from dodgy websites can result in your website being banished to search engine no man’s land.
What does all this mean for your local SEO ranking?
Over time, directory listing websites have established themselves as trusted authorities with search engines. They’ve also established trust with consumers meaning that they achieve high traffic to their sites. Combine these factors and it is easy for a directory listing service to get your business on the first page of Google.
The providers I’ve listed are also part of or backed by big, corporate entities.
How much you pay impacts:
- how often your business shows up in search rankings;
- what position your business achieves in search rankings;
- how many keywords your business ranks for and
- how many other businesses you’ll be listed together with.
Month after month, year after year, for as long as you keep paying your bill you’ll continue to show up on the first page (or two) and get leads from your local SEO service provider.
The trouble is, if you stop paying you’ll quickly disappear from the front page and the new leads will dry up.
Paying for this kind of local SEO service is effectively the same as renting a house. You’re paying someone else’s mortgage and will never own the (search authority) walls around you. It’s not uncommon that your yellow pages (or similar) landing pages rank higher than your own website.
If you feel that you’ll be content dating for the natural life of your business then investing in local SEO services is a good strategy for you.
However, if settling down and committing is more your style, building a home of your own and growing your business on your own terms then it’s worthwhile in investing in different options.
What other options are there to local SEO services?
The short answer to that question – LOTS!
The entire system created by a large SEO service provider can be created on your own website. Depending on the type of business you run there are many tactics you can use to get more traffic to your website and get more leads.
We start by analysing what you are investing in right now, identifying what’s working and where opportunities exist before recommending an online marketing strategy that’s a good fit for you and your business.
SEO possibly isn’t the right answer for your business. Join Tatum for a live, online workshop this Thursday and learn the three simple systems you need in your business to create consistent lead generation (hello holidays without having to worry about where your next bit of work is coming from. Register for the lead generation webinar here.
We offer a complimentary 45 minute strategy session (on the phone or Skype) where we learn more about you and your business and you ask us any burning questions you have. Decide for yourself whether we offer the best SEO Services Adelaide has to offer. Keep in mind we work with businesses outside of Adelaide, with lower overheads than interstate we offer competitive rates if you do choose to engage us.
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