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Do I Really Need An SEO Expert?

Can’t I Just Do It Myself?

Information and Free SEO Tools

With all the information and free SEO tools that are out there, you might be wondering whether you really need an SEO expert. After all, hiring an SEO expert may seem like a costly line to add to your marketing budget if it is something that you have never done before.

Let’s start with the question of whether it’s possible for a business owner to conduct their own search engine optimization. The answer is yes, it is possible. But remember, whatever time you devote to SEO, is time that you need to take from somewhere else. It is common for business owners to hire accountants, financial advisors, lawyers not because the work is impossible for the business owner but because these are areas that are outside the business owner’s area of speciality and the business owner’s time can be better spent elsewhere. (Not to mention the fact that there can be serious consequences for these jobs being done wrong.)

So here are a few reasons why you should seriously consider hiring an SEO expert.

Your Online Success is Determined by Your Search Engine Optimization

Do you even remember what a phone book is? The new generation of consumers have grown up researching everything online. So when they come looking for your product or service, chances are they will look for it online before they come walking into your physical building.

This makes it vitally important that businesses are successful online – and that is determined by how good your SEO is.

Learning the basics of SEO may not be difficult, but it often takes an SEO expert to take things to the next level. We don’t have to spend hours and hours learning the tricks of the trade – we already know them.

If online success is important to you, you need an SEO professional.

Good SEO Takes Time

If you are not prepared to spend a lot of time on your search engine optimization, then it is best to hire an SEO expert. While some tasks such as submitting your site to search engines can be done relatively quickly, there are others that are time consuming and long term.

SEO is not a destination but a journey. Building backlinks, establishing a reputation through blogs, social media and other tools and then using metrics to analyse your success and tweak strategies are all part of a good SEO plan. But if you are not prepared to take time from your day to day operations, then you need an SEO expert.

Website Optimization Done Wrong has Consequences

If your business’s accounting or legal matters are done in the wrong way, it can have some serious consequences for your business. The same is true if your site optimization is done wrong. No one will go to jail over shoddy SEO techniques, but they could cost your business a lot of lost revenue.

If SEO is merely done poorly, your site will not receive a good ranking in search engines. Since people rarely search beyond the second or third page, this means that your potential customers may end up as customers of your competition rather than you.

If SEO is done unethically or uses techniques that violate Googles (and the other search engines) strict guidelines, your site could be banned from the search engines altogether.

So, if not being found by your potential customers is not a risk that you are willing to take, then you need a reputable SEO expert.

The Complexities Might Not Be Something Your In-house Team Is Able To Handle

The strategies must change regularly in order to keep up with the always-changing algorithms and search trends. Things that might not get your site penalized or banned now may in the future. It’s best to leave it to the experts.

As Long As You Outsource To The Right Company, You Will Save Money In The Long Run

This is because search engine optimization is an activity that takes certain skills and knowledge that are acquired overtime. Teaching these skills to your staff will take a lot of money and time, and in attempting to do so, you will be keeping them from other important tasks. When outsourcing to experts, the SEO strategy will begin right away.

Experts Are Prepared For Both The Short-term And The Long-term

Scalability is no problem for them, as they are prepared to handle your increased needs as time goes by. In order for an SEO campaign to be successful, it requires good management. A great deal of tracking, testing, and analytics are required.

Outsourcing This Kind Of Work Will Give You A Peace Of Mind

You will be confident that the right things are being done with your site. Unless you’re an SEO professional with a lot of experience yourself, you will never be totally confident that you are doing the optimization correctly.

Having A Fixed Cost For Your Search Engine Optimization Campaign Makes It Easier To Plan Ahead Financially

You can evaluate the return on your investment. With a good company, you will most likely find the cost of the SEO is outweighed by the higher returns from increased traffic and sales.

The Keywords You Should Be Optimizing For Are Constantly Changing

Certain keywords need to be used on certain pages for the best results. Do you have the tools required to test them and to keep track of which ones are working right now? SEO professionals have them, and will constantly evaluate how effective they are now and in the future. In order to achieve the best results, search engine optimization activities must be performed on-page and off-page at least once a week, if not every day.

Now that you understand the benefits of working with an SEO company, you need to choose one. Not all companies are the same, so you must choose one that has a good reputation for providing a customized solution. Since your business is unique, your optimization needs may be different from other businesses. This means that you do not want to settle with a generic “one size fits all” type of SEO campaign. Go with experts who will work with you to create a tailored plan just for your business.

Steps You Need To Get Started

– Create a separate page for each area you want to optimize for. Put the name of the city or town in the URL on the header. Optimize the other main on-page SEO elements for the local keyword as well: page title, H1 tag, body text, and image tag. Create the content, which includes the name of your business, directions, local phone number, address, photos, and any specific details about the location.

– Each page should be easily found on your website and unique to the specific location. The location pages should be easily found by Google “crawlers”. Don’t have duplicate content on all of the pages, with just the name of the city and address changed – come up with unique descriptions and content. You must provide a user experience that is clearly tied to the specific location the page is about.

– You might have to prioritize your locations. Ideally, you will want to rank as high as possible with all of them. However, if there are time and resource restraints, prioritization might be required. Use a tool such as Google Keyword Planner to identify the frequency of search terms for every city. This will give you an idea of where you will want to spend most of your SEO efforts.

– Keep blog posts specific to each city you are involved in. You can post blogs or news blurbs about local events related to your industry.

– Use the channels offered by search engines to help you establish your company and where you do business. You will need to not only create pages in directories such as Google Places, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Local Yahoo, Urban Spoon, etc…, but maintain them as well. Keep them updated with news and information about your business.

– You’ll want to complete your Google Places for Business profile, and link it to your main website. It’s important to do the verification process, as it provides legitimacy to your company and website. When linking your profile to your site, always do so with the location-specific pages.

– Try to gather reviews and ratings for each location. Generating natural reviews is very beneficial for your marketing and sales. Ask your customers to share their experiences with your company on the aforementioned business directories. Even having a few negative reviews can help your search engine rankings. The more legitimate reviews you have, the easier it is for search engines to determine your site’s relevance.

The more business locations you have, the more competition you are going to have to go up against. If you combine these steps, and work with professionals who offer SEO services in Toronto and surrounding areas, you will have everything necessary for improving your organic rankings.

Future Outlook

The internet marketing and SEO workforce is expected to still be in demand in the future. Another study, by Gartner Research, suggests that nearly half of all new internet serving solutions being developed will be generated from start-up companies. Start-up businesses need help building their brands, and require search engine experts to help them.

Web Marketing Specialists

Some of the most sought-after professionals in the US and Canada are web marketing specialists. These professionals are responsible for keeping up with the always-changing internet trends and being up to date with the latest strategies. They do everything from checking positioning and stats to helping clients build relationships. Web marketers with social media experience and SEO knowledge are especially in demand.

Account Managers

There is also a high demand for account managers with SEO knowledge and expertise. The demand for this position has more than doubled over the past couple of years, rising from 9% in 2012 to 20% in 2015. The salary has risen considerably as well.

Other in-demand SEO/web marketing positions include SEO marketer/manager, Analyst/Strategist, Coordinator/Assistant, and Director of Marketing.

Reasons for SEO Jobs and Salaries Increase:

– Many businesses cite that their #1 obstacle in the way of search engine success is lack of in-house SEO talent. They are willing therefore to spend more money in order to fill the gaps.

– Content marketing is at an all time high, and SEO goes hand in hand with it. Content does, after all, need to be optimized properly in order to be found by the search engines.

– Nobody relies solely on paid media tactics anymore. This is because internet users are starting to ignore ads all over the web, including Facebook. Some experts now call branded content on Facebook “wallpaper”. People aren’t even noticing it, and some companies are starting to realize that it’s a waste of time and money.

– SEO related jobs themselves are becoming more and more complex. It’s no longer enough to just do a bit of keyword research and help companies with on-page optimization. Now, the role of a search engine optimization expert involves mastering every aspect of SEO technology, managing budgets, doing demographic and market research along with keyword research.

Other in-demand SEO/web marketing positions include SEO marketer/manager, Analyst/Strategist, Coordinator/Assistant, and Director of Marketing.

Future Trends in Digital Marketing Jobs

Traditional strategies, including link building and article directory submission, are becoming less important, as Google algorithms are now more sensitive to attempts to manipulate a website’s back-link profile. Professionals who can handle a variety of specialized and broad tasks will have the best chance of getting a job.

Canada SEO jobs are primarily available in the big cities, although there will always be experts who prefer to telecommute. The great thing about this industry is that it provides so many opportunities.

Factors That Determine Search Engine Rankings

There are a number of factors that determine search engine rankings. In 2014, the most important factors included:

– Quality of content
– Technology and performance of website
– Social signals
– User signals
– Quality and (to a lesser degree) quantity of back-links
– User experience

Imagine how many hours must be put into all of these on a daily basis. SEO companies must also keep up with all of the latest algorithm changes, which happen regularly. Even if they do put in all of the effort required, there is still not a guarantee that your site will make it to #1, since trends change every day. Most industries are saturated right now and it’s very difficult to stay ahead of the competition.

Another reason why you should not trust SEO experts that guarantee specific results is that they might use underhanded tactics that will get your site banned. They might try to spam search engine algorithms and build links the wrong way. It doesn’t matter to Google if the SEO service providers are the ones doing the underhanded tactics, it’s you who will get the blame for it.

Keep in mind that not all SEO companies are bad. Some of them are honest and do everything the right way. It is worthwhile to work with these companies since they will increase your chances of getting a high rank.

Google recommends that you asked a search engine optimization company the following questions before hiring:

– Do you follow the official Google Webmaster Guidelines?
– What is your experience in Toronto (or nearby area)?
– May I see examples of your previous work?
– Can you share success stories from your previous clients?
– What techniques do you use?
– How does your company measure success?
– What communication methods do you offer?
– Will you provide detailed information about what you are doing with my site?
– Will I be notified of any changes you make?
– Are you able to develop a custom plan based on the goals I provide you with?
– Do you offer any other type of marketing services with SEO

Never trust a company that doesn’t explain clearly what they are planning to do. If something is unclear, ask for an explanation. If they still don’t explain to your satisfaction, walk away. Remember, it’s YOUR company that they are optimizing for, so they shouldn’t withhold any information about what they are doing.

It’s in your best interest to learn the basics of search engine optimization and to familiarize yourself with the Google, Yahoo, and Bing webmaster guidelines. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what to look for in SEO experts.

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