SEO Services
Keyword Analysis
Research key phrases in your industry that deliver the best quality traffic. Identify long tail terms relevant to your business along with generic keywords to get a good mix for a successful UK SEO campaign. We use various SEO tools to gather the keyword data and allow unlimited keywords corner the market.
Adopting a manual approach to keyword research and selection can seem like a daunting task; particularly if you have no prior knowledge or experience, Get it right and the rest takes care of itself - get it wrong and your entire strategy suffers as a result. This is why small and large businesses alike often hire help, involving third-party digital strategists to help them find the most appropriate keywords for their campaigns. Nevertheless, DIY keyword research and selection is not impossible.
There are just three basic steps that need to be followed, in order to identify, narrow down and ultimately select the perfect keywords and search terms for your business.
Prioritising Keyword Popularity and Relevancy
Before getting started, it is important to highlight the two qualities that underpin all aspects of keyword research - popularity and relevancy. Self-explanatory in both instances; popularity refers to the frequency with which a keyword is used, while relevancy indicates its relevance to the text or page in question.
While the complexities of in-depth keyword research and selection can be difficult to master, the basics are surprisingly easy to grasp. If you have already conducted a viable amount of audience research and competitor analysis, you should be in a perfect position to identify the keywords necessary.
This three-step process outlined in brief below will help.
Step 1: Initial List
- This is the part of the process where anything goes, and everyone involved should be encouraged to share their ideas; brainstorm with your employees and ask anyone that knows your business which words and phrases they would use to find it online.
- Always remember throughout the process that keyword research only works when adopted from the perspective of the customer. It is not you, your colleagues or your competitors who are searching for your business online – it is your target audience; this is where polls, surveys and direct questions by email can help.
- Take the time to look into the keywords and search terms your competitors are using, along with how they are ranking in the SERP listings. Analyse their content to determine how they are using keywords to such and take note of any weaknesses you could potentially leverage.
- It is also important to thoroughly analyse your own website and its content, you can use analytics to find out how people are finding your pages in the first place and which search terms are bringing them your way.
- After completing all of the above, you should be in a position to begin narrowing down your initial list of search terms. There is no ‘golden rule’ as to how many you should keep or eliminate, but limiting things to around 15 or less will make the subsequent steps easier to negotiate.
Step 2: Evaluate Keywords
- This is the part of the process where anything goes, and everyone involved should be encouraged to share their ideas; brainstorm with your employees and ask anyone that knows your business which words and phrases they would use to find it online.
- Always remember throughout the process that keyword research only works when adopted from the perspective of the customer. It is not you, your colleagues or your competitors who are searching for your business online – it is your target audience; this is where polls, surveys and direct questions by email can help.
- Take the time to look into the keywords and search terms your competitors are using, along with how they are ranking in the SERP listings. Analyse their content to determine how they are using keywords to such and take note of any weaknesses you could potentially leverage.
- It is also important to thoroughly analyse your own website and its content, you can use analytics to find out how people are finding your pages in the first place and which search terms are bringing them your way.
- After completing all of the above, you should be in a position to begin narrowing down your initial list of search terms. There is no ‘golden rule’ as to how many you should keep or eliminate, but limiting things to around 15 or less will make the subsequent steps easier to negotiate.
Step 3: Final Selection
- You should now be in a position to determine which of the initial keywords you came up with are popular, relevant and viable enough to be used in your campaign. In addition, the Google Keyword Tool will also provide you with an additional list of suggested keyword ideas, based on those you entered – many of which could prove invaluable.
- You can also use the Google Keyword Tool to check monthly searches by way of geographical locality, while identifying peaks and troughs at different times throughout the year. This is all information that should be noted and stored, to help you make strategic decisions based on seasonal variances.
- Making your final selection at this stage should be fairly easy, as it is as simple as matching few words with potential search volume to the content you intend to publish. It is essential to ensure that your keyword selection is based primarily on relevance and value to your customer – not simply the popularity of the search term.
- Keyword research should never be interpreted as a one-time-only project. Irrespective of how popular any given search terms may be today, they could be rendered largely obsolete within time.
- Keyword research should therefore be woven into your digital strategy as a regular activity, ideally conducted on a quarterly basis if time and resources permit this.
Coding Analysis
We provide detailed SEO audits for websites to identify weak areas in your site coding that are not in-line with Google’s criteria. We assist you getting the coding strong for organic search so we have a solid foundation to build on ensuring we reach page one ranking on Google for targeted keywords.
A conventional website analysis involves detailed research of your closest rivals and compares yours and their marketing strategy. An essential starting point for any aspiring business; find your SEO competitors and learn from them, ultimately leveraging their shortcomings. Of course, it is true to say that focusing too heavily on what your competitor is doing may be detrimental; your goal is not to emulate your rivals, but to find ways to improve your performance by seeing how they do business.
Identifying Your Competitors & Analysing A Website
First things first, it is important to acknowledge the fact not all of your SEO competitors will be operating within the same niche as you. For example, if you are targeting the terms “best pizza in Greenwich” you could also find yourself in direct competition with local restaurants, review sites, supermarkets, and pubs. This is where assumptions must take a backseat for strategic keyword research; it may seem rather complicated at first glance, but if the effort is put in you will seek the information you are looking for.
Here are the basic steps you will need to follow to conduct in-depth SEO competition analysis:
1. Identify Competitor Search Terms
These days, finding out which search terms your rivals are using can be surprisingly easy, some of the most popular of which are as follows:
- SEMrush
- Ahref’s Keyword Explorer
- SpyFu
- Moz’s Keyword Explorer
Using tools like these will help you quickly grasp which search terms are being targeted and how well they are ranking for the same terms. It can also be a great way of identifying golden keywords and phrases you never thought of.
You can of course conduct manual keyword research alongside this with your own base terms and ideas using the tools available as mentioned above.
2. Conduct Content Analysis
Keywords and search terms are only useful when there is a sufficient volume of quality content to back them up. Hence, you will now need to take a look at how the competitor has used its content marketing strategy to rank for its keywords and generated links.
There are some tools available that can simplify this process:
- Ahrefs
- Linkody
- Moz’s Link Explorer
While studying the content published by your competitors, analyse its quality, depth, relevance, value and appeal. Consider whether it is up to date or outdated, whether there is anything missing.
This can be useful for helping steer your own content in the right direction without falling into the trap of imitation.
3. Web Performance Analysis
Making improvements to your own websites performance should not be about getting ‘one up’ on your competitors; it should be about providing the best possible experience for every visitor you attract, irrespective of the competition.
Still, competitor website analysis can nonetheless be a great way of identifying their shortcomings and ensuring you do not make the same mistakes. This means taking a look at things like site structure and its navigation, page loading speeds and general fluidity, how well they cater to mobile audiences and so on.
When you evaluate your own website, it is important to conduct this analysis from the perspective of the customer. Try not to get too bogged down with the complexities – anything that would not be relevant or important to the customer is not worth taking into account.
4. Identify Good Backlinks
A tactic of questionable ethics, but one that can nonetheless produce positive results;
To pull it off, you will first need to use a tool like Ahrefs Site Explorer or Screaming Frog to find 404 error pages (i.e. dead pages) on a competitors website. You can then use Dead Link Checker to ensure that the backlinks pointing to this page are resulting in a 404 error, at which point you can contact the source sites and make them a better offer.
It sounds like an underhanded tactic, but linking to 404 error pages can actually work against the SEO profile of the source site, chances are they will be more than happy to redirect the link to one of your pages, if you can offer them a better deal.
5. Google My Business
Last up, it should come as no surprise to learn that Google places particularly heavy emphasis on Google My Business Listings. The better your performance and position in GMB, the more likely you are to climb the SERP rankings.
It can therefore be useful to take a closer look at the GMB listings of your competitors; are they regularly updating their listing with new information? What kinds of pictures and visual content are they using? Have they collected plenty of reviews and do they have a high star rating?
An appealing GMB listing is essential for reasons that go far beyond SEO, as this is often the first thing people see when searching for businesses like yours you need to do everything you can to ensure that your listing is at least as attractive as your competitors, if not more so.
Competitor Analysis
We analyse the website ranking on page one within your industry. We check the competitor backlink profiles and website coding to make sure we have the best of what they have for your website and know what the competitions website speed and response times are compared to your website. We make sure your website is equal or better to allow us the opportunity to conquer page one positioning.
To overlook the importance of competitor analysis is to make a major error of judgment; after all, how can you accurately measure your own performance if you have no idea about the competition? More importantly, how can you effectively differentiate yourself from your rivals, unless you have done in depth research? Most businesses would probably state with some conviction that they have a decent understanding of their competitors, but when quizzed as to how regularly they conduct formal competitor analysis, most would probably admit it is something they rarely do. Understandably, knowing where to start can be the biggest issue of all. This is why conducting in-depth competitor analysis and arming yourself with actionable insights can be as simple as answering a series of essential questions about your competitors.
Why is Competitor Analysis Important?
Competitor analysis is important extremely important for this reason: Your target audience is constantly comparing your performance to that of other businesses within your niche.
Whatever it is you do, it is highly unlikely that you are the only brand or business doing it. With competition in most business areas at an all-time high, customers (in B2B and B2B spaces alike) are quite literally spoiled for choice. If they can get a better deal elsewhere, that is exactly what they will do - loyalty is fleeting when there is such limitless freedom of choice. By conducting detailed competitor analysis, you effectively provide yourself with a blueprint for improvement; you will find out about their strengths and weaknesses in order to gain the competitive edge.
Competitor analysis also helps you identify new business opportunities, new audiences and new ways of delivering them. Whether your goal is to become the number-one brand in your field or simply close more sales to boost capital, in-depth competitor analysis is guaranteed to help you achieve your objectives.
Competitor Analysis Questions: A Complete Checklist
How much research is required to answer each of the questions outlined below will vary from one organization to the next. Nevertheless, all of the same essential questions apply, irrespective of who you are, what you do and the audience you target.
The Company:
- What exact products and services does the competing company offer?
- Is their target audience similar or identical to yours?
- Do they operate within the same geographic location as your business?
- What level of experience and track record do they have in your niche?
- Is it a large company, a small business, a recognised household name etc.?
- Who would they consider to be their closest competitors?
- What have they outlined as their primary USP or value proposition?
- Perhaps most importantly, why are they successful?
Their Products and Services:
- How similar are their products and services to yours?
- Is the quality of their products superior or inferior to yours?
- Do they offer their products/or services at a lower or higher price?
- What is the main reason people choose their products?
- Do their products/services fulfill a need that yours does not?
Marketing and Advertising:
- Which are the brands primary marketing and advertising platforms?
- How are they using keywords and search terms to drive traffic?
- What is their reach and engagement level on social media?
- Do they have an established and active content marketing strategy?
- Where do they appear in the search page results listings?
- Are they (successfully) using any forms of paid advertising?
- What kind of personality and tone of voice have they established?
Customers and Loyalty:
- How focused is the company on repeat business and customer loyalty?
- Do they incentivise people to come back for repeat purchases?
- How engaged is the brand with its audience on social media?
- Do they actively encourage and respond to customer feedback?
- What kind of reputation do they have on Google Reviews, Trustpilot etc.?
- How easy is it to get in touch with their customer support team?
- What do they do to make their customers feel appreciated?
Website and User Experience:
- How simple or sophisticated is their website?
- Do they provide a streamlined user interface and navigation system?
- How quick and easy is it to complete the purchase process on their website?
- Which other brands and businesses are they affiliated with?
- How are they using outreach and backlinking to their advantage?
- To what extent do they a prioritise customer safety and security?
- What other resources (articles, downloads etc.) do they offer online?
Evaluation and Action...
- Once you have collected all of the information above, you should be in a position to view the whole thing from the customers perspective and identify actionable insights.
- Replicating what your competitors are doing defeats the objective of conducting a competitor analysis.
Your goal should be to identify where and how you can make improvements for the benefit of your customers, ultimately gaining an edge in doing so.
- The input of an experienced and independent third-party could prove invaluable.
SEO Consultancy
Consulting with our clients to ensure they are aware of the SEO techniques we use is paramount. We consult with our clients each step of the way so together we can gage the success of the SEO techniques used. We provide SEO consultancy to technical departments for large firms and sole traders alike.
Craig Upton has been delivering successful SEO strategies since 2000 and has a trusted reputation as a SEO consultant both for Google and Bing.
The job of a SEO consultant is to provide the advice, input and technical expertise the client needs to boost their prominence in the search rankings. A complex and multifaceted field, SEO consultancy covers everything from on-page website design to competitor analysis to outreach and more.
Ultimately, the SEO’s work focuses on building an online asset of unique quality and value, which naturally earns exposure with the major search engines. They examine and assess a website’s current performance, probe deeply to find areas for improvement and create an ongoing plan of action.
All with the goal of appealing to Google’s ever-evolving core search algorithm, which has become more discerning and difficult to please than ever.
Successful SEO is not about quick fixes, but instead boosting performance through long-term exposure and appeal. Consequently, SEO is the exact opposite of a one-time-only task; it is an ongoing process that must be continuously refined and improved indefinitely.
Tasks and Responsibilities
The complexity of the field means that different SEO consultants will always specialise in different aspects of SEO. An established SEO agency will cover all bases, usually with the help of an extensive team of specialists from various backgrounds. Exactly what the SEO provides will be determined by the requirements of the business or client in question.
As it is unrealistic to expect the client to know exactly what they need, it falls within the remit of the SEO to provide their recommendations and suggestions. Not to mention, present their proposal in the concise and simplified language needed to gain the client’s understanding and approval.
Outsource or Hire in-House?
Businesses often have to choose between outsourcing to an SEO consultancy and hiring their own permanent SEO expert. The appropriateness of both options differs significantly from one firm to the next, but a hybrid approach is often best.
This is where in-house team members develop the knowledge and skills needed to oversee some of the more basic aspects of the campaign. Alongside which, the more complex components of the project are allocated to skilled freelancers, agencies or consultants.
An SEO agency can be as involved as you want in your campaign, or take a backseat and handle the tasks you are unable to.
Typical Tasks Performed by SEO Consultants
Tasks performed by SEO consultants always vary significantly from one project to the other, most comprehensive search marketing initiatives will include the following elements among others:
- Defining the Marketing Objectives of the Client - The process of getting to know exactly what the client expects to achieve, which could be anything from boosting brand awareness to improving conversion rates or gaining a competitive advantage.
- Web Page Optimisation - Execution of all on-page SEO enhancements and adjustments, such as the integration of keywords and phrases, appropriate formatting of textual content, optimal use of images and simplification of navigation.
- Keyword Research & Analysis - Detailed and extensive keyword research to identify the most appropriate and potentially profitable keywords and phrases for the client, with low competition and higher commercial value.
- More Prominent Google Rankings - Satisfying the requirements of Google’s core search algorithm to climb the rankings and appear prominently on the first page of results. Essential for driving organic traffic and gaining an edge over competitors within the same niche.
- More Conversions Through a Better User Experience - Analysis of key metrics like bounce rates, cart abandonment, on-page time and general visitor engagement to create a better all-round user experience and improve overall conversion rates.
- Comprehensive Website Audit - an intensive examination of the website in its entirety for issues that may be affecting its visibility, such as efficiency of its coding, Google indexing status, keyword targeting, traffic statistics and more.
- A Human-First Approach to SEO - Applies to the careful balancing act of creating an SEO-friendly website that is also 100% appealing to human beings and prioritises the human visitor. Not a site that overemphasises SEO at the expense of quality or the user experience.
- Copywriting and Content Creation - Ensuring the site is populated with plenty of quality content, with extensive focus on impactful headlines, appropriate use of subheadings, SEO-friendly meta tags and descriptions, use of appropriate language and effective keyword inclusion.
- Better Use of Calls-To-Action (CTAs) - Research and split testing to compare the performance of different types of CTAs used in different places and at different times throughout the visitor’s journey, ensuring maximum effectiveness of every CTA used.
- Web Redesign & Development - Full or partial redesign and development of the client’s website, calling for extensive coding skills and detailed knowledge of effective webpage layout and graphic design elements. Familiarity with web design and coding software is also essential.
- Effective Use of SEO Software and Tools - Essential for verifying the effectiveness of the alterations made and tracking the performance of the campaign. Typical examples of which include tools for Backlink Audit and Backlink Analysis, Keyword Analysis, Rank Tracking, Site Crawling and more. This also includes familiarising the client with the use and importance of Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools and other essential performance tracking tools.
- Link Building - Intensive outreach campaigns to build high-authority backlinks and drive organic traffic from respected sources, primarily through Blogger or Influencer Outreach, Content Marketing, and Guest Publishing.
- Prioritisation of Mobile Audiences - Use of responsive web design and strong focus on mobile search to appeal to mobile audiences and satisfy the requirements of the new Google Mobile-first Index.
- Total quality control - Assurance of the same consistent level of quality across all tasks performed within the broader SEO strategy, with a zero tolerance policy for spam or black-hat SEO. Advice and support for clients dealing with the consequences of a historic Google penalty.
- Website Security - Ensuring that the client and their customers are sufficiently protected from all possible threats. Regular website backups, ensuring all software is up to date, SSL certificates, using https:// secure website protocol and continuously monitoring for spam or malware.
- Paid Search Advertising - Full planning and implementation of Pay-Per-Click marketing strategies using AdWords and similar platforms. Strategic budgeting and allocation of resources to drive maximum profits on a per-click basis.
- Budgeting and Cost Control - Keeping all aspects of the project within the agreed budget, while putting every penny of the client’s money to the best possible use. Ongoing reports and updates provide the client with a full disclosure of how their resources are being allocated.
- Social Media Strategy - Ensuring all social media marketing efforts are firmly integrated with the client’s broader SEO strategy, covering such tasks as blogger outreach, public relations, display advertising, newsletter publishing, a content creation and more.
- Customer Communications - Continuous communication with the client, providing clear and concise information on all aspects of the campaign with no complex jargon or buzzwords. Full training and coaching is also provided to help build the client’s own SEO knowledge and expertise.
- Realistic Guarantees - Promises the SEO can realistically keep - NOT assurances of specific positions in the search rankings. A good SEO consultant will always under-promise and over-deliver, as opposed to overstating their capabilities and disappointing their clients.
Link Building
Researching the links that will push your site up the rankings in Google requires time and effort to get the best quality. We analyse your competitors’ links and use our network of quality sites that we have tested over a long period of time with much success in getting our clients websites ranking on page one.
In a recent Q&A session conducted online, Googles own John Mueller was quizzed about the potential value of amassing backlinks. Confirming what most experienced SEOs already knew, he stated quite clearly that quantity is absolutely and unequivocally irrelevant.
Wise words, but not exactly a revelation for anyone who knows what it takes to make quality SEO. It has been common knowledge for years that quality is more important than quality.
Getting to Grips with the Three Grades of Backlinks
To accept that quality is everything with backlinks is one thing, but what does ‘quality’ actually mean? More importantly, how can you be sure that the backlinks you distribute around the web will work in your favour, rather than resulting in potential penalisation?
Much of this comes down to common sense and intuition; if you genuinely believe that a backlink pointing to your website is housed by a source of relevance, quality and value then it probably is.
Backlinks having consistently placed within the top-three Google ranking factors highlights the importance of taking this seriously, something that begins with getting to grips with the three primary tiers of backlinks, as outlined in brief below:
Grade 1 Backlinks
These are the best backlinks on the web; they can make a major difference to your SEO performance and help drive a ton of organic traffic your way. Unfortunately, these are also the kinds of links that are 100% organic nature and cannot be purchased at any price.
This also means that the highest-grade backlinks are naturally the most difficult and time consuming to earn. It is worth the effort, but not easy to come by.
As for which specific types of links rank within this band, you should be setting your sights on the following:
- Editorial Backlinks – This is where a link to your website is published by a credible blogger, journalist or writer of any kind from a source of authority. An example could be a high-profile blog, a news website or an online journal of some kind.
- Relationship-Based Backlinks – More or less the same, only in this instance this is due to a relationship having been established with you and the publisher. Friends in high places can work wonders.
- Guest Blogging – Realistically, guest blogging is the closest you will get to buying your way into Grade 1 backlinks territory. This is where you invest the necessary time and effort in one or more high quality guest posts.
Each of the above is an example of the kind of backlinks John Mueller highlighted as highly valuable. Hence, each of the above also represents a worthy investment of your time, effort and resources.
Grade 2 Backlinks
This is a somewhat grey area where things get undeniably sketchy, given the fine line between quality backlinks and those of no value. Grade 2 is where you attempt to pull off a strategy that combines quality with quantity – whether or not doing so is advisable is up to you to decide.
Grade 2 backlinks are those that can and often do hold value, but not merely on the same level as the ‘gold standard’ outlined above. A few popular examples of Grade 2 backlinks are as follows:
- Mass Guest Posting – This is where quality and uniqueness must take a backseat to quantity, resulting in dozens of ‘spun’ versions of the same article being fired out to a long list of potential publishers. As a general rule of thumb, publishers who are willing to showcase this kind of medium-grade rehashed content are not capable of delivering top-shelf backlinks.
- Header, Footer, and Sidebar Links – They may not be completely devoid of value, but backlinks positioned in these supplementary areas of a webpage are nowhere near as prominent in the eyes of Google. This counts double where hundreds of links are included by a publisher across the same website, this is treading dangerously close to spam.
- Link Exchanges – Make no mistake about it – some of the most prominent and authoritative sources on the web are happy to consider link exchange offers. Nevertheless, this can also be a red-flag warning sign of source sites that are mainly concerned with promoting themselves rather than supporting your SEO strategy.
A link building strategy that features some of these links alongside Grade 1 links can certainly deliver the goods. Though to rely exclusively (or primarily) on Grade 2 links is inadvisable, for the simple reason that they often simply do not work.
Grade 3 Backlinks
Scraping the very bottom of the barrel, Grade 3 links are those that should be avoided at all costs. Not only are they guaranteed to do nothing positive for your SEO strategy, they could result in heavy penalisation.
All links that fall within any of the following categories are almost certainly Grade 3 links to steer clear of:
- Paid Links – Selling backlinks is a practice Google has always frowned upon, though remains rife. Irrespective of whether you plan on buying a handful or hundreds of backlinks, paid links are easy for Google to detect and are immediately flagged as spam.
- Comments Section Spam – This is where spam backlinks are posted in comments sections all over the web, which just as with paid links are always counterproductive. These have zero value and are more likely to see you falling in the SERP rankings than climbing.
- Backlinks from Irrelevant Websites – Just because a website is fairly credible and publishes genuinely decent content does not mean it is safe. If it is outside your niche and irrelevant to your audience, it could still be flagged as spam.
Ironically, just a few years ago these were the most common types of links used by webmasters to get ahead. Today, Google and its counterparts are just too savvy and sophisticated to enable anyone to get away with shortcuts like these.
We undertake a stringent approach to ethical back linking for all our clients.
Content Analysis
Our thorough content analysis service will ensure the content on your website is optimised for your selected key phrases ensuring it is unique and relevant. Content is king, and will remain a fundamental part of your SEO campaign being a success hence it is imperative we provide a quality read for the end user.
A thorough SEO content analysis, aka SEO content audit, can help ensure your pages are populated exclusively with SEO-friendly copy. Periodically analysing and assessing the quality, value and relevance of your content is essential, as part of your broader SEO campaign.
Assessing how your content is performing right now means considering the following questions:
- How many words of content do you have on each page?
- Is all of the copy you produce and publish unique?
- What main keywords and search terms are you targeting?
- Are you using these keywords effectively in your page titles?
- With what frequency are you using your primary keywords?
- Are your answering your visitors’ questions clearly and concisely?
- How does your content compare to that of your competitors?
- Do you use H1/H2 tags, and are they appropriately optimised?
The SEO value of your content will be determined on the basis of three things - uniqueness, usefulness and relevance; each of which is equally as valuable with Google and therefore must be shown equal priority.
Unique Content
Duplicate content may not hand you a Google penalty, but it will bring you no benefits. Only content that is identified as unique is picked up by the major search engines. Unique content means just that - copy that is original and is not duplicated anywhere else. This includes duplicate copy within your own website, which should be avoided where possible.
Useful Content
Google’s crawlers are becoming increasingly capable in their capacity to assess the usefulness of web copy. Quality and value take precedence over quantity, though all three are important ranking factors. Take the time to question the purpose, value and usefulness of your copy. Where something does not offer any clearly defined value, consider removing it.
Relevant Content
Relevance means content that makes sense in the context of the broader website. More specifically, it means the exclusion of any type of content your main target audience is unlikely to get any practical use out of. Occasional deviation from your primary niche will not see you penalised by Google, but it is also unlikely to contribute to your site’s SEO value.
Book Your Free Consultation Today
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of SEO content analysis or how the process works, we would be delighted to hear from you anytime. Contact the team at iCONQUER today for an obligation-free consultation, or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Local SEO
Using Google local maps to target customers in your local area is a popular strategy online. We have helped many websites appear on page one for highly-searched keywords in their chosen areas and we could do the same for you. Using the local SEO strategy is a good way to gain customers and ranking quick.
When a customer searches for products and services available in their locality, they want relevant answers as quickly as possible. Now ask yourself - what are you doing to ensure your business appears at the top of the recommendations?
A few figures that highlight the importance of proactive local SEO:
- More than 85% of people conduct web searches to find local businesses
- Almost 80% of local mobile searches result in a purchase
- Today, around 45% of all Google searchers conducted are local
- Almost one in three consumers search locally at least once a week
Local SEO can help ensure you stand out from the competition and appear prominently at the top of the rankings. Adopting a passive approach to SEO is not an option if you are to keep pace with other businesses in your locality.
What is Local SEO?
The term ‘local SEO’ refers to all activities and initiatives undertaken to market your business to a local audience online. It focuses exclusively on generating leads in your immediate locality, as opposed to presenting your business to potential customers in a broader context.
An effective local SEO strategy can pave the way for high-profile rankings with geo-specific search terms. It could also lead to your inclusion in Google’s ‘Local Pack’ - the most prominent position of all at the very top of page one.
How to Leverage Local SEO
Mounting an effective local SEO campaign begins by setting up and optimising your Google My Business listing.
Once your local listing has been claimed, you can work on getting your profile appropriately formatted and optimised. This includes adding a unique and keyword-rich description of your business, uploading photos and additional media, adding social proof in the form of reviews and more.
Effective local SEO is also about the localisation of your web copy, and the enrichment of your site with SEO-friendly content. Local link building and citations also play a role in the determining which businesses outrank their local competitors.
Talk to the Team at iCONQUER
If you would prefer to entrust your local SEO efforts to a skilled team of specialists, we would be delighted to hear from you anytime. Contact the team at iCONQUER today for an obligation-free consultation, or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
SEO Recovery
Over the past few years Google updates have resulted in many websites dropping out the rankings. You may have been affected by a recent search engine algorithm update such as Google Panda, Google Penguin or a manual penalty. We help you recover your rankings as we have done for many websites.
Sooner or later, the consequences of poor SEO always catch up with you. Whether you are dealing with a Google penalty or a more gradual decline in traffic, taking action at the earliest possible stage is essential.
SEO recovery is the process of identifying and removing the factors that may be hampering your search performance. The quicker you act, the better the chance of a full and fast recovery.
In-Depth SEO Diagnostics
It could be that to the best of your knowledge, you have followed Google’s Webmaster Guidelines to the letter. Only by conducting a full diagnostic on your online presence is it possible to determine exactly where you may have gone wrong.
Google’s search algorithm is updated between 500 and 600 times per year. The goalposts are being shifted all the time, making it difficult to know where and when you may be going wrong.
Getting to the source of the issue paves the way for developing and implementing a strategic recovery programme. Irrespective of the cause of your SEO issues, our team will help you identify and address them as painlessly as possible.
Google Penalty Recovery
Where a website is found to have broken Google’s guidelines on a more severe level, a penalty may be handed out. This could result in some or all of the site’s pages being removed from Google’s index entirely.
Recovering from a Google penalty takes time, but in all instances is perfectly possible. It is a strategic process that involves the following components among others:
- Identifying the issues that may have resulted in the penalty
- Disavowing and removing any potentially harmful back links
- Diagnosing and repairing on-site performance and security issues
- Amending or removing content with low or no SEO value
- Removing broken links and addressing on-page errors
- Identifying and addressing instances of keyword stuffing
Being dealt a Google penalty can be the ultimate doomsday scenario for any online business. But even the severest penalty can be dealt with and reversed, if decisive action is taken at the right time.
Talk to the Team at iCONQUER
At iCONQUER, we can provide you with the full technical support and expertise needed to get your SEO campaign back on track. Irrespective of the severity of the issue, our team will do what it takes to restore your former rankings and get your site back in Google’s good books.
Contact the team at iCONQUER today for an obligation-free consultation, or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
SEO Training
Learn what is needed to get the best results for your website by having a strong web page layout and quality linking strategies. Learn how to get the optimum keyword list together that delivers quality traffic along with tips on what buzz words to include in your website content to get the best results for your SEO campaign.
At iCONQUER, we believe that knowledge is power. That is why we are proud to offer an extensive range of flexible SEO training packages for small and large businesses across the UK.
Available nationwide, our exclusive SEO training solutions can be tailored to suit all requirements and budgets.
Remote and on-site training options from the iCONQUER team include the following:
- SEO Workshops for Groups of All Sizes
- One-on-One SEO Training for Managers and Executives
- Ongoing SEO Consultancy Services
- Bespoke Guides, Workbooks and Documentation
- SEO Software Package Training and Support
- Flexible Distance Learning Opportunities
For more information on any of the above or to discuss your requirements in more detail, contact a member of the team at iCONQUER today.
What Are the Benefits of an SEO Training Course?
Our exclusive SEO training courses are designed to empower learning with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to handle all essential SEO activities in house; something that could save your business time and money long-term, by negating the need to outsource your SEO requirements.
iCONQUER is staffed by a team of SEO and digital marketing professionals, with extensive experience in the delivery of quality courses, workshops and training materials. We pride ourselves in the flexibility of the training courses we provide, which can be tailored to suit all requirements and budgets.
From locations to course content to costs, every aspect of your training program will be built around your business and your goals.
Where Do We Provide SEO Training?
Our SEO training courses can be delivered at your location, our location or online via Zoom/teams conference.
From Birmingham to Bristol, Leeds to London, Inverness to Ipswich - we cover the whole of the UK with our dynamic SEO training courses.
If you would like to organise an SEO training course for your business, reach out to a member of the team at iCONQUER for a chat. We will guide you through the options available and help you choose between on-site training and remote learning - call today to learn more.
What is Included?
The SEO training courses we provide can be tailored to suit the requirements of new learners and experienced personnel from all backgrounds. From SEO first-timers to experienced digital marketers looking to update their knowledge and skills, we can provide the training you need to get the most out of your workforce.
Whether you are ready to go ahead or interested in learning more about the benefits of our SEO training courses, we would be delighted to hear from you anytime. Call the team at iCONQUER for an obligation-free consultation, or e-mail us with details of your requirements and we will get back to you as promptly as possible.
Media Optimisation
Optimising images and video on your site can enhance your search engine ranking and improve the experience your visitors have when on your website. Google display video and images in their search results on page one and is way to gain multiple rankings along with alternative traffic sources.
Effective media optimisation plays a major role in supporting a broader SEO strategy. But what does it mean to optimise images and video content for SEO purposes?
How can you ensure that the visual content on your website contributes to your site’s SEO performance?
What is Video SEO?
Video SEO refers to the strategic process of optimising video content to ensure it can be found and indexed by the major search engines. Specifically, it involves the creation of video metadata based around relevant keywords and search terms, so that those using the search terms are directed to your pages.
Even today, the web’s most sophisticated search engines are not able to read and evaluate video content. Instead, tags and metadata must be used to tell the search engines what your videos are about, and who they should be recommended to.
The presence of good visual content such as video content has been a powerful ranking factor for some time. Creating and publishing quality video content is important, but could be a waste of time if you do not let the search engines know what your videos are about.
What Does It Mean to Optimise Images?
Similarly, image optimisation plays an equally important role in supporting an SEO campaign. In particular, decreasing the size of image files is essential to speed up page loading times and ensure a more fluid user experience.
On average, images count for around 20% of the total weight of a web page. Striking the right balance between quality and file size is therefore essential, in order to maximise the appeal of your visual content without resulting in lag.
As with video content, the major search engines are not currently able to crawl or interpret the content of an image. Tags and metadata must therefore be used strategically, in order to ensure your images rank well for appropriate keywords and search terms.
Full-Service Media Optimisation
iCONQUER, we offer a comprehensive range of media optimisation services for all types of websites. Extensive analysis of your site’s current SEO performance will enable us to devise and recommend an effective course of action.
Whether your goal is to reduce page loading times or increase your prominence in the SERP rankings, we can help. Call anytime for more information, or email iCONQUER and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
