Why SEO Isn't Just About Metrics

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has long been synonymous with metrics: keyword rankings, organic traffic numbers, bounce rates, and conversion rates. While these metrics are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of SEO efforts, they only scratch the surface of what SEO truly entails. In reality, SEO is a multifaceted discipline that extends beyond numbers and statistics, encompassing various qualitative aspects that are equally important for long-term success.

1. User Experience (UX)

One of the fundamental goals of SEO is to enhance the user experience. Metrics like bounce rate and average session duration provide insights into how users interact with a website, but they don't capture the nuances of user satisfaction. A well-optimized site should prioritize ease of navigation, fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, and intuitive design—all of which contribute to a positive UX. These qualitative elements are not easily quantifiable but play a significant role in retaining visitors and improving conversion rates.

2. Content Quality and Relevance

High-quality, relevant content is the cornerstone of effective SEO. While metrics such as keyword density and backlink quantity offer some indication of content performance, they do not reflect its true value to users. Engaging, informative content that addresses user intent and provides genuine value not only attracts organic traffic but also encourages social sharing and builds authority within the industry. Thus, SEO professionals must focus on creating content that resonates with their target audience rather than solely optimizing for search engines.

3. Technical SEO

Beyond content and user experience, technical aspects of SEO are critical for ensuring a website is accessible and understandable by search engines. This includes optimizing site structure, improving page load speed, fixing crawl errors, implementing schema markup, and ensuring secure HTTPS connections. While metrics such as crawl errors and page load times are measurable, their impact on SEO goes beyond numbers—they directly affect how search engines index and rank a website.

4. Local SEO and Trust Signals

For businesses targeting local markets, local SEO is indispensable. This involves optimizing Google My Business profiles, acquiring local citations, and managing online reviews. Metrics like local search rankings and map pack placements provide insights into local SEO performance, but they don't capture the trust signals that influence consumer decisions, such as positive reviews, testimonials, and community involvement.

5. Adaptability and Algorithm Updates

SEO is not a static discipline; it evolves with changes in search engine algorithms, user behavior, and technology. Metrics alone cannot guide SEO strategies through these shifts. SEO professionals must stay informed about industry trends, experiment with new techniques, and adapt their strategies accordingly. This agility and foresight are essential for maintaining and improving organic search visibility over the long term.

Conclusion

While metrics are indispensable tools for measuring SEO performance, they are just one piece of the puzzle. True SEO success lies in understanding and optimizing a website holistically—from user experience and content quality to technical proficiency and adaptability. By focusing on these qualitative aspects in conjunction with metrics, businesses and SEO professionals can achieve sustainable growth, build authority, and ultimately enhance their online presence in meaningful ways. SEO, therefore, is not just about numbers; it's about creating valuable experiences that resonate with users and align with the goals of search engines.

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Navigating Google Algorithm Updates:

The search giant, Google, is known for its continuous quest to improve user experience and deliver more relevant search results. This leads to SEO's sweating the changes, understanding what the changes mean, and how they can work as quickly as possible to avoid penalties on client websites and to explain why there might be significant fluctuations in search rankings. Two of the latest notable changes are the Page Experience and Core Web Vitals updates.

Here are two of the most recent updates to the Google Algorithm.

  1. Page Experience Update: Google's Page Experience update prioritizes user satisfaction by assessing factors like page loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. It introduced Core Web Vitals as essential metrics, making them part of the search ranking criteria.

  2. Core Web Vitals: Core Web Vitals consist of three key metrics: a. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - Measures loading performance. b. First Input Delay (FID) - Measures interactivity. c. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) - Measures visual stability.

Whether you're an experienced SEO or a business owner trying to keep up with all the changes, here's how you can take advantage of these changes:

  1. Optimize Core Web Vitals: To thrive in the new algorithm landscape, optimizing Core Web Vitals is crucial. Consider the following steps:Improve your site's loading speed.Enhance interactivity by minimizing JavaScript execution time.Prevent layout shifts by ensuring that page elements don't jump around during loading.

  2. Mobile Optimization: With mobile-first indexing being a top priority, ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. Responsive design and mobile optimization are vital for improving user experience and SEO rankings.

  3. High-Quality Content: Content remains king in the SEO world. Craft engaging, informative, and original content that resonates with your target audience. Google rewards websites that provide valuable content.

  4. Secure Your Website: Google gives preference to secure websites with HTTPS. Ensure your website has an SSL certificate to boost user trust and SEO rankings. (This is the first thing I suggest to all my clients who are missing the https in their URL).

  5. Local SEO: If your business serves a local audience, pay attention to local SEO. Optimize your Google My Business profile, encourage customer reviews (I can show you how to do this), and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information is consistent across the web.

  6. Backlinks: Quality over quantity is the name of the game. Seek backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites. Diversify your backlink profile to establish trust with Google.

  7. User Experience: A seamless user experience is essential. Ensure your website's navigation is intuitive, and users can easily find the information they seek.

  8. Technical SEO: Technical aspects like site structure, XML sitemaps, and schema markup play a pivotal role in SEO. Regularly audit your site to fix technical issues that may hamper your rankings.

  9. Monitor and Adapt: SEO is a dynamic field. Continuously monitor your website's performance and rankings. Stay updated on industry trends and be prepared to adjust your strategies as needed.

Need some help navigating these changes? Contact me for a quick consultation.

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Benefits of Local SEO

In today's digital age, local search engine optimization (SEO) has become a crucial component of a successful online marketing strategy for businesses. By optimizing their website and online presence for local search, businesses can increase their visibility, attract more local customers, and drive more sales. In this article, we will explore the benefits of local SEO and how it can help businesses to grow their customer base and increase revenue.

Introduction

In recent years, the internet has become a primary source of information for people looking for local products and services. As a result, local SEO has become an essential part of the digital marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes. By implementing effective local SEO strategies, businesses can improve their online visibility, attract more local customers, and increase revenue.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a website and online presence to improve its visibility in local search results. Local search results are those that appear when someone searches for a product or service within a specific geographic location. For example, if someone searches for "plumber near me," local search results will display a list of plumbers located in their area.

Importance of Local SEO

There are several reasons why local SEO is essential for businesses today. Let's take a look at some of the key benefits.

Targeted Traffic

One of the primary benefits of local SEO is that it attracts highly targeted traffic to a website. By optimizing for local search, businesses can target customers who are actively looking for their products or services in their area. This makes it easier to convert those visitors into paying customers.

Cost-effective Marketing

Local SEO is a cost-effective way to market a business online. Unlike traditional advertising methods, such as print ads or billboards, local SEO targets only the people who are actively looking for a business's products or services. This means that businesses can save money on advertising while still attracting highly targeted traffic to their website.

High Conversion Rates

Because local SEO targets people who are actively looking for a business's products or services, it tends to have high conversion rates. Visitors who find a business through local search are more likely to become paying customers than those who find the business through other channels.

Improved User Experience

Local SEO focuses on providing a better user experience for visitors to a website. This includes optimizing for mobile devices, providing accurate and up-to-date information, and making it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for. By providing a better user experience, businesses can increase engagement, reduce bounce rates, and improve overall website performance.

Mobile Optimization

Today, more than ever, people are using their mobile devices to search for products and services. Local SEO includes optimizing a website for mobile devices to ensure that it is accessible and user-friendly for mobile users. By optimizing for mobile devices, businesses can improve their online visibility and attract more mobile users.

Increased Brand Awareness

Local SEO can help to increase a business's brand awareness in their local area. By appearing at the top of local search results, businesses can establish themselves as the go-to provider for their products or services in their area. This can help to increase brand recognition and establish a business as a trusted authority in their industry.

Better Online Reputation

Local SEO also includes managing a business's online reputation. This involves monitoring and responding to reviews, maintaining accurate business information across all online directories, and ensuring that all online reviews and ratings are positive. By maintaining a positive online reputation, businesses can establish trust with their customers and attract new ones.

Competitive Edge

Local SEO can give businesses a competitive edge in their local market. By optimizing their online presence for local search, businesses can appear at the top of local search results and outrank their competitors. This can lead to increased traffic, higher conversion rates, and ultimately, more revenue.

Local SEO Best Practices

Now that we've discussed the benefits of local SEO, let's take a look at some best practices for implementing it.

  1. Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing

  2. Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and responsive

  3. Optimize your website content for local keywords and phrases

  4. Build local backlinks and citations from reputable sources

  5. Encourage and respond to customer reviews

  6. Use social media to engage with local customers

  7. Monitor and track your local search rankings and adjust your strategy accordingly

By following these best practices, businesses can improve their local SEO and attract more local customers.

Conclusion

In today's digital age, local SEO is essential for businesses looking to attract more local customers and increase revenue. By optimizing their online presence for local search, businesses can improve their visibility, attract highly targeted traffic, and establish themselves as the go-to provider for their products or services in their area. By following best practices and staying up-to-date with the latest trends in local SEO, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and achieve long-term success.

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SEO Consultant vs SEO Agency: Which One to Choose?

When it comes to improving your website's visibility and driving traffic to it, search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential component. However, not every business owner or website owner has the necessary skills and knowledge to handle SEO on their own. That's where SEO consultants and SEO agencies come in. But which one is right for you? In this article, we'll explore the differences between an SEO consultant and an SEO agency to help you make an informed decision.

As a business owner or website owner, you understand the importance of having a strong online presence. However, achieving that can be challenging, especially if you're not familiar with SEO. Fortunately, you have the option of hiring an SEO consultant or an SEO agency to help you out. But which one should you choose? Before we answer that question, let's first define what each of them does.

  • What Is an SEO Consultant?

  • What Is an SEO Agency?

  • SEO Consultant vs SEO Agency: What Are the Differences?

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Hiring an SEO Consultant

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Hiring an SEO Agency

  • Which One Should You Choose?

  • FAQs

What Is an SEO Consultant?

An SEO consultant is an individual who specializes in improving a website's visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). They work with clients on a one-on-one basis to develop a customized SEO strategy that meets their specific needs. An SEO consultant typically has expertise in various aspects of SEO, including keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and analytics.

What Is an SEO Agency?

An SEO agency, on the other hand, is a company that provides SEO services to clients. Unlike an SEO consultant, an agency has a team of experts who work together to handle various aspects of SEO for multiple clients. An SEO agency may also offer other digital marketing services, such as social media marketing, content marketing, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

SEO Consultant vs SEO Agency: What Are the Differences?

The main difference between an SEO consultant and an SEO agency is the scope of work they handle. While an SEO consultant works with individual clients to develop customized strategies, an SEO agency typically handles SEO for multiple clients simultaneously. Here are some other differences to consider:

  1. Cost: An SEO consultant typically charges a lower fee than an SEO agency, which has to cover the costs of a team of experts and overhead expenses.

  2. Expertise: An SEO consultant typically has expertise in various aspects of SEO, while an SEO agency may have experts in specific areas, such as content creation, link building, or technical SEO.

  3. Communication: An SEO consultant typically communicates directly with the client, while an SEO agency may have a project manager who acts as an intermediary.

Advantages of hiring an SEO consultant:

  1. Personalized Attention: With an SEO consultant, you get personalized attention as they work with you one-on-one to develop an SEO strategy that meets your specific needs.

  2. Cost-Effective: Hiring an SEO consultant is often a cost-effective option, especially for small businesses or startups that have a limited budget.

  3. Expertise: SEO consultants are experts in their field and have the necessary skills and knowledge to help you improve your website's visibility and ranking.

Disadvantages of hiring an SEO consultant::

  1. Limited Resources: An SEO consultant may have limited resources compared to an SEO agency, which may impact the scope and timeline of the SEO strategy.

  2. Limited Services: An SEO consultant may have expertise in specific areas of SEO, but may not be able to offer a full range of digital marketing services.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hiring an SEO Agency:

Advantages:

  1. Expertise: An SEO agency typically has a team of experts with specialized skills in various areas of SEO, which means they can offer a wide range of services.

  2. Resources: An SEO agency typically has more resources than an SEO consultant, which means they can handle larger and more complex projects.

  3. Communication: An SEO agency typically has a project manager who acts as an intermediary between the client and the team, which means communication is often streamlined and efficient.

Disadvantages:

  1. Cost: An SEO agency typically charges a higher fee than an SEO consultant, which may not be feasible for smaller businesses or startups with a limited budget.

  2. Less Personalized Attention: An SEO agency may have multiple clients, which means they may not be able to provide the same level of personalized attention as an SEO consultant.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choosing between an SEO consultant and an SEO agency depends on your specific needs and budget. If you're a small business or startup with a limited budget and need personalized attention, an SEO consultant may be the best option for you. However, if you have a larger budget, need a wide range of services, and have a larger project, an SEO agency may be a better fit.

FAQs:

  1. What Does an SEO Consultant Do?

An SEO consultant specializes in improving a website's visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) by developing customized SEO strategies that meet the client's specific needs.

  1. What Does an SEO Agency Do?

An SEO agency provides SEO services to clients, typically with a team of experts who work together to handle various aspects of SEO for multiple clients simultaneously.

  1. How Much Does It Cost to Hire an SEO Consultant or Agency?

The cost of hiring an SEO consultant or agency varies depending on the scope of the project, the level of expertise required, and the location of the consultant or agency. However, on average, an SEO consultant may charge $75-$200 per hour, while an SEO agency may charge $1000-$5000 per month.

Ultimately, the choice between hiring an SEO consultant or an SEO agency comes down to your specific needs and budget. Consider the scope of your project, the level of expertise required, and your budget when making your decision. Regardless of which one you choose, investing in SEO is essential for improving your website's visibility and driving traffic to it.

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Local SEO Checklist: A Comprehensive Guide to Improve Your Local Search Ranking

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Why is Affordable SEO Good for My Small Business?

Small businesses often face tough competition from large enterprises and other similar sized businesses. They are constantly looking for ways to increase their visibility and reach their target audience. One of the most effective methods for achieving this is by investing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is the practice of optimizing your website and its content to rank higher in search engine results, making it more visible to potential customers. However, many small business owners may be deterred from investing in SEO because of its perceived high cost. That's why it's important to consider why affordable SEO is good for small businesses.

The Benefits of Affordable SEO for Small Businesses

Affordable SEO can provide numerous benefits for small businesses, including:

Increased Visibility

One of the most important benefits of SEO is increased visibility. When your website ranks higher in search engine results, it is more likely to be seen by potential customers, increasing your chances of attracting new business. An affordable SEO strategy can help you achieve higher search engine rankings, making your business more visible to your target audience.

Cost-Effective Marketing

Marketing can be an expensive proposition for small businesses, and traditional marketing methods, such as print or television advertisements, can quickly eat into a small budget. SEO, on the other hand, is a cost-effective marketing solution that can deliver results over time. With an affordable SEO strategy, you can attract more visitors to your website and generate leads and sales, all while keeping your marketing budget under control.

Long-Term Benefits

Affordable SEO provides long-term benefits that can help your business grow and thrive over time. Unlike other marketing methods that can be short-lived, SEO provides a consistent source of traffic to your website that can last for years. As you continue to optimize your website and create valuable content, your search engine rankings will continue to improve, delivering a steady stream of new customers to your business.

FAQs on Affordable SEO for Small Businesses

  1. How much does affordable SEO cost?

The cost of affordable SEO can vary depending on the size of your business and the scope of your SEO strategy. However, affordable SEO services typically start at around $750-1000 per month, making it an accessible option for most small businesses.

  1. Can I do SEO myself for my small business?

Yes, you can do SEO yourself for your small business. However, it takes a lot of time, effort, and knowledge to develop an effective SEO strategy. If you don't have the experience or expertise to handle SEO on your own, it may be better to work with a professional SEO provider.

  1. How long does it take to see results from affordable SEO?

The time it takes to see results from affordable SEO will vary depending on the competitiveness of your industry and the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. However, you can typically expect to see a noticeable improvement in your search engine rankings within the first three to six months of implementing an affordable SEO strategy.

Conclusion

Affordable SEO is a wise investment for small businesses looking to increase their visibility and reach their target audience. With its cost-effective marketing solutions and long-term benefits, affordable SEO can help small businesses grow and thrive. Whether you choose to handle SEO yourself or work with a professional provider, investing in affordable SEO is a smart move for any small business looking to succeed in today's competitive market. So, why is affordable SEO good for my small business? Contact us to talk about the ways in which we can help you.

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What is SEO for Small Business?

Small business owners understand the importance of having a strong online presence in today's digital age. One of the most important elements of this is having a website that is optimized for search engines, or "SEO." But what exactly is SEO, and how can small business owners use it to their advantage? In this article, we will answer these questions and provide practical tips for small business owners to improve their website's search engine rankings.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization." It is the process of optimizing a website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) for targeted keywords and phrases. The goal of SEO is to increase the visibility and ranking of a website in order to attract more organic traffic, or visitors who come to the site through search engines such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Why is SEO Important for Small Businesses?

Small businesses often face a number of challenges in today's competitive online marketplace. Many of these businesses struggle to attract online visitors and generate leads, which can have a significant impact on their bottom line. SEO can help small businesses overcome these challenges by providing a cost-effective way to reach potential customers and drive targeted traffic to their websites.

By optimizing their websites for search engines, small businesses can improve their online visibility and reach a wider audience. This increased visibility can help drive more traffic to their websites, which can lead to increased sales and profits. Additionally, a strong SEO strategy can help small businesses establish their brand and credibility online, which can further strengthen their online presence and help them build trust with their target audience.

Tips for Optimizing Your Small Business Website for SEO

Now that we have a better understanding of what SEO is and why it is important for small businesses, let's take a look at some practical tips for optimizing your small business website for search engines:

  1. Conduct Keyword Research: The first step in optimizing your website for search engines is to conduct keyword research. This involves identifying the keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for and incorporating them into your website's content and meta tags.

  2. Create High-Quality Content: Creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content is one of the most important elements of a successful SEO strategy. Your content should be well-written, informative, and provide value to your target audience. Make sure to incorporate your targeted keywords into your content in a natural and meaningful way.

  3. Optimize Your Website's Structure: The structure of your website is also important for search engines. Make sure to have a clear and easy-to-use navigation system, and ensure that your website's pages are properly structured with descriptive and keyword-rich titles, headings, and subheadings.

  4. Improve Your Website's Load Speed: The speed at which your website loads is also important for search engines. If your website is slow to load, visitors are likely to leave and search for other options, which can negatively impact your search engine rankings. To improve your website's load speed, make sure to optimize images, minimize the use of large files, and reduce the number of plugins and add-ons.

  5. Build Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. Having a strong backlink profile can help improve your website's search engine rankings. To build backlinks, reach out to other website owners and offer to exchange links, create high-quality content that others will want to link to, and participate in online communities and forums related to your industry.

By following these tips, small business owners can improve their website's search engine rankings. Contact us to see how we can help you achieve success in SEO.

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Is My Website Indexed?

So, you’ve built a website. Let me be the first stranger on the internet to congratulate you. Congratulations!

But is my website indexed in the major search engines? How do I know if people can even find me?

Well, after you build a website, Google, Bing, etc., will crawl it eventually, as their spiders are always searching for new content. But there’s no definitive timeline. So, the quickest way to find out is by performing a site operator search.

It’s pretty simple. Go to Google or Bing and type in the following: site:yoursite.com and then hit enter.

Here’s a visual for you.

Site Operator Search Example

Site Operator Search Example

Once you type that in, you’ll see every single page of your website that is indexed in Google or Bing. Here you can see if your page titles and meta descriptions are too long, and you can take some time to edit them in the backend of your website if they need some love.

So that’s it guys. If you do that site operator search and find out that your website isn’t indexed anywhere, maybe you need some help figuring out why? Feel free to reach out to me if that’s the case. I not only do SEO for websites, but I can help with little items like this for a small hourly fee. Just contact me and let’s figure it out together!

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Why is SEO So Expensive?

Let me guess, you’re scouring the internet trying to price compare SEO Agencies and you’re coming up with no public pricing lists. Or, you’ve received some quotes and you’re wondering to yourself, “Why is SEO so expensive?” I hear what you’re saying, I really do. So let me break it down for you. And then I’ll explain how we’re a little different.

SEO is so expensive because…

It takes hours and hours of work to get ranked. Here’s just an inkling of what goes into it:

  • TECHNICAL AUDIT. Do you know if your website is indexed in Google? Do you have all your tracking properties set up correctly? Is your robots.txt letting websites crawl appropriate pages? You might not know that. But we do! We’ve had the training. We can tell you what’s up with your website and if the search engines are crawling and indexing all the appropriate pages.

  • COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS. Most SEO’s will review the websites of at least 3 of your competitors, analyze their keywords, and their advertising efforts, and view them through the lens of, “How can we beat these guys at their own game?” As you can imagine, collecting and analyzing that information takes time.

  • KEYWORD RESEARCH. Yes. We know you want to rank for Best Falafel on the Planet, but guess what? If you’re a brand new business, we should probably stay in your local area. We SEO’s do a type of triage when we consider keyword research. We look at the competition, we look at keywords you can rank for right now, and we make short- and long-term plans. Don’t worry. We’ve got you, boo!

  • PAGE TITLES AND META DESCRIPTIONS. This is where things get interesting. If you have a website with a few pages, this isn’t as time-consuming as, say, an Ecommerce website with 10,000 products. We not only have to craft Page Titles and Meta Descriptions that encapsulate your keywords and meet minimum word counts, AND make sure they meet your brand guidelines, but we also have to (in most cases) add them to the backend of your website. One time a Halloween Costume company came to me for an SEO Quote. They had 20,000 pages. I let them know that at a minimum it was going to be a 5-figure quote. I didn’t hear back from them.

  • ON-PAGE COPY. Once we establish your keywords, we not only write Page Titles and Meta Descriptions, but we also have to finesse your on-page copy. We add headers, bullets, keywords, and link out to other pages on your website…I mean, it’s a whole thing. And if you have a lot of pages, again, this can get very time-consuming.

  • CONTENT. Many SEO companies are going to suggest you create new content for your website with key search terms that they think will resonate with your audience. So, for example, let’s write an article about why you’re the best Falafel place in West Lafayette, IN. A lot of businesses will write these for you and have you approve them. Some will suggest topics and let you write them to cut the cost down (but they’ll “SEO” them for you!). They aren’t suggesting this for fun. It’s because content gets the people to your site. And you want all the people to visit your website, yeah?

SEO is so expensive because you can get a great return on your investment.

That’s right. ROI is where it’s at! If you get people to your website organically, you’re getting potential customers in those “I want to buy” and “I want to try” moments. Good SEOs will help you capture those people. And those people will buy from you. I’ve worked with a client for the past few months whose competitors are Amazon, Wayfair, and other major furniture companies. We had to work together to discover the best way to tackle this issue, but within 3 months the strategy was clicking. As of this moment, we’ve increased leads pre-pandemic to post-pandemic by 35%. And we’re just getting started.

Can SEO be less expensive?

Yes. We work with you in a few different ways to help make SEO less expensive. The thing is, that it’s going to take work on your part to help with the SEO strategy. And maybe that’s a good thing if you’re really interested in learning a little bit more about how your website works and how the changes you make affect search. But we can also do it all for you if that’s what you need. Just schedule a consultation and let’s chat about your budget, timing, and business needs.

Do you have any questions about why SEO is so expensive? I’m happy to answer them. Contact me or leave a comment on this post.

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