The UK has literally hundreds of SEO agencies, from freelancers to global SEO agencies in London, working with some of the world’s global brands.
Website optimisation (or search engine optimisation) is all about getting more visitors to your website.
This is a tricky process, since the search engines do not tell their secrets, of how to get onto page 1 for your specific keywords in your location in the UK.
There are brand new SEO companies claiming to be ‘the UK’s Top SEO expert’ advertising at the top of Google, and agencies that have been trading for years.
We are here to help you find the right SEO company for your business. Choosing an SEO expert is down to you.
Over the years, the search engine algorithm has been tweaked and changed in order to provide the search results that are required. The search engines determine which websites are likely to be relevant to the search terms and which are not. If your website has a high ‘bounce rate’ (people coming onto your website then leaving) then your website most likely will be reduced in the search results.
The algorithm is updated each year and throughout the year, to deliver better search results to website users.
Here are the algorithm updates over the last few years starting with the first and ending with the latest algorithm update:
Do you need a global leading search engine optimisation firm that charges £10,000 upwards a month? Do you need a small local SEO company that can get you more local internet exposure? Do you need a Google Partner?
We have over 3,000 SEO companies registered, so let us know what you need.
If you are a global brand like Pepsi, working with a freelancer is unwise. If you are a sole trader, you need someone affordable, yet someone that knows the mystery of search.
This is a complex and constantly changing form of marketing to improve website ranking on search engines such as Yahoo, DuckDuckGo and Ask. Google is the dominant search engine and this is unlikely to change.
The process involves getting traffic to your website from organic, free or natural listings on search engines and no payment is involved unlike pay per click ads (PPC) which is another useful tool in driving traffic to websites.
It is broken down to onsite (your website content/blog etc.) and offsite (other websites linking to you).
All search engines use complex algorithms to rank websites based on how relevant they think it is to the user’s search query. These algorithms change several times a year as search engines evolve.
The quality of your website content is important, but not everything. The usability of your site and the amount of backlinks your website has from trustworthy sites can all help to increase your site’s visibility and help you rank higher on the search engine results page (SERPS).
The load speed of your website also now is considered as part of the mix.
The hosting of your website is important (which effects page load speed).
Your social presence is another factor that effect where your appear on the web. When social media landed, sites like Facebook were disregarded. In the following years, social media is taken into account big time!
Users who have made a relevant search are more likely to click on your website, interact with your brand and make a purchase. If your website gets people returning, this is also taken into account (news websites for example have returning visitors).
The internet is becoming the first choice of resource for many people when it comes to finding information, purchasing a product or using a service.
This is why many businesses take to the digital sphere allowing them to target their existing and potential customers online.
However, the limited amount of listings that appear on the first page of the SERPS means not every business can get noticed straight away.
Those business that appear further back in the SERPS risk being unseen as many people simply do not have the time to browse through pages when they conduct a search query.
A search engine optimisation agency can improve your search performance so that your website ranks higher making it easier for people to find you.
The aim and goal is to get you more exposed to people in need of what you offer, increase the amount of traffic to your website and boost your business by increasing conversions.
In short, optimisation companies will ensure your business succeeds online and that you remain ahead of your competitors.
To make sure you create a successful ROI for your business, read our article on SEO company costs.
There are many elements that make up the search engine optimisation industry and you may find you need more help in certain areas than others. These include:
You should always discuss the services available to you from agencies as some SEO agencies may not specialise in all areas.
Back in the day, it was fairly easy to grasp and implement without the need of agencies, but things are much different today. Recent and ongoing developments in search engine algorithms means that the parameters for effective optimisation are constantly changing.
Not only do you need to keep up to date with what’s happening within the search sphere, you also need to know how to make it work for you and how to track its success using various tools and software.
While it’s not impossible, optimisation is time consuming. You will need to advance your knowledge of search as certain mishaps or wrong-doings have got many businesses penalised. Helpful SEO advice is available if you need it.
Hiring an agency means you can expect professional quality work with noticeable results and allows you to focus on other areas of your business.
Choosing a marketing company is always going to be a challenge. Lastly, how much is SEO going to cost and how do you substantiate it? Prices vary from £20 per hour to over £100, all SEO agencies are independent so set their own fees.
For more information on choosing an agency, read our tips on choosing an SEO company.