SEO Frequently asked questions

Have you ever wondered if or why your website's rankings may differ on Google and Bing?

We recently received a few questions about this subject, so we thought it was time to put together a post to help clarify this topic!

💡 Google and Bing use different algorithms to determine the rankings of websites. Therefore, it's normal for your website to have different positions in each search engine.

Here's why:

1️⃣ 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: Bing and Google value different ranking factors. For example, Bing places a higher value on social media integrations than Google. It also tends to favour older, more established websites.

2️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Bing and Google sometimes interpret the intent behind search queries differently, which affects the results shown.

3️⃣ 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Rankings can fluctuate in both platforms. However, changes may appear more significant on Bing due to its smaller overall user base.

🔄 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺𝘀: It's important to note that each search engine continuously evolves its algorithms independently. They each strive to provide their users with the most relevant and high-quality content.

For a website, it's crucial to have a balanced approach to SEO that optimises for both Google and Bing. While Google may be the more popular search engine, Bing also has a substantial user base that can't be overlooked.

Typical question we often receive from prospective clients is, "𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩?"

We know it's crucial to educate business owners on how SEO actually works, and it's always rewarding to see them become more knowledgeable about the subject over time.

So, let's explore the topic of targeting multiple keywords on your homepage.

🔍

First and foremost, it's entirely possible to target more than one keyword on your homepage or any other page on your website.

In our SEO strategy, we focus on optimising each page for 𝗮 specific primary keyword.

This is because search engines like Google appreciate clear, focused content that caters to a particular search intent. By dedicating a single page to 𝗮 specific keyword, we create a strong correlation between that keyword and the content, which ultimately helps improve your website's ranking in search results.

That being said, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀.

While we intentionally target 𝗼𝗻𝗲 primary keyword per page, it's common for pages to rank for several relevant and related keywords as well, even if they're not the primary focus. This occurs naturally as your content addresses various aspects of the primary keyword's topic.

To rank for more keywords, though, we need to address content gaps and create additional, dedicated pages with content that addresses the search intent of each individual keyword.

This strategy allows us to maintain a clear and focused approach for search engines while also catering to a wider range of search terms for your website.

Optimising your site with a clear and targeted SEO strategy will help you rank higher and reach a broader audience. 📈

Are you evaluating an SEO agency? Here are some important factors to consider.

Do they have...

1️⃣𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱? Do they have solid case studies on their site? Can they provide you with references and examples of successful campaigns they managed?

2️⃣𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? Seems obvious, right? You'll need an agency that has experience in 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 industry and understands the unique challenges and opportunities of your business.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: Are they transparent about the strategies they use? Can they explain the reasoning behind their decisions in a way that 𝙮𝙤𝙪 can understand?

4️⃣𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How responsive do they seem to be (also based on what previous clients might mention in their reviews or testify) to keep you informed about the progress of your campaign?

5️⃣𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶s𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Are you certain they have fully understood your business goals? Have they developed for you a customised strategy that aligns with your unique needs?

6️⃣𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Do they mention shortcuts? If you ask for their position on black-white hat SEO practices, do they mention they'll only use ethical and sustainable SEO practices and will avoid tactics that could lead to penalties from search engines?
7️⃣𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀: Which data/KPIs will they use to measure the performance of your campaign and how will they use this data?

These are just a few things to ask and keep in mind.

Please remember that SEO is a long-term strategy, so it's important to choose an agency that you can trust to work with you over the long term. Take your time to conduct thorough research, possibly ask for references, establish clear goals and expectations right at the start of the relationship, and regularly evaluate the progress and results.

And if you'd like to have a chat to discuss how we would be able to transform your site into a "sales machine" - just reach out for a free consultation!

As you know, SEO is all about helping websites rank higher on search engines like Google, so that people can find them more easily.

Now, when it comes to SEO, there are 2 main approaches: black hat and white hat.

𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙝𝙖𝙩 SEO uses tactics that are against search engine guidelines, like keyword stuffing or buying links. These tactics may get quick results, but they're risky and can get a website 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 or even 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 from search engines!

That's why, at our SEO agency, we only use 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩, ethical tactics.

We believe in a holistic approach to SEO, looking at the whole picture of a website, from the content to the technical setup, and making sure everything is working together to improve search engine visibility.

When people ask me about SEO, they often ask whether it is an ever-changing science.

In some ways, yes, it is.

Search engines are always looking for ways to improve the user experience, so they are constantly updating their algorithms and guidelines to understand better and rank websites. As a result, SEO strategies that were once effective may no longer be as effective, and new strategies may need to be developed.

Some examples of changes that have happened in the past include:

Δ how search engines evaluate backlinks

Δ the importance of mobile-friendly websites and page speed

Δ the use of machine learning and more

These and other changes have led to an increased focus on creating high-quality, relevant content, building natural backlinks, and improving website usability.

For someone with a passion for SEO, keeping up-to-date with the latest trends is a passion - you'd find them reading industry news in their spare time! But that's the only real way to help clients get the best out of their knowledge and expertise.

If you have ever been tempted to take a shortcut and buy backlinks, wondering if it was a good choice, here's a quick answer: don't.

Buying backlinks is a violation of Google's guidelines for webmasters and it is considered a black hat SEO technique.

If Google detects that a website has a significant number of low-quality or irrelevant backlinks, it may penalise the site by decreasing its search engine rankings or even de-indexing it entirely.

The likelihood of getting penalised for buying backlinks depends on a variety of factors, including the quality and relevance of the backlinks you purchase, as well as the number and frequency of the links.

Buying backlinks can also be risky as it is not always easy to discern between high-quality, legitimate backlinks and low-quality, spammy ones. If you purchase backlinks from unreliable sources, you may be unknowingly linking to sites that have been flagged for spam or other violations, which could again lead to penalties for your own site.

Remember that the goal of SEO is to create a website that provides value to users and that is easy for search engines to understand.

Instead of buying backlinks, focus on creating high-quality, relevant content and building natural backlinks through legitimate tactics such as PR and social media outreach.

Here are some of our possible one-off services you can either buy independently or add to your plans:

LINK BUILDING PROSPECTS REPORT

Plenty of opportunities for qualitative backlinks to improve your ranking quicker.

BESPOKE SEO TRAINING SESSIONS

Learn how to practically implement any SEO strategies or tactics, either remotely or in-house.

KEYWORD RESEARCH

Discover what people search for on Google and capitalise on this.

SITE AUDIT REPORT

Unveil any SEO issues that might be stopping your site from ranking better.

Get in touch to discuss how we can support your SEO and help your business Be Found Online.

Each of our plans include the below services, providing you with complete and regular SEO optimisation.

TECHNICAL OPTIMISATION

We fix and improve the technical performance of your site so it can rank better.

CONTENT OPTIMISATION

We find the most strategic keywords for your business and optimise your pages accordingly.

LOCAL SEO

If your business has a physical location, we make you stand out in your geographical area.

CONTENT CREATION

We create SEO-friendly, authoritative and informative content, that is critical to your SEO success.

LINK BUILDING

High-quality links have never been more important. Earning links is a quality (not quantity) game.

Would you like to find out more about our SEO plans? Get in touch.

Some typical questions we get asked from people planning to have a new site are, "𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳?" "𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 .𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 .𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 (.𝘤𝘰𝘮, .𝘤𝘰.𝘶𝘬, .𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘵𝘤.)? " "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦?"

According to John Mueller, a Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google, responsible for connecting the webmaster community with the Google search team, the newer top-level domains (TLDs) have 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀.

So, whether you go for .express, .space or .com, your site has an equal chance to rank well in Google's search results. (You can hear it directly from Mueller in this video: https://bit.ly/438z9p3)

When it comes to choosing between a generic or a country-specific extension (like .com vs .co.uk), instead, the choice largely depends on your target audience.

Country-specific domain extensions (also known as ccTLDs) 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 because they give search engines a clear signal that the website is intended for a particular country's audience. For example, if the majority of your target audience is in the UK, choosing a .co.uk extension might be a strategic decision.