The big question that every business owner asks is how to get ranked number 1 in Google for their keywords.

Calgary, AB -- (SBWire) -- 11/26/2014 --Let’s assume we are talking about Search Engine Optimization a.k.a. SEO. Paid search will let them get to page one quickly, but it will cost them each time someone clicks on our link.

Back to SEO, where the first page doesn’t come in a day. Most people when they ask this question are thinking of one thing: a “fat head” keyword. Something like, let’s say “dentist.”

They think “if They only ranked for the word dentist, they would get so much business!” This person might even have used to Google Keyword Planner to get estimated search volume, done the math and saw a pot of gold at the end of the search rainbow.

Ranking for “dentist” might get them a lot of new business, but there are a few things to consider.

Is it worth the time and effort to focus on only one keyword?

Is it realistic, if at all even possible?

If Google shows different results to different people, will it really pay off as much as I think it will?

How qualified will those leads be?

Would spending some of our money on a conversion-friendly page be better than investing it all in SEO?

Do the majority of people still search that way?

What is going to make them any more of a dentist than any other dentist out there? I.e. how are they going to be more RELEVANT for that search?

For those of us not familiar with “Fat Head” “Chunky Middle” and “Long Tail” this diagram from the leading SEO site Moz illustrates the idea quite well:

”Dentist” would be a fat head term for our purposes. Below I’ve classified a few in each of the categories:

Fat Head: dentist, dentist office, dental office, dental clinic

Chunky Middle: dentist toronto, dental office toronto, toronto dentist emergency, toronto dentist open sunday, toronto dentist prices, toronto dentist downtown.

Longtail: “what dental procedures are covered by OHIP?” “does it hurt to have a root canal?” “are dental x-rays damaging?”

If they focus on creating a website that satisfies a good portion of the chunky middle and even a small slice of the long-tail, they’ll inevitably end up satisfying Google for the fat head keywords like dentist, dentist office, and dental clinic (for some of the searchers, remember that everyone’s search results are different).

If they’re still set on fat head keywords, be prepared to pay! …in a number of ways.

If they’re talking PPC, we may pay $8-9 per click (current estimated bid in Toronto Canada).

If they’re talking SEO, we could end up paying a very big price: having our site never show in Google search results again!

If an SEO company says they can get us to the number one position in a number of weeks they

a) have a black hat link network that they’ll gladly weave them into for a hefty fee

b) are wizards.

Choosing “A” is very risky, because although our site may get some traffic, the next Google algorithm update is bound to knock us off the first page. Do they really want to go through hiring extra staff when business is good, then have to lay them off because they’re no longer ranking? If they choose this path, and they’re de-indexed from Google, our only hope is to build a new site and re-name our business while they’re at it.

So really, how long does it take to make it to the first page of Google?

If they’re doing it with sustainability in mind, then it will probably take 3-6 months depending on how much they invest, and how savvy our competition is.

They need a long-term effort that takes a holistic approach and not simply SEO and building links. They need to have content to go after those chunky middle and long-tail terms (blogs are especially great for long-tails). We’ll also benefit from social media in order to get that content out there. Ideally, also we’re willing to put a little bit of budget into Facebook promoted posts to expand our reach.

As they begin to work with a reputable SEO agency, our site’s authority will increase. They can use a tool like Open Site Explorer to find out our Domain Authority (similar to Google pagerank, but a much more accurate and more frequently updated indicator of site quality). As our site ages it will earn Google’s trust and will begin to rank for a broader range of keywords. On average, they expect to see first page organic rankings at the 3-6 month mark (this can take less, or more time depending on our industry). After 3-6 months our goal is to rank on the first page for a subset of the initial keyword list. They will track/report on a wide-range of keywords so they can chart our progress over time. An SEO agency shouldn’t limit them to a tight list of keywords to focus on, remember if that were the case they’d be missing out on a lot of “chunky middle” traffic.

About Red Cherry SEO Calgary
We are a digital marketing and software agency that stands out from all other agencies. Our team of talented and creative individuals work closely with us to deliver rich and engaging solutions that drive qualified traffic to our website and convert that traffic into sales. Red Cherry has offices in both Kelowna, BC and Calgary, AB. We work closely with us to develop a comprehensive digital marketing campaign for Facebook, Google, Twitter, Remarketing (largest ad network), Pay Per Click, SEO, and more. Providing website design in Calgary for over 10 years.

We are also a full scale software development firm specializing in web development and apps development.

Let's chat 888-401-6668 or visit http://www.redcherryinc.ca/