SEO frequently asked questions
What is SEO for a website?
SEO is the work of getting your website into the top results on Google when someone searches for what you sell, without paying per click. It covers content, structure, speed and trust signals, so the search engine understands what your site is about and shows it to the right people.
The aim is for your website to bring in customers on its own: whoever finds you through a search already wants your service at that moment, so they're usually the enquiry closest to buying. You don't interrupt anyone with adverts; you appear when they need you.
How quickly will my website rank on Google?
3 to 6 months to reach the first page, depending on how competitive your sector and area are. A local phrase with average competition moves faster; a hotly contested national search takes the longer end. Anyone promising you number one in a week isn't being straight with you.
Progress is gradual and measurable: first indexing, then ranking improvements week by week. Every month we tell you where your phrase stands, no spin.
Will it actually rank on Google?
It will if the phrase is chosen well. The rule is simple: your main service, written the way your customer would write it, plus your town where it applies. Think of the service that earns you the most plus the place where you offer it; that combination brings the visitors most ready to buy.
We don't choose blindly: first we check how many people search for it each month and how competitive it is, then suggest the variant with the best balance between searches and a realistic chance of ranking within the timescale.
Do you have experience in our industry?
Yes, if your customers search Google for what you do. It works especially well for professional services, health, home improvements, transport, tourism, training, hospitality and retail: sectors where people compare before they decide.
If there are hardly any searches in your sector (a very niche product or an impulse buy), we'll tell you plainly after the keyword research, before charging you for something that won't pay off. We'd rather lose the sale than deliver a service that doesn't help you.
How much does SEO typically cost in the UK?
With us, £79 a year. It covers one phrase of your choice for a year: keyword research to confirm it, an initial audit of your website, on-page optimisation (titles, descriptions, headings, images and internal links), content built around that search, indexing on Google and monthly tracking with a report.
It's a single annual payment of £79, with no monthly fees or extras.
How long does SEO last?
Long after the work is done, and that's the advantage over paid advertising. An advert disappears the day you stop paying for it; a position earned through good work tends to hold, because it rests on your website answering better than the others.
To be honest: Google updates its algorithm and competitors move too. That's why the plan includes monthly tracking, so we spot changes in the report and adjust before they affect you.
Local SEO vs national SEO
It depends on where your customers are. If you work in a specific area (part of Manchester, Leeds or Bristol, say), local SEO is for you: less competition, faster results and visitors who can actually buy from you because they're nearby.
If you sell or deliver across the UK, the phrase is targeted nationally: more competition and timescales towards the upper end of 3 to 6 months, but a much bigger market. We decide the scope together when choosing the phrase.
How do I know if my business needs a new website or just optimisation?
It depends on its base. If your current website has a sound base (it loads quickly, can be edited and is well organised), we optimise it as it is and you pay nothing extra. The initial audit shows this and we explain it without jargon.
If the site is very slow, very old or impossible to edit, you're better off with a new website on one of our website plans, built optimised from day one, plus the SEO plan. It's always quicker to rank a healthy website than to fight with a broken one.
How to check Google ranking for my website
With Google's own tools: Search Console shows where your phrase ranks, how many times your website appeared and how many clicks it got; Analytics shows your visits and where they come from. No home-made metrics that can't be checked.
Every month we send you a short report with your position and how it's changed. And you can check it yourself: open a private window, search for your phrase and see where you appear. That's the metric that matters.
Is there a contract?
No. It's an annual payment of £79 that covers a year of work, and when it ends, renewing is up to you: no minimum term and no penalties for not continuing.
Most clients renew for a practical reason: keeping a position you've earned costs far less than winning it back from scratch, and the enquiries it brings in more than cover the plan. But the decision is always yours.