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SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) helps your website rank higher in search results like Google. It's important because higher rankings lead to more visibility, traffic, and potential customers. Good SEO can be the difference between being found online or being invisible to your target audience.

SEO is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix. Typically, you can expect to see initial improvements within 3-6 months, but significant results often take 6-12 months. The timeline depends on your website's current state, competition in your industry, and the SEO strategies implemented.

SEO investment varies based on your business size, goals, and competition. For small businesses in New Zealand, monthly packages typically range from $500-$2,500, while larger businesses might invest $2,500-$10,000+ monthly. One-off SEO audits usually cost between $1,000-$3,000. At SEOSPIKE we do it differently. We only charge you for the actual work we do and we only charge $65 an hour. No Queen St SEO prices here!

On-page SEO involves optimising elements on your website (content, meta tags, structure). Off-page SEO focuses on external factors like backlinks from other websites, social signals, and online mentions that build your site's authority and reputation.

Look for transparent communication, client testimonials, and a clear explanation of their strategies. Avoid anyone promising immediate #1 rankings or using black-hat techniques. A good SEO expert will educate you about the process and set realistic expectations.

A comprehensive SEO audit should examine your website's technical health, content quality, keyword strategy, user experience, backlink profile, and competitor analysis. It should identify specific issues and provide actionable recommendations for improvement.

Absolutely. Local SEO helps your business appear in local search results and Google Maps, which is crucial for attracting nearby customers. It involves optimising your Google Business Profile, gathering local reviews, and creating location-specific content.

Basic SEO practices can be implemented yourself with research and learning. However, professional SEO experts bring specialised knowledge, experience, tools, and time that most business owners don't have. The complexity of SEO and frequent algorithm changes make professional help valuable for competitive industries. It's a little bit like watching the All Blacks play... it looks easy but I can assure you it isn't. The biggest problem is not knowing what you don't know.

Professional SEO services should provide regular (typically monthly) reports showing key performance indicators like organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversion rates, backlinks acquired, and technical improvements. These reports should be explained in plain language with insights about what's working and what needs adjustment. You should also be shown exactly what work an SEO expert has done.It should be listed. We provide a spreadsheet so you can see exactly what we have done and what we are charging for.

SEO requires ongoing maintenance. If you stop completely, you'll likely see gradual decline in rankings as competitors continue their efforts and search algorithms evolve. Some benefits will remain, but without regular updates and optimisation, your visibility will diminish over time.

Keywords are the specific words and phrases that users type into search engines when looking for information. They're the bridge between what people are searching for and the content you provide. Strategic keyword selection helps your content reach the right audience. For effective SEO, you need to identify relevant keywords with good search volume but manageable competition. Researching keywords is more important than actually creating the website and should always be done first.

Title tags and meta descriptions are HTML elements that provide concise summaries of your webpage content. The title tag appears as the clickable headline in search results, while the meta description is the brief text below it. Both elements help search engines understand your content and influence click-through rates. Well-crafted title tags (50-60 characters) and meta descriptions (150-160 characters) can significantly improve your search visibility and user engagement.

Page speed measures how quickly your website content loads for users. It's crucial because slow-loading pages frustrate visitors, increase bounce rates, and harm your search rankings. Google specifically considers page speed as a ranking factor for both desktop and mobile searches. Improving page speed through image optimisation, code minification, and server response times can boost both user experience and SEO performance. How fast it looks to you when you look at your website is irrelevant. All that matters is how fast Google thinks your website loads.

A sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages on your website to help search engines find and index your content efficiently. Think of it as a roadmap that guides Google and other search engines through your site structure. XML sitemaps are the standard format for search engines, while HTML sitemaps help human visitors navigate your website. Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console improves crawling efficiency and indexing of your content.

Finding relevant keywords involves several approaches: use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or Ahrefs; analyse competitor websites; explore Google's "People also ask" and "Related searches" sections; and gather customer feedback about their search habits. Focus on keywords with decent search volume that align with your business offerings and user intent. Balance competitive high-volume terms with more specific phrases where you can more easily rank.

Long tail keywords are longer, more specific keyword phrases (usually 3-5+ words) that visitors are more likely to use when they're closer to making a purchase or when using voice search. While they have lower search volume individually, they often convert better because they catch users with specific intent. For example, instead of targeting "running shoes," a long tail alternative might be "waterproof trail running shoes for women." These keywords typically have less competition, making them valuable additions to your SEO strategy.

The most important ranking factors include relevant, high-quality content that satisfies user intent; mobile-friendliness and responsive design; page experience signals (including Core Web Vitals); website security (HTTPS); backlink quality and authority; technical SEO elements like proper site structure and schema markup; and user engagement metrics. While Google uses over 200 factors in its algorithm, focusing on creating excellent content for users while ensuring technical soundness will address many ranking factors simultaneously.

Common SEO challenges include keeping up with frequent algorithm updates; managing technical issues like crawlability problems; creating consistent high-quality content; building quality backlinks naturally; competing in saturated markets; measuring ROI accurately; balancing SEO with user experience; managing local SEO for multiple locations; and addressing mobile optimisation needs. Many businesses also struggle with securing adequate resources and budget for long-term SEO strategies while showing value to stakeholders who expect quick results. Another huge issue is doing SEO for a few months, getting a few backlinks, then giving up. It just doesn't work like that.

White hat SEO follows search engine guidelines and focuses on creating value for users through quality content, proper site architecture, and earned backlinks. It builds sustainable, long-term results. Black hat SEO uses manipulative tactics that violate search engine guidelines—like keyword stuffing, hidden text, link schemes, and content automation—to gain quick rankings. Black hat techniques risk severe penalties including complete deindexing from search engines. Grey hat SEO falls between these approaches, using techniques that bend but don't clearly break the rules.

SEO has evolved significantly with increased focus on user experience signals like Core Web Vitals; greater emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness); the rise of AI-generated content and its impact on quality assessment; more sophisticated natural language processing through updates like Google's BERT and MUM; growth in visual and voice search optimisation; and the declining importance of traditional keyword matching in favour of topic relevance and user intent matching. Local SEO has also gained importance with expanded Google Business Profile features and local search capabilities.

WordPress consistently ranks as the best website platform for SEO due to its flexibility, extensive plugin options (like Yoast SEO and Rank Math), and complete control over technical SEO elements. We don't build on anything but WordPress. When it comes to visual website builders, we use Breakdance Builder on any website we create. It offers excellent SEO capabilities with its clean code output and performance optimisation features. Other popular builders include Elementor, which provides comprehensive SEO controls and seamless integration with SEO plugins; Oxygen Builder, known for its lightweight, bloat-free code that contributes to faster page speeds; and Divi Builder, which includes built-in SEO options and responsive design controls. Beaver Builder also ranks well for SEO with its clean code generation and compatibility with major SEO plugins. For those using WordPress as their platform, these builders provide varying levels of control over header tags, schema markup, and mobile responsiveness - all critical SEO factors. The best choice ultimately depends on your specific needs, technical comfort level, and whether you prioritise ease of use or advanced customisation capabilities. For us, it's always Breakdance Builder.