Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is a hot industry, which makes for high competition between Long Island SEO firms. Search engine optimization, in as simplest terms as possible, is getting your site as close to the top of the page when someone searches for keywords/terms that relate to your business in a search engine such as Google. For example, if you own a car insurance brokerage and someone goes to Google and types in "car insurance quotes" into the search field, aside from the paid ads, ideally, you would want your site to be the first one on the page. In this particular example, and this relates to many others as well, there are usually paid ads that are the first to appear on the page. These results are shaded with a different color than the normal white background, and have a little "Ads" text in the upper right hand corner. These ads also appear on the right hand side of the page as well.

SEO is referring to the "organic" rankings that are returned by Google and other search engines. Google has provided many different factors that determine the outcome of their organic search engine rankings, but they are also smart enough to leave the rest a mystery. Google uses a system to identify how high your website will come up known as Page Rank. Some factors that have been known to effect a websites page rank is popularity of the website across the entire Internet, the amount of traffic the website receives, on page factors such as meta tags, off site factors such as the amount of links from other sites that link back to your site (and their page rank and anchor text) and the biggest factor of them all, the algorithm that made it possible for Google to patent page rank.

Due to the mysterious nature of this algorithm, and Google’s promise that nobody can guarantee the number one spot in their search results, search engine optimization has become a coveted skill to acquire, especially because of the popularity of Internet Marketing. This is where it starts to get ugly. Those who do have these skills, or claim that they do, have taken it upon themselves to charge whatever they seem appropriate - some results on Google will show ads that quote $15,000 per year.

Search engine optimization was never my top skill, nor did I try to make it mine. With that being said, over the past 6-8 months, it’s something that I’ve been able to nail down pretty well. When I first started to see my results come up in the search engines, I went for an interview with an owner of a Long Island SEO firm, who admittedly didn’t know much about the actual work that went into the search engine optimization, but was quick to point out where he ranked for a handful of search terms. To make a long story short, after a lengthy "interview" process, in which I showed him the results I was able to obtain and how I got them, without giving away all of my secrets, he told me that "maybe I could work for him for free, if anything."

I left feeling like complete garbage and started to question my knowledge and ability of SEO. I started to wonder how I would get clients if this guy was also going after Long Island SEO clients too. Truth be told, he had the gift to gab and seemed like a pretty good salesman. Fast forward six months later and I find myself searching for some keyword terms I was optimizing my site for, and low and behold, who’s sitting on the side paying for ads as I took up 4 spots on the first page of Google - yeah, it was him.

I tell this story not to insult this guy, but to warn any and everyone who’s looking to have their website optimized. When potential clients come to me, I can give them a ball park figure, but I insist on spending time with each client at the beginning in order to make sure that they understand what services I’m providing and to ensure that I can provide them with what they’re looking for. If I can’t deliver on my promise of what I can do, I don’t want them as a client and I’ll give them their money back, plain and simple.

Hopefully this article helped you out. For more information, check out my website, shoot me an email or give me a call!