SEO Agency FAQs: We Answer 22 Questions You Probably Have About SEO
Wish you could get clear answers to your SEO challenges? We have compiled straightforward answers to some SEO agency FAQs that you have probably wondered about at some point.
The world of SEO can definitely be mysterious and overwhelming at times. There is a lot to think about and a lot of the time the answer to your SEO questions has probably been “it depends”. With so much conflicting information available, it is easy to fall into traps or make mistakes that could harm your rankings.
In our latest webinar, we opened the floor to our guests who had the chance to ask Jon, Five by Five’s founder, Oliver, our Head of SEO and PPC, and Matt, our Senior SEO Strategist all their burning questions about SEO.
We have pulled out 22 of these FAQs and answered them here so you can gain some clear, actionable insights on everything from search rankings to the latest algorithm updates.
Watch the webinar in full to get expert answers to all your SEO queries— whether it’s about technical tweaks or content strategy and learn the SEO tactics that are driving success for businesses just like yours.
1. What are some of the biggest SEO mistakes you've seen people make?
One of the biggest SEO mistakes people make is focusing too much on trying to hack or trick the system. People often look for shortcuts rather than focusing on the foundational practices that provide long term value. Another mistake is neglecting SEO entirely or treating it as something “nice extra to have” rather than a core component of their digital strategy.
2. Do you find that people are looking for shortcuts with SEO?
Yes, people often look for shortcuts in SEO. They try to find ways to trick the algorithm or get quick wins rather than focusing on the steady, long term approach needed to build genuine search engine success. SEO is a long game, and shortcuts don’t typically result in sustainable success.
3. How important is SEO to the success of a website?
SEO is critically important to the success of a website. It is essential to ensure your website is visible to people searching for your services or products. SEO helps bring in organic traffic, and without it, your website may struggle to reach its target audience effectively through search engines such as Google.
4. If SEO is that important, why do people find it so hard to focus on?
People find SEO hard to focus on because it is complex, multifaceted, and constantly evolving. There is also a lot of misinformation out there, which makes it difficult to know what advice to follow. Plus, SEO requires ongoing attention rather than a one time effort, and that long term commitment can be daunting.
5. How long does it typically take to see the results of SEO efforts?
SEO typically takes time to show results, often around six months before you start seeing meaningful changes. It is certainly not an overnight process, but if implemented correctly, the long term benefits can be significant. Building up authority, generating traffic, and achieving high rankings requires consistent effort and patience. We often say it is the epitome of short term pain, long term gain! Plus, once you have finally achieved the authority, traffic and rankings, it is not something that can be lost overnight either.
6. What would you say is more important, a great website or SEO?
Both are equally important. A great website without SEO won’t get seen, and SEO without a good website won’t convert visitors into customers. You need both to succeed – SEO to drive traffic and a great website to ensure those visitors stay, engage, and convert.
7. What are your non-negotiables when it comes to SEO?
Our non-negotiables for SEO include creating high quality content, using relevant keywords, and maintaining a good user experience. These are essential elements that cannot be compromised if you want to achieve long-term SEO success. You can download our SEO audit checklist to help you assess how your website is performing for search. These are quick and simple tasks you can action to help improve your site rankings and ultimately gain more leads and enquiries.
8. What are some green flags when it comes to choosing a web design in regards to SEO?
Green flags for web design that supports SEO include mobile friendliness, fast load times, and a clean structure that search engines can easily crawl. A good web design should also consider how content is displayed and ensure that all technical SEO aspects, such as alt text and metadata, are in place.
9. How does user experience affect SEO?
User experience is a crucial part of SEO. Search engines like Google look at how users interact with your site. If people are bouncing off quickly or not engaging, it tells search engines that your site may not be providing the best value. A good user experience, such as fast load times, mobile optimisation, and easy navigation, contributes to better SEO performance.
10. What’s the impact of mobile optimisation on SEO?
Mobile optimisation is vital for SEO. With most searches happening on mobile devices, search engines like Google prioritise websites that are mobile-friendly. A site that isn’t optimised for mobile will likely rank lower and provide a poor user experience, which in turn hurts SEO performance.
11. What role does content play in SEO?
Content plays a huge role in SEO. It is essential to create quality, relevant content that speaks to the needs of your target audience. Content helps to attract visitors, keep them on your site, and can also be optimised for the keywords people are searching for. Consistently publishing valuable copy to your website is one of the most effective ways to improve SEO.
12. Is there a point where too much content on a website can hurt SEO?
Yes, too much content, especially if it is repetitive or low quality, can hurt your site’s SEO. It can lead to keyword cannibalisation, where multiple pages on the same website compete for the same keywords, which confuses search engines. It is better to focus on quality over quantity and ensure each piece of content serves a unique purpose.
13. How does changing content on pages affect SEO, and what are the possible risks and challenges?
Changing content on pages can affect SEO significantly. It can improve rankings if the new content is optimised for search intent and includes relevant keywords. However, there are risks, such as the potential to lose existing rankings if the changes are not well thought out or aligned with user intent. It is important to be strategic with content updates to avoid negatively impacting SEO performance.
14. What’s the best way to choose the right keywords?
The best way to choose the right keywords is to think about what your audience is searching for and focus on long-tail keywords that are more specific. These keywords often have less competition but can be highly relevant to your target audience, allowing you to rank more easily than for broad, highly competitive terms. For example, you might choose “seo agency for gold coast lawyers” instead of just “seo agency”.
15. How do backlinks affect SEO?
An SEO backlink is a link from one website to another, used to boost the receiving site’s visibility and authority in search engines. Here, we are providing a backlink to a video editing agency, Clipfluence.
Backlinks are important for SEO because they show search engines that your site is reputable, valuable, trustworthy and authoritative. The more high-quality, relevant backlinks a website has, the better it tends to rank in search engine results. However, the focus should be on quality over quantity. Backlinks from trusted, high authority sites are much more valuable than links from low quality sites.
16. Do you expect SEO to be impacted with a website rebuild?
Yes, a website rebuild can impact SEO. Significant changes to a website can affect its current rankings, which means it is important to manage the process carefully. The goal is to ensure that the rebuild or redesign improves SEO, rather than causing a drop in rankings.
17.How do you mitigate the impact on existing SEO to make sure that new web design is a step forward, not a step backwards?
To mitigate the impact on existing SEO during a website rebuild, we advise maintaining a clear strategy. This includes mapping out old URLs to new ones, ensuring all SEO optimisations (such as meta tags and structured data) are transferred, and using 301 redirects where necessary. This ensures that the website moves forward in terms of SEO without losing its already established rankings.
18. What are some common misconceptions about SEO?
A common misconception is that SEO is all about tricking the search engines, but in reality, it is about providing value and optimising the user experience. If you do this, the search engines will naturally rank you higher!
Another misconception is that SEO is something you can set and forget. People often think SEO is a one time effort when it actually requires ongoing attention, adaptation and improvement.
19. Is SEO something you should continue working on indefinitely?
Yes, SEO is something that needs ongoing work! Since search algorithms and user behaviours are constantly changing, staying on top of your SEO efforts is necessary to maintain and improve your rankings.
It is a continuous process that requires regular updates and refinements. Search engines can tell when your site has not changed in a while and may assume your information is out of date, affecting your rankings. Staying stagnant with SEO can cause your rankings to drop over time as your competitors continue to optimise their own sites to outrank yours.
20. How can small businesses compete with larger companies in terms of SEO?
Small businesses can compete with larger companies by focusing on niche keywords, local SEO, and building a strong online presence through content and backlinks. By being more agile and focusing on specific audiences particularly those in a smaller and more local area, small businesses can carve out a space in search rankings even against bigger competitors.
Instead of targeting “plumber sydney” or “plumber gold coast” try “emergency plumber palm beach” and get backlinks from local directories focusing on a suburb location, rather than a city.
21. Do you have any advice for someone who's just starting out and can't afford a professional SEO service?
For someone starting out and unable to afford professional SEO services like ours, the advice would be to focus on learning the basics and implementing them yourself. Invest time in understanding what makes good SEO and use the free tools available. Start small by optimising your website content, ensuring you are targeting the right keywords, and building quality backlinks over time.
22. What are the best SEO tools for beginners?
Well, it depends on your budget…
Free SEO tools
- Google’s Keyword Planner
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- Chrome Extensions such as Moz, Lighthouse and SEOquake
Paid SEO tools
For beginners, the best SEO tools would be ones that are accessible and provide easy to understand insights. Tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and free keyword research tools can offer a lot of value without being overwhelming. These tools help track SEO performance, identify opportunities, and give you a good starting point as a beginner.
Your SEO Experts on the Gold Coast
SEO is a long term commitment that requires consistent effort, learning, and adaptation. By understanding the key principles and avoiding common mistakes, you can improve your website’s visibility and reach the right audience.
Whether you’re a small business competing with larger companies or a beginner trying to make sense of SEO, these SEO agency FAQs answered by our SEO experts on the Gold Coast provide you with some foundational knowledge needed to build a successful SEO strategy.
SEO is not about shortcuts or tricks, but about creating a valuable, user friendly experience that search engines will reward.
Reach out to us for award winning SEO strategy and tailored solutions that can help your website climb the search rankings. Don’t let your competitors get ahead—start optimising with us today!
