Understandably anyone considering SEO will have many questions before they can come to their decision, here are a few questions and answers that are popular among businesses and individuals that need to weigh up the benefits of adopting search engine optimisation.

Q: How long does SEO take to effect traffic?

A: Marketingsherpa gives an average of 110% per month, however, SEO results will be determined by a number of factors:

• The age of a website will play a role in the speed at which SEO will take effect, older and more established websites will take precedence over younger ones in most situations.
• The strength and volume of competition in the market also plays a role. A company that has few competitors and is already established can see results in a matter of weeks. On the other hand, a new firm trying to rise in a competitive industry may take 12 months or more.
• The number of pages also plays a role. A website with many pages is more likely to have a higher rank than one with few pages.

Q: What return on investment can be expected?

[sws_picture_frame13 src="http://www.webgrowth.biz/files/2012/03/FAQ1.jpg" title="SEO Questions" alt="SEO Questions" align="sws_frame_right" lightbox="" album="album" video=""] [/sws_picture_frame13] A: Anyone considering SEO will want to know if it’s worth the money that they put into it. The answer is definitely. SEO is but a small portion of the total costs of a website, what is the point of investing time and money into creating a website and maintaining it if no one is going to view it? In the bigger picture, the cost of SEO is minimal and will help you to secure a spot on the map for your website.

The average increase in traffic, according to marketingsherpa, is 110% per month when outsourcing the SEO process and the average conversion rate of companies that outsource their SEO process increase by 20% due to the references becoming more targeted.

WebGrowth studies have shown that you will start seeing an increase in traffic after the 3rd/4th month. Because each industry and each business are so unique it is hard to determine the exact ROI that can be expected, however, a positive ROI will be achieved.

Q: What can I expect to pay for SEO?

A: The price is dependant on many factors. You might as well ask how much a car costs, it could be a Polo or a Lamborghini. The company and website in question will have to be assessed thoroughly before a quote can be given.

Q: What is the difference between white hat SEO and black hat SEO?

A: White hat SEO are the recommended methods and techniques that are allowed and encouraged by search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Black hat SEO are generally frowned upon by the search engines and may result in punishment, such as being shoved to the last page of the search or being removed from the search engines listing all together.

Q: I already employ PPC tactics, do I still need SEO?

A: PPC  gives a paid search while SEO gives an organic search. Studies have found that Internet users are more inclined to overlook paid links and go straight towards the non-paid listings beneath them.

PPC is activated instantly and yields fast results, however it can cost a great deal, it can expose you to click fraud and it has no effect on your search engine ranking.

SEO on the other hand is slower to start, but will result in good news. The results are long-term, allowing you to reap the benefits of your past dealings while focusing on the future of your business.

Q: Can you guarantee my search rankings?

A: The online world is very dynamic and sometimes volatile, there are many things that are out of an SEO’s control that can possibly interrupt the ranking process. So the answer to this question is no, your search rankings cannot be guarenteed, however, in the majority of cases SEO will provide very positive results.