Over the years (25+ now), we’ve fielded thousands of questions from clients and prospects. (If only we’d saved them ALL for content, right?)
Truth is, with a small marketing agency like us, our efforts are almost entirely spent working on our clients’ accounts, so blogging and marketing for ourselves often get pushed to the back burner. Our account managers and SEO team already have their hands full keeping campaigns running smoothly.
Today is rainy. It’s been raining for the last week and counting. I overheard a conversation at our local coffee shop this morning. A young yard maintenance guy talked about checking his Doppler map, and it was supposed to be clear. But it’s already drizzling.
So, this is the perfect time to give our SEOA blog some love. I’m starting a Q&A page. Better late than never, right? Think of it as the behind-the-scenes conversation we wish we’d started years ago.
On with the show…
1. Do I really need SEO?
Maybe. Not every business needs an optimized website, at least not right away. What type of business are you in, and how do you currently get leads?
If you’re just starting out and need leads today, SEO might not be the right move yet. SEO can be slow to gain traction, and it’s not a quick fix. In that case, starting with PPC will get business in the door faster.
When running PPC, you need to know where your prospects are so you can spend your ad budget wisely. Google Ads is one option, but it’s not the only game in town. You might also get results from Facebook (Meta Ads), Instagram, or even Nextdoor — it all depends on where you think or know your prospects are.
One important thing to remember: with PPC, your leads don’t get cheaper (very rarely). The moment you stop paying for ads, the leads stop. With organic SEO, however, the long-term payoff can be lower-cost leads that keep coming in without a constant ad spend.
Some industries don’t typically rely heavily on SEO. For example:
- Restaurants & coffee shops – Many depend more on social media, local reviews, and word of mouth.
- Interior designers – Often see more benefit from visual platforms like Instagram or Pinterest.
- Artists – I rarely see art-related websites investing heavily in SEO. More on Pinterest and Instagram (which makes sense for visual mediums).
On the other hand, some industries are practically built on SEO:
- Attorneys – Especially in certain cities and practice areas, competition in attorney marketing is brutal.
- Home services – AC repair, plumbers, electricians, and similar trades are swamped with local SEO competition.
Then there are industries that fall somewhere in between:
- Healthcare & nonprofit – Large hospitals or big nonprofit organizations? You usually won’t see much SEO activity.
But in healthcare marketing for private practices, such as cosmetic surgeons, dentists, orthodontists, and med spas, competition can be just as fierce as in the legal industry.
In nonprofit SEO, certain organizations work hard to rank so they can reach donors, volunteers, and funding opportunities.
The tricky part? The industries with the heaviest SEO competition also attract drive-bys (bad SEO out to take your money and run).
Of course, even if you decide you do need search engine optimization, that brings up another big question: are you with the right agency to make it work?
2. Should I switch my marketing agency?
Sure. If you’ve already decided, no one can stop you. But if you’re on the fence, I hope this helps you think it through.
People switch agencies for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s because the agency really isn’t doing a good job. Other times, it’s because expectations were never aligned from the start.
I’ve had prospects come to us for an SEO evaluation, and we’ve seen cases where the SEO was actually solid — good rankings for key terms, strong design, clear calls-to-action, and a logical content flow. But the prospect still wasn’t happy. In those situations, we’re honest: you don’t need us.
I’ve also seen prospects who “want everything done” but don’t want to pay for what it actually takes. In those cases, we do our best to explain the costs involved, because at the end of the day, it’s their choice how fast or slow they want us to go. We’ll supply the competitive analysis and let them decide for themselves.
The irony is, this “you decide” approach can bite back. I think it’s because SEO is still so misunderstood. In a very competitive market, we often end up being the only ones taking that approach.
Meanwhile, other marketing agencies come in promising they can “do everything” for $500 a month. Who do you think that prospect is going to pick? And then someone gets taken to the bank. It’s not the agency.
Cheap SEO will always cost you more in the end.
Most of you would have seen these classic emails, like the one below, on a weekly basis. Example:
“I have found some major errors that correspond to a drop in website traffic over the last 1-2 months and wanted to bring them to your attention. I’d be happy to send you errors and the solutions to help you improve the performance and traffic of your website.”
‘Mkay. Our advice is to ignore or delete them.
You should have a basic SEO report that’s easy to understand and focused on the data that actually matters. Better yet, you should be able to pick up the phone and talk to your account manager anytime. You don’t need a flashy report full of bells and whistles. Some agencies put a lot of time into polished presentations, but that time still comes out of your budget, time that could be spent on the actual optimization work your site needs.
When you have a good SEO agency, you’ll know:
- You get calls.
- You get form submissions.
- You can easily reach your account manager.
- Your site is well-maintained.
- Updates or changes are done quickly, usually within a day or two.
- If you decide to quit, you don’t have to worry about your agency holding your website hostage or sabotaging it.
Yes, sabotage happens. We’ve seen it firsthand. One client came to us after their previous SEO agency handed over the site, but changed all the URLs in the transfer. They tried to tank the site, but it didn’t work out the way they wanted.
We know why they did it. They were angry that their ex-client had signed on with us, even though we had never reached out to them at all. When I run into websites with that agency’s name listed as SEO, I do feel bad for that business.
Speaking of working with the right people — even with a great agency, you’ll probably ask the next big question…
3. How long will it take for me to dominate Google?
The old answer for SEO time frame was simple: Generally, six months to a year, depending on your industry and competition.
That was before AI.
Now? It’s not just about “dominating Google” anymore. AI has made the playing field more complex and, in some ways, tougher. If you want visibility, your SEO has to work on multiple fronts at the same time:
- Getting your brand cited in Google’s AI Overviews (AIO)
- Ranking high on Google Page 1 for your target keywords
- Earning top spots in Google Maps for local searches
- Getting listed and visible in other search engines and AI-driven platforms. That means Bing, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and whatever’s next.
There are lots of moving parts. In my opinion, a good SEO company has to work overtime to keep you competitive across all these channels.
SEO is not dead. Don’t buy into the clickbait. But it sure is getting bloody harder, which means it might be time to rethink your budget and invest in a strategy that matches today’s reality.
If you’re wondering what “rethinking your budget” really means for SEO…
4. How much should I budget for SEO?
If you’re paying less than $1,000 a month, you’re not paying for effective SEO. At that level, you’re covering some busywork, not a full, competitive strategy.
If that budget cap came from you, just know you’re slowing yourself down while your competitors are sprinting ahead. They’re running full speed with a solid strategy, while your SEO is stuck jogging in place. Maybe one day you’ll catch up… but don’t count on it happening fast.
SEO costs are fluid because they depend on several factors:
- Your current website’s condition and technical health
- Any past SEO work (good or bad)
- Your competition, and whether they have their own SEO teams
- Your location and market size
- The scope of your goals (local visibility, national reach, multi-platform ranking, etc.)
For a small–medium site in a low-competition niche, a decent monthly SEO budget usually starts around $2,000. It can be lower for mom and pop businesses, small towns, etc. From there, it scales up depending on how aggressive you want to be and how much ground you need to cover to outrank competitors.
Even if you have the right budget and a solid SEO strategy, we’re now playing in a different arena. AI is changing how people search. It’s also starting to take some of that search traffic before it ever gets to your site.
Which brings us to the next question…
5. How are we combating the loss of site traffic to AI?
Ladies and Gents, the numbers don’t always match the panic (not yet). SEO consultant Glenn Gabe found that AI-driven search traffic is still under 1% for most sites. Google says overall clicks to sites have stayed “relatively stable” and even improved in quality.
But that’s not the whole story. For some industries — especially publishers or businesses that rely on long-form informational content — AI Overviews are stealing clicks. People see the answer right in AI Mode or AIO, and they never click through to your site.
For our clients, we’ve seen traffic loss mostly with the “Knowledge Centers” we build. These are designed to capture long-tail searches and qualified traffic. The challenge now? AI is lifting that content into its own answers, so fewer users actually visit the site.
Does that mean we stop producing content? Absolutely not. We double down with a new strategy.
- Build content worth quoting – Yes, AI is “scraping” it (let’s call it what it is), but you want your brand name attached to the answer.
- Own authority status – Even if it’s temporary, being recognized as the go-to source builds brand equity.
- Spread visibility beyond Google – That means targeting Bing, Perplexity, ChatGPT citations, and other platforms that will influence search behavior in the next few years.
In short, we adapt, we keep producing, and we make the content so good that AI can’t help but use it, with your name all over the answer.
There’s another curveball that always comes up. You might be getting more leads, but not all of them are winners. Which brings us to a question I’ve heard more than once…
6. You’re getting me lots of leads, but none of them are very good — what gives?
Lead quality is more than just SEO. Many factors influence whether the people reaching out are truly your ideal customers.
One big factor? Trust. One prospect might land on your site and feel confident you’re the right choice. Another might take one look and think you’re selling snake oil. (Case in point: that SEO company I mentioned earlier. I wouldn’t trust them either.)
Here’s what affects lead quality:
- Messaging & positioning – If your content isn’t speaking directly to your target audience’s needs, you’ll attract a mixed bag.
- Design & UX – Outdated design, clunky navigation, or slow load times can make a site feel less credible.
- Reputation signals – Reviews, testimonials, awards, and media mentions all help. Lack of them can hurt.
- Targeting – If you’re going after broad keywords, you’ll get broad traffic. If you want high-quality leads, you need to focus on specific, intent-driven searches.
- Market reality – Some industries naturally get more tire-kickers, spam, or price shoppers.
From the SEO side, our job is to attract the right traffic through keyword research and targeting, content strategy, and user experience improvements.
But once that person is on your site, moving through your content, how optimized and conversion-friendly is your design? It plays a big role in UX (user experience) and CRO (conversion rate optimization).
When we take on a new client, we often recommend a site redesign if necessary. Yes, your site should look good—it’s your digital storefront. But we want to make sure the design supports conversion, guides visitors to take action, and builds trust.
Trust-building isn’t a one-page thing. It needs to be consistent across your site, your Google Business Profile, your social channels, and anywhere else prospects might check you out before deciding to contact you.
For many small, local businesses, visibility in Google Business Profile (GBP) matters more than Google’s classic blue links. Which brings us to the next question…
7. I’m a small business owner with a small budget — what should I focus on?
Start with your Google Business Profile (GBP). That’s how people who don’t know you will find you when searching for your service.
Your goal: show up in Google Maps.
How do you get there?
- Claim your business in GBP.
- Verify you’re a real business.
- Optimize your GBP with accurate info, quality photos, services, products, posts, and review responses. Or hire a good SEO company to do it for you.
GBP verification used to be simple. Not anymore. I’ve worked with GBP accounts where a client’s name and address changes could be done right from the dashboard. On the other hand, another GBP account with an address change had to be completely re-verified via video. Both accounts are in very large metro areas. One is in healthcare, the other in digital marketing.
At SEO Advantage, we handle large accounts covering organic rankings, GBP, video production, social engagement, and more. But for mom-and-pop shops, smaller local clients with lower budgets, I recommend My Local Start, where we focus on helping these businesses show up in their local communities.
That’s all I’ve got for today. I’ll be back to add more Q&As when I get a breather.
About Parichatra Reuning
Pat started SEO Advantage® with Stone Reuning over 25 years ago. She runs SEO operations and has seen every trend come and go.
She also founded My Local Start, a small agency built for local businesses that don’t have giant budgets but still want to be found.
When she isn’t working, you’ll find her at home — in the garden, or off on day trips with her husband and son.
