SEO Services

Why You Need SEO Services

Website optimization is the one most critical focus when aiming to rank high in search engine results. With our SEO services, you’ll increase your online visibility and better target your audience. Our digital marketing experts start with smart research – they review each keyword for competitiveness and search frequency. By identifying opportunities to optimize content, images, and code, we’ll show you how potential customers can find your business online with ease. Build a long term lead generation strategy with Search Engine Optimization!

Hassle-Free SEO Services By Digital Shift

Digital Shift is a search engine optimization company with professional SEO services for franchises and medium-sized businesses. Our website optimization tips and tricks have helped clients since 2007, and we now have branches in Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary. As your business is important to the Digital Shift team, we are constantly improving our web page optimization best practices by doing thorough research, technical SEO analysis, and strategy testing. All of our efforts are helping your business website get a boost in online visibility and gain a competitive edge over your competitors. However, before we begin, we must learn more about your industry,  your business, and get to know who your target audience is. By doing this initial research, it will allow us to further examine your website and what steps to take in curating the optimal landing page. We take SEO very seriously and want to bring businesses the best results possible. As such, we take great care in doing a complete analysis to get a clear picture of where your digital marketing strategy is before we get started.

Getting Started is Easy!

To get started right away, contact our SEO expert to get your free consultation on your current standing against competitors in your industry regarding your keywords and geographic location. Your report will be easy-to-understand and identify any problems associated with why visitors may not be converting. We will also provide an informative analysis on why visitors may be dropping off or hesitating to go to a specific page such as the shopping cart. This is a frequent problem commonly associated with start-ups that are looking to optimize their website. If you have any questions regarding your website analysis or about your current SEO efforts, our SEO expert will have all the answers you are looking for. Start getting that valuable information to make the necessary enhancements that boost your online visibility and increase relevant traffic to your website!

FAQ About Our SEO Services

How is SEO different Today?

There have been many changes since the early days of using exact match domains and creating lots of content. Here are the top three things worth noting about search engine optimization:

• Searching today is mobile: Search capabilities of mobile phones are used the most frequently
• Data is structural: Marketers need to be aware of user optimization and data structure
• SEO is technical: The technical elements matter more today, but they also have to be used within the guidelines of the search engines

Understanding the technical side, as well as the objectives of search allow the Digital Shift team to build a superior SEO strategy. To gain a better understanding of how to best approach an SEO strategy we ponder the following questions before starting an SEO project:

• What Motivates User Searches? Users want relevant results quickly. Understanding the mindset of the searcher is of most importance.
• What Motivates Search Engine Bots? Google aims to provide relevant and popular results to the searcher. So that they can get more revenue from actions or clicks. Search engines try to satisfy the searcher.
• What Motivates Businesses? You as the franchise owner want to be first and get in front of your customers so that they become aware of your product and service. The aim is to qualify the searcher as a qualified customer and, ultimately, for them to make a transaction with you.

The customer journey from search query to becoming a client is what we analyze to better understand how we can get your business or franchise SEO strategy done right.

What is White Hat & Black Hat SEO?

Having served happy clients since 2007, we have a general idea of what most businesses are curious about in regards to search engine optimization. An important factor to keep in mind, however, is the difference between black hat SEO and white hat SEO techniques. With search engine optimization becoming more of a hot topic amongst starting entrepreneurs and experienced CEOs alike, it's crucial to first understand the difference between these two before considering an SEO agency or freelancer. This will be a great guide in understanding what search engine optimization is and its fundamentals - the two most basic questions in the realm of SEO. Black hat SEO are questionable methods that can significantly hurt your business' visibility. It guarantees instantaneous financial rewards that can get you banned from a search engine. Companies or freelancers who guarantee these results are likely using black hat SEO techniques. As the purpose is to gain fast rewards, getting banned isn't considered a problem for them. Therefore, black hat SEO techniques are a definite 'no' on getting those long-term rewards. White hat SEO, on the other hand, is a series of diligent techniques that abide by search engine rules. By following what search engines are looking for, you will naturally get higher ranking and reap in those long-term rewards that you truly want for your business. Digital Shift is a proud white hat SEO company that uses ethical efforts to enhance your online visibility. The two key factors we pay attention to in search engine optimization are the initial keyword research and curating the content. As such, we have compiled a brief educational article below on what these services are and their benefits. The information below is sure to answer a lot of questions you might have about our search engine optimization services.

What Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is improving a website's visibility using Search Engines. Search Engines are operated by users wanting to find information, services, and products. The most popular search engines are Google, Yahoo and Bing. These services enable visitors to search the World Wide Web. Once a user has entered their search criteria, the search engine browses the Internet and displays the most relevant results as hits. The objective of SEO is to improve your website's ranking on Search Engines and score higher hit rankings.

SEO = Your Content + Social Media + Search Results

As you see in the title above, Digital Shift's SEO strategy is built around a holistic strategy including your website's content, your social media circles, and search engine results. SEO is not simply link building and blasting your website links all over the internet. Link building is an important component of SEO, but what businesses fail to consider is the quality and relevancy of these links. Google updates its search algorithm to filter out this type of content, especially if it is not useful to the user. Local SEO services can fits into your strategy if you are wanting to target local customers. Digital Shift can help your prospective customers find your products and services.

Fundamentals Of Search Engine Optimization

Most businesses are aware of and understand the most basic concepts of search engine optimization and how it’s important in the world of digital marketing today. If you have gotten your feet wet in the realm of SEO, you will realize that search engine optimization is a process that eats up a lot of your time and requires a lot of hard work. You may want to start doing SEO but are having difficulty finding a starting point. Keep in mind that SEO is a bit different than other marketing strategies. Understanding the differences will help you stay on track for running and measuring your successful SEO campaign. The desire for instantaneous results sounds tempting but don’t be fooled. An ad that guarantees instantaneous results on Google or any other search engine is a scam. Proper search engine optimization should be planned carefully. Please note that even the most effective SEO strategy will need to be changed at one point or another. As search engines change, your SEO strategy should change with it. It’s important to realize and accept now that you and even the most successful digital marketing agency have no control over this. By knowing the fundamentals of search engine optimization, you have taken the first step to put your SEO strategy together.

Keyword Research

Yes, everyone wants to optimize their website. But to do that, you need to know what you’re optimizing for. Finding the right keywords for your SEO strategy can be challenging but rewarding. Keywords are what people are typing into search engines. Search engines like Google will work to find the most relevant results based on your search query. But sometimes search engines can have a tough time understanding what searchers are looking for. You may have typed in one keyword but because it doesn’t give you what you’re looking for, you type it in another way and another and another until you find what you are looking for. To understand how important keyword research is, let’s assume you sell bikes. Naturally, you would assume that the keyword “bike” is the one you want to rank for. However, if you did research, “bike” is likely to not make your keyword list. Even though bike may be searched a bunch of times, how relevant is that one keyword to your business. Yes, you sell bikes. But consider for how many reasons people type the word “bike” into a search engine. They could be looking for repairs, rental bikes, bikes for children, and the list goes on. Essentially, this keyword is way too broad and way too competitive. Begin your keyword research by putting yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself what you would put into search engines. If you take the time to brainstorm, it forces you to look at the different areas of your business. Be comprehensive and list out as many keywords or phrases with the mindset of your customer. As a business owner, you may be tempted to write down “high-value cycling transport” or “BMC discount purchase” but your customers aren’t typing that into search engines. They are simply looking for a deal on a bike. There are also keywords called “long-tail keywords.” They are very narrowly focused and relevant to business objectives. These long-tail keywords have the potential to get you more traffic than shorter keywords. Something like "Best deals on bikes Toronto". Finally, take a look at the list you’ve generated and try to find some meaning and organization. Is there a theme or topic? There are many keyword research tools out there to aid your search engine optimization efforts. The one that gets used the most is the Google Keyword Planner. It provides a good measure of search volume and makes keyword suggestions. The best part about this tool is that it is completely free and is recommended in the SEO community. However, you will need to have an AdWords account to get access. If you have any questions regarding keyword research and how this plays a crucial role in your search engine optimization efforts, do not hesitate to call Digital Shift for a free consultation!

Content Optimization is King!

When you have great content that is not optimized, it’s likely to start collecting virtual dust in the long run. When you DO have great content that’s optimized for relevancy and keywords, it’ll get tons of love. People and search engines expect clarity and quality from your web pages. People want to know without any hesitation what your content is about and that it is trustworthy. When people discover content that they like and trust, it’s likely they will share it. If your content is being shared a lot, search engines will see this as a sign of trust. As a result, you will be rewarded with more search engine visibility. In a nutshell, content optimization focuses on themes and trust. Content comes in a variety of forms: imagery, written words and video just to name a few. Whatever you create is content that you can share. Imagery is one of the most powerful forms of content in that it conveys a powerful message. Videos are another form that is becoming increasingly popular. With video, you have roughly thirty seconds to a minute to tell a story about your company or promote a product. Each different piece of content has its challenges and rewards. Regardless, it can be extremely beneficial to your search engine optimization efforts when your content is created correctly.

Is Your Business Showing Up On Google?

Search engine optimization is separated into two different channels: offline and online. Both of these techniques contribute to your website visibility. Website visibility is a key factor to the success of your online marketing strategy. A website that has only one or a few keywords is not enough. Google has raised the bar, and new standards have been set. Google is aware of paid links and SEO programs that manipulate Search Engines. We work with you to determine the best methods for increasing your overall rankings. We will create a plan using SEO industry standards to make sure your website is seen, and your message is delivered.

On-page SEO

On-Page SEO is optimizing your web page so that it can be indexed better by search engines. The way your content, keywords, images, tags, etc. appear on your website influences Google's page ranking. We offer On-page SEO services that will analyze your keyword and inbound links and result in a boost in free organic traffic. We perform the on-page SEO Optimization based on one keyword or phrase. On-page SEO services include:

1. 1-hour content meeting
2. Keyword or phrase optimization
3. Configuration of Google
4. Optimization of content
5. Enhancement of titles and heading
6. Rewriting URL (link) names
7. Creating/updating sitemap
8. Creating/updating robots
9. Building website hierarchy
10. Reviewing image names
11. Reviewing internal links
12. Clean up of page code
13. Updating tags
14. Authorship setup
15. Social media integration

Off-Page SEO

Off-Page SEO is a list of factors that are not controlled by you. These off-page optimization techniques involve web page listing and the sharing of your content by others. Off-Page SEO also involves the tedious process of link building. Again, these links should be relevant and of great quality. Off-Page SEO services include:

1. Directory submission
2. Search engine submission
3. External and Internal link building
4. Content Creation
5. Engaging in social sharing
6. Link building
7. Video Marketing

To get a better idea of what off-page services Digital Shift offers you, do not hesitate to contact us today!

Get The Best SEO Results Possible!

Our goal is to give your website a high page ranking through authority, usefulness, and relevance. Again, Digital Shift does not use any fast track tricks (that will likely penalize your ranking) - just honest straight forward pricing with a proven methodology. Our free consultation provides you with valuable information about your ranking against your competitors. After you have considered our report and are still looking to invest in our SEO service, we have outlined what you should expect of us to deliver to you in your monthly SEO report.

• Search Engine overall ranking: A detailed review of your overall performance on major Search Engines
• Competitive analysis: How your competitors rank against you
• Website structure overview: Your website's internal coding and how well it performs for Search Engines
• Review of Website Keywords: Titles, Code, and Tags
• Review of all other ranking factors!

Once we have finished the review, determined the key issues and made our recommendations, we can set up and manage your campaign for you. As a business, you only need to consider what works best for you and what goals you want to accomplish. The expected report above can be a small or large indication of what you should expect. Depending on what plan you choose and what your questions are, your report may look different in comparison to other clients. Contact us to learn more about our SEO Services or how we can help you with Local SEO strategies.

Resources On Achieving Great Results

You may have more questions regarding how to get great SEO results. Digital Shift wants you to be just as informed as we are about your SEO report and what it contains. Forbes has an article that outlines what content marketing is and its benefits. With local SEO strategies continuously changing, here are three essential local SEO strategies to keep in mind. Having trouble with website optimization techniques? Digital Shift also advises on how to optimize your website. We've also found an informative article that outlines the foundations for a successful website. Are you interested in knowing what the biggest or the most common SEO challenges are for small businesses? A quick read on The Local SEO Challenge for Small Businesses by Forbes offers insight on challenges small businesses are facing nowadays with regards to search engine optimization.

More Questions About Our SEO Services?

SEO services are optimal for businesses to get recognized online and offline. Most businesses do have an idea of what search engine optimization is. However, not too many know about the benefits and awards a business can reap by investing in quality SEO services. While it is possible to do SEO yourself, there are many factors to consider such as time and effort spent. If you have a general background of SEO, you won't be spending as much time as others to learn the basics and be grasping for strings. The big question to consider is whether or not you have the time to do it effectively. Effective SEO requires more than covering the basics and not many businesses have the time or energy to put forth into the challenge. As an affordable digital marketing company, we take great pride in being up-to-date with updates of search engines to ensure that our white-hat tactics get you ranking. As we've serviced happy clients since 2007, we've put forth a list of frequently asked questions regarding our SEO services.

What Are The Benefits of Our SEO Services For Your Business?

SEO Services are specifically designed to optimize the content on your website (on-page) and on other websites (off-page) to generate traffic from a targeted audience. They can be segregated into two categories: local SEO services and national or general SEO services. In brief, local SEO can be run for targeting on-the-go, prospective customers in your city. It allows your business to show up on Google Maps with a link to your website, reviews, hours of operation, phone number, and more. National SEO services are used for targeting not only local customers but those all over the world. By doing so, your business brand can get worldwide recognition. In essence, these are the benefits your business can reap in with our local SEO services and national SEO services:

• Long-term success
• Fresh content
• Capture on-the-go prospective customers
• Worldwide recognition of your brand
• Targeting and communicating with the right audience
• Citations in quality directories
• Link building

Your SEO services are in the hands of an SEO expert. Therefore, you will not need to train a member of your team to be efficient in SEO and you will prevent beginner mistakes. As SEO involves a lot of different components, our team of specialized individuals all contribute to getting your business a strong online presence for your website. Digital Shift has the tools and technology to get the most optimal local directories to list your business in. As such, you can rest assured that your business is getting registered in quality websites that will get you the best traffic and revenue. Our SEO services will get your business in front of customers and capture those local people on-the-go or get your brand worldwide recognition.

Who Can Benefit From SEO Services?

Regardless of what industry you're in, any business can benefit from SEO services. With so many people searching online nowadays, people are already considering or are ready to invest in your product or service. This gives your business a huge advantage. You simply need to know how to get your brand in front of them and past your competitors. Any business can begin engaging with a prospective audience on a social channel. SEO services can be thought of as a means of networking events in digital format. These benefits are a long-term result of current efforts. Whatever business you're in, it will grow due to SEO services because the world is online.

What Does Digital Shift Offer as Part of SEO Services?

The goal of SEO is to build content and links to your website. Also, when others link to your content, it's a sign to Google that your content is helpful and will also help in ranking. We find a way to do this that gives you high authority and aligns perfectly with your audience-specific goals. Our local SEO services are built around audit and keyword research, local directory citations, and social media citations. However, our SEO services are not limited to just those three factors. We also offer content marketing services and implement external and internal links. To determine exactly what we offer for our local SEO services, visit our Local SEO Services page.

How Long Before I Can Get Better Exposure?

Depending on the industry, the competitiveness of keywords and geographic location, online exposure can be fast or slow. However, you can expect to see results within 90-120 days after we start implementing your SEO plan. Keep in mind that SEO services do not produce immediate results. Companies that advertise for immediate SEO results are those that raise a red flag.

When Should My Strategy Be Implemented?

We recommended that established businesses experiencing a downturn should re-evaluate their marketing mix and start-ups should ensure they have at least 3-6 months of operating expenses ready before they get started. Your strategy will not be implemented until you've given us the okay to get started. Depending on what you want to achieve with your SEO services plan and your budget, we can be flexible in strategy implementation. To know exactly when your strategy can be implemented or to start one today, contact us.

Why Should I Consider SEO Services?

With so many prospective customers searching online and on-the-go, your business cannot go wrong with great SEO services. People are actively searching and comparing which means that the days of cold calling are coming to an end and traditional marketing methods are fusing with online technologies. SEO is a good strategy to implement for businesses wanting to build organic traffic (non-paid) to their website by establishing ranking for keywords that their prospective customers search for in Google. It's almost a guarantee that if you are not using SEO services, your competitors are.

Have More Questions?

Digital Shift is more than happy to answer any questions you have regarding our SEO services or about SEO in general. By contacting us, one of our digital marketing experts will give you a free consultation on your current SEO efforts if you are already implementing SEO. If not, we can discuss how to get valuable online visibility and generate relevant traffic for your business. By evaluating what you wish to accomplish, and creating a sure plan to get you there, Digital Shift's SEO service helps your business succeed. When you succeed, we succeed with you.