Frequently Asked Questions [ See other top 10 questions & pricing here ]
Why is Search Engine Positioning so important?
Let's say you search for something using Yahoo.com. After the search results appear, did you know that 70% of the clicks are made on the web sites listed from positions 1 to 10. And 25% of the clicks come from positions 11 to 30. That means 95% of the clicks come from positions 1 to 30, which is normally pages 1 or 2 of the search engine results! That means, if you are not listed on Page 1 or 2, you are simply "out of luck". No matter how great your service is, or how wonderful your product really is, or how nice your web site looks, if they cannot find you, there is no opportunity to sell!
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Why do I need to hire you and use Pay Per Click - can't I do this myself?
Yes, you can. However, if you do decide to set up the plans, organize the budget, research the keywords, design the various text ads for all the programs, then continually monitor and track all the results yourself, there is something that you will need - lots of time and lots of experience. Search engine optimization is just like any other cost of advertising your business. We partner with you so you can do what you are good at, and then you can let us find new customers for you!
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Do you have references I can contact?
Absolutely. Call Kevin Sullivan @ (508) 286-9061 or send an e-mail to kevin@vantelweb.com and ask us for some references. Within 24 hours, we will send you references.
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Which search engines will my site be listed on?
The following search engines cover over 95% of all web searches and all are included in our PPC Plans: Yahoo, Google, MSN, AOL, Netscape, Earthlink, CompuServ, FoodNetwork, Shopping.com, AT&T Worldnet, About.com. Lycos, NewYorkTimes.com, InfoSpace, Business.com, AltaVista, CNN and InfoSpace.
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How do I get started?
First we need to take a look at your web site and we include a FREE Search Engine Ranking Report to see where you are today on the major search engines. We will e-mail you the results and discuss them with you. Call Kevin Sullivan at 508-286-9061 or e-mail kevin@vantelweb.com if you have any questions.
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Will you select the keywords that are applicable for my site? Or, will I have to do that myself?
We do all the work to select the keywords which are applicable for your site. When we begin work on your project, we will thoroughly analyze your business from your customers perspective in relation to the search engines. We will also analyze the web sites of your competitors. And we take input from you, since no one knows your business better than you do.
Based on our analysis, we will arrive at an initial list of keywords. Once we have established an initial list, we will identify the most popular keywords which are applicable for your site. Based on the popularity of the qualified keywords, we will arrive at the final list of keywords which we will use.
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How do you select the keywords for my site?
We have special keyword research software and tools to find out which keywords are popular with your target market. We also determine your industry for keyword usage over the past year and then examine the number of times these keywords are used on the search engines themselves. The research is very technical. We also use our search experience and change our mind-set to "think like the typical, average customer". What keywords would they use to find you? We ad these to the program.
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I heard link popularity is an important factor as far as search positioning is concerned?
Yes, link popularity has become an important factor as far as search engine rankings are concerned. But, another benefit of Pay Per Click advertising is that you do not need any link popularity for your site to be listed on top!
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There are companies who will submit my site to 2,500+ search engines. Is this necessary?
No. This is because only the major search engines and directories will bring you any traffic. Research of how people look for information on the Internet indicates that 95% of all people who search for information on the Internet use the top search engines and directories. In fact, most of these 2,500 search engines exist with the sole aim of getting hold of your e-mail address when you submit your site and then sending you junk e-mail. Hence, submitting your site to these search engines is nothing but a waste of time and money for you.
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How do you submit sites to the search engines?
With the Pay Per Click programs, we perform the submission automatically when we set up the plans.
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Other Top 10 Questions & Pricing:
Do I only pay if someone clicks on my text ad link?
Yes, you actually "Pay Per Click". So that if a person clicks on your text ad link, then you will be charged a set amount for that click. This is great because you only pay for results. If they do not click on your ad link, there is no cost to you. And if they do, then you have generated a qualified lead or a sale! Remember, we want the client to click, that is the whole idea of web advertising. (NB: No need to worry about being charged for multiple clicks because the software recognizes any people trying to click "extra" on your link so you are not charged). [return]
What's a sample "Pay Per Click" (PPC) cost?
E.g. As of 6/1/2005, the keyword "caterer Boston" on Yahoo cost 55¢ to be on page #1, position #1. (NB: the cost for page #1, position #7 was only 10¢. A very cost effective method to generate a qualified lead! [return]
What's the total cost to set up a PPC Plan for my business?
- Full Service Starter Plan 100: $299.00 one time only set up & only $295.00 per month*.
New Customers Only - March Special- Sign up by March 30 and the first month is FREE! * - $295 Savings! This includes everything for complete 100% online presence on all the major search engines for ad campaigns for up to 100 total keywords.*
- Full Service Plan 350: $695.00 one time set up & $295.00 per month* This includes everything for complete 100% online presence on all the major search engines, plus time budgeted in for the additional work for ad campaigns for up to 350 keywords.
- Full Service Plan 500: $895.00 one time set up & $325.00 per month* This includes everything for complete 100% online presence on all the major search engines, plus time budgeted in for the additional work for ad campaigns for up to 500 keywords.
- Full Service Plan 1000: $1,295.00 one time set up & $375.00 per month* This includes everything for complete 100% online presence on all the major search engines, plus time budgeted in for the additional work for ad campaigns for up to 1000 keywords.
(*NB: The click charges are not included as these are paid directly to Yahoo and Google) [return]
Can I stop paying you at any time, for any reason?
Absolutely. Our fees are monthly. We are confident that the PPC campaign will generate positive results for your business with more qualified sales, sales leads, and inquiry telephone calls. But you can quit at any time. [return]
How will I know what I am spending each month on clicks?
Normally we simply set up a monthly budget so you know exactly what you will spend each month on click charges. Let's say you want to spend $50 a month on clicks. Your text ad link will show for the month up until your have enough click charges to reach $50. Then our system will stop your ad until the following month. Budgets can be increased or decreased at any time. And if you did not spend the full $50 in a month, then the remaining balance is simply carried over to the next month. You do not "lose it. [return]
How will I know if this is working and is cost effective for my business?
Two ways. First, you should certainly see an increase in the revenue generated from Pay Per Click advertising. Sales and leads will go up! Second, we monitor and print monthly reports for you so you can see exactly how your keywords performed each month. An advantage of PPC advertising over print & radio advertising is that PPC is very "trackable". Our software will tell us who clicked, as well as where, and when, on what search engines, and even tell us what the specific keywords were! We also have the option to track "conversions", which can be "sales leads" (filling in a request for a price quote) or actual sales that are direct results of the search engines. We continually learn from your target audience and adjust the ad campaign as we go. [return]
What else is included each month?
(1) We manage all the keywords by continual researching, editing, and adding.
(2) We create and test new ad copy for the keywords on a regular basis.
(3) We monitor all the keywords for performance by tracking all results. For example, our software tells us how many time was the word "event caterer Dorchester MA" was typed in last month, and what position did your text ad appear, and how many customers actually clicked on your link? We use "keyword tracking" to give us crucial information for your ROI (Return On Investment). We setup and design all the text link ads, and then continually monitor and track them for results. [return]
I am very busy. Do I need to spend lots of time with you to get this going?
No, we are Search Engine Professionals and we do absolutely everything from start to finish! We actually have some clients we have never even met face to face. [return]
Can you "prove" your work in advance to help me decide?
Yes. We can also show you real, live results today for any of our other clients so you can see how they are doing. And we have good, old fashioned references we can give you and that we would love to have you call! PPC is great for clients because you can check our work by typing in any keywords from our existing clients plans and then see their search positions online. (we can give you the company names and sample keywords) Later, you can also check your own search positions at any time yourself. Just go online and type in one of your target keywords. You will be on page #1 or page #2, because that what you are paying us for! [return]
How long does it take you to get us up and running withy a PPC Plan?
7-10 business days and you'll have an online advertising presence to start generating new sales. That is just the start, as the work we perform is ongoing month by month. [return]