I cannot log into my account.
If you do not remember your credentials to access the Portal, you can click on the forgot password button from the login area of the portal.
What is jumpstart
On the Jump-Start page you will see a prioritized list of all the areas your website most needs to improve to achieve the best Digital Marketing results, and tasks that you can jump straight into to work on these specific areas. These core areas of Digital Marketing include: search engine ranking, online reputation, Social Media presence and Local directories.
Tasks
I have inserted everything as described in the task, but the tool is giving me an error. Why? Make sure that you inserted the keywords in your page as said in the task. "Flower" is not the same as "Flowers." "Nursery" is not the same as a "Nursery business." Including hyphens and other formatting is also important.
Check your keywords for spelling mistakes.
Have you inserted the keywords in the right page? In stage 1, all keywords belong to the homepage. In stage 2, all keywords belong in the respective subpages.
Do I have to complete all tasks?
It’s recommended you complete all tasks. Although some tasks are more important than others and tasks are organized by priority, completing all tasks will help maximize your success.
What happens when I have completed all tasks?
After completing all the tasks, you can monitor your rankings and results on the Search Engine Assist dashboard. SEO is an ongoing effort; you will have a continuous overview of areas you can continue to improve or build.
Keywords and Search Volume
What keywords should I choose?
Search Engine Assist can help you select keywords to target based on your industry, location, keyword search volume and level of competition.
Start by inputting some basic search terms related to the products or services you offer, and Search Engine Assist will recommend additional keywords and terms.
Choose the keywords that are most important to you and that most accurately describe what you offer. Ideally, these keywords should already be on your web page. Keywords that are too general may increase the competition and are therefore could be more difficult to rank. The more targeted the keyword, the more relevant your visitors are later.
Think of keywords both in terms of describing your products and services, and also the “symptom” your products and services help solve. For example, a car mechanic might target “brake repair Boston” and “squeaky brakes Boston”.
How can I change or delete keywords?
You can manage your keywords under Settings > Keywords.
By clicking on the "X" at the end of a keyword, you can delete the respective keyword. Change your priority order by dragging and dropping keywords into the correct positions. Add new keywords by selecting “Add keywords” in the top right.
Please note: For any change to the keywords, the tasks must be recreated and done again. You will also lose the evaluation of removed keywords.
What does “Search volume” mean?
The search volume tells you how often a keyword is entered in the search engine and searched for each month. If a search term has a high search volume, it generally means there is greater competition and might be more difficult to rank higher.
Why does the search volume fluctuate over the months?
Search terms can be seasonal. For example, search terms including “gifts” or “skis” are higher in December. It’s best to keep your keywords consistent throughout the year, as it can take months for your ranking to improve on search engines.
Rankings
Why do I not have any rankings in my evaluation?
If you have just started to optimize your website, your data is still being collected. You should see your updated data in a couple of days. If you are still not found in the search result, you may need to complete recommended tasks in Search Engine Assist to get ranked on search engines. It can take weeks or months to improve your search engine ranking.
If a keyword does not seem to be ranked at all, you should check whether the keyword is too general. You can also reference "search volume” of a keyword; a very high search volume can mean the keyword is very competitive and you may have difficulty ranking.
How long does it take until I am ranked?
This depends on many factors. It can sometimes take months to see changes in your search engine rankings. SEO is a long-term investment, and you should prepare yourself more for a marathon than a sprint.
Why are my rankings going down?
Especially when beginning an optimization, fluctuation in the rankings is very normal, because constant assessments of your page are taking place by search engines. It takes a while until this has leveled off. You should give your keywords about 3 to 6 months for ranking development before you take further action.
What does the number in the ranking mean?
Every page in Google shows 10 search results. "1" would therefore mean that with this keyword, your page is located in the first place on the first page. "11" would mean that with this keyword, your page is located in the first place of the second page and so on. The smaller the number, the higher the ranking.
Subpages
I cannot define any subpages in Search Engine Assist.
Make sure that your subpage is accessible on the Internet and is not behind a password protection or something similar.
How do I define subpages in Search Engine Assist?
When you move the mouse over the corresponding task in stage 2, a popup appears where you can insert the subpage.
Do I need to create a subpage for every keyword?
In general, creating a subpage for every keyword is best practice. A subpage should exist for each of your keywords and an optimization should take place. You should give the page good content that is tailored to the keyword, thereby encouraging Google to include this keyword-specific site in the search.
There are some exceptions; keywords are related or are synonyms can be optimized on the same subpage.
Can I hide subpages?
It’s not recommended to hide subpages. Search engines favor websites with the best user experience. Optimizations to your site should be made for the visitor and not for the search engine. The subpages must be accessible for visitors and search engines, and it is best that they are linked from the homepage.
Directories
A directory rejected me. What should I do?
If no reason was provided for the rejection, check whether you complied with the rules of the directory/portal and try again after making a correction. In cases of doubt, contact the directory directly.
I have not received any confirmation email from a directory.
Some directories do not send confirmations or either maintain their directories manually so that it takes longer to receive a confirmation. In cases of doubt, you should contact the directory directly.