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Brainerd SEO Agency

Brainerd & Baxter SEO Experts:
Grow Your Business with Central Minnesotaā€™s Trusted SEO Agency

   Local SEO Matters in Brainerd, Baxter, and Central Minnesota

Hey look my website is in first..

If your business serves a specific area like Brainerd or Baxter, local SEO is key to reaching the people who need your services. Think about itā€”when someone searches for "HVAC services near me" or "fix my furnace" or "plumbing in Baxter," you want your business to show upĀ  on top of the page results.

SEO Marketing from Matter Solutions is the best choice to Search Engine Optimize your company website.Ā 
Letā€™s focus on real growth for your business.

Paul Bunyan and Babe The Blue Ox Approve

Matter Solutions SEO Marketing
Brainerd Baxter HVAC Services

Our Comprehensive SEO Services

We provide a full range of SEO services designed to meet the unique needs of businesses in Central Minnesota:

Keyword Research:
Find the terms your customers are searching for.

On-Page Optimization:
Improve your websiteā€™s structure and content.

Link Building:
Boost your siteā€™s authority with high-quality backlinks.

Content Creation:
Write blogs, articles, and resources that attract customers.

Local SEO:
Optimize for Brainerd, Baxter, and other areas in Minnesota.

Boost Your Online Visibility and Think About More Sales.

Can SEO Really Improve your business?

Yes. SEO has been key part of our client's success.

This page about our Brainerd based SEO service. I'm Ben, the founder of Matter Solutions, and I enjoy being hands on as SEO Strategist and Technical SEO. We had a larger team (pre COVID) and thanks to our travel related clients that changed fast and we somewhat accidentally found a really neat way to do business.

Our micro digital marketing agency approach has worked really well for us and our clients since 2021. You get a real expert throughout a campaign, not just at the start.

My goals for this page are:-

  1. Give you a few insights that you can use to understand what SEO could do for your website;
  2. Signal that we're happy to share knowledge, educate and help get you the right outcome(s).
  3. Share a logical framework for SEO so you (or your website designer) have a point of reference when you want to work together.

BTW - In our view the right outcomes are... more visitors and more leads from those visitors, or sales (in the case of ecommerce).

If you want to learn more about me, check my team page, or my LinkedInĀ or perhaps you're ready to get in touch, booking a call back with me is the best way, use this button.

Ben Maden
Ben Maden
Need a Brainerd based SEO?
Link-building since 2001, before "SEO" was a thing.
Active SEO for UK clients since 2004, began working on Aussie sites in 2008.

Moved to United States in 2006, became an Aussie in 2016!

Master of Aeronautical Engineering (1998)
Web Developer (since 1998)
Master of Business Administration (2004)
Google Ads Qualified (since 2008)
Experienced with WordPress (since 2008)

Our Brainerd based SEO team provide first class Search Engine Optimization services to small and medium sized businesses. We primarily work with businesses in Brainerd and South East Minnesota but we also have a strong client presence in Sydney and other capital cities around United States.Ā Our team work methodically and customise campaigns to suit every client's needs. Have a Free Strategy Call (on video) with one of our Ranking Specialists to see what we recommend for you using your budget as if it were our website.

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BRANDS WE WORK WITH USING SEO

Quality Air Logo
Ontex Healthcare Logo
Uni-Span Logo Small

Boost Your Online Visibility with Brainerd SEO Solutions.

Think About More Sales.

Local Search: Reaching Your Target Audience

Local search is the process of optimizing a website to attract local customers and increase visibility in local search results.

Local search is essential for companies that serve a specific geographic area, as it helps them reach their target audience.

By optimizing a website for local search, businesses can increase their online visibility, drive more foot traffic, and improve sales.

Local search involves claiming and optimizing local listings, building high-quality local citations, and creating content that is relevant to the local audience.

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website in search engines through various techniques and strategies.

SEO involves understanding how search engines work, what people search for, and the keywords and phrases they use.

The goal of SEO is to increase the quality and quantity of website traffic by improving the rank and visibility in search engines for specific keywords.

SEO is a crucial aspect of digital marketing, as it helps businesses reach their target audience and increase online visibility.

By optimizing a website for search engines, businesses can improve their online presence and drive more sales.

We've rescued clients from some horror stories, fixed their broken wings and helped them soar at the very top of Google.

Trades  - An SEO Horror Story

Their SEO company wasn't charging much at all and when they asked for more work, for better SEO and for answers about what next they got nothing. It was like the SEOs were all out of ideas.

I (Ben) met with the husband and wife team at their home. Their youngest was playing on his trike in the room while we discussed fixing their website up and getting on track for long term success.

I'd done my research earlier. It wasn't a surprise that the links to the website were horrific. Imagine Jason & Freddy Kruger (of Friday the 13th & Nightmare on Elm Street) had set-up an SEO agency. But it was worse, the links had a massive Death Star-like flaw. Had Darth Vader helped them too?

Amazingly, the rankings were almost there!  The website ranked in the top five in their city (the dark side works - for a while)

At the meeting I had bad news to deliver. We need to dismantle the bad and build back with good work or the website will disappear completely when Google (or an X-wing) wakes up.

Success depended on speed. The race was on to "Disavow" the bad stuff before Google noticed how bad it really was. And to get good stuff in place, ASAP. This "good stuff" takes 3 months minimum so we needed luck on our side (use the force Luke).

I needed the client to "get it" and so we had a relationship-defining-conversation in their dining room. Thankfully they did "get it" and 5 years later they're operating out of a huge custom facility with a team of staff. 

Matter Solutions manage their now rebuilt website, their top rankings and we keep the competition on the back-foot month after month.

I count winning and taking care of this client as a huge success. It gives me huge personal satisfaction to see them do so well. The day-to-day management of the account is handled by their account manager, Victoria, but I'm still involved as the strategist when she and the client need me.
 

Same Tradie - Alternate Universe

Read the left column first (or above if you're on mobile).

At that meeting the husband and wife team could definitely have said no to me. A cheaper option would have sounded way better, and it would have worked - for a while.

Less money. No mention of the risk. A guarantee of a top ranking.

The dark-side-SEO could have then just done more of the bad link building that was already working... or do a little bit of good SEO... but leave the bad stuff there.

Ranking number one on page one would have come very soon.

The client would have been over the moon, busy and happy and 

KABOOM!

The death-star explodes and the rankings disappear because of the massive flaw in the reactor.

Then what? Get yet another agency, start over from scratch with a new website, clean it up and rebuild after it blew up?

Imagine if you could just fix the flaw in the Death Star BEFORE the x-wing attack? That'd be sad, because The Empire Stikes Back is an awesome movie, but for your website and your SEO - this is how to do it right.

What Next?

Are you ready for a conversation with our team and a meeting with Ben? Take a look at our Get Started page. It will get you thinking about working effectively together and how to get the most out of First Contact.
Send enquiry

Client Testimonials

WELL KNOWN PRINTER BRAND FROM JAPAN

Thanks for all your consulting and guidance, our team know what to work on now.

BRISBANE'S BEST STEEL FABRICATION COMPANY

Since 2010 Matter Solutions has worked with our team to grow our marketing.
Ben was the very first person we called when we opened a new depot, added a new product line and began looking at ecommerce.

MULTI-BRAND DIGITAL FOR CONTINENCE PRODUCTS 

Ben and his team have been super helpful throughout the (3) website builds. Far more cost-effective and faster than our in-house option we've been able to have way more input  and flexibility too.
We're excited to begin SEO and Ads for these new websites.
brainerd-baxter-seo-services

What Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about getting your website noticed.Ā 

Ā 

Itā€™s the process of improving your siteā€™s visibility in search engines like Google by using proven techniques that attract the right audience.

At its core, SEO helps your website rank higher for keywords your customers are searching for. The result? More traffic, more leads, and more growth for your business.

For businesses in Brainerd, Baxter, and across Central Minnesota, SEO is an essential part of digital marketing. Whether youā€™re targeting local customers or reaching beyond, weā€™ll help your website make an impact where it counts.

Why Local SEO Matters in Brainerd, Baxter, and Central Minnesota

If your business serves a specific area like Brainerd or Baxter, local SEO is key to reaching the people who need your services. Think about itā€”when someone searches for "HVAC services near me" or "plumbing in Baxter," you want your business to show up first.

Our local SEO services focus on helping businesses like yours:

  • Show up on Google Maps when customers are searching nearby.
  • Get more calls and leads from local searches.
  • Stand out with consistent and accurate business information online.

Weā€™ll make sure your business is easy to find for customers across Central Minnesota.

SEO That Works: Website Design and Development

A strong website is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. We specialize in creating and optimizing websites with SEO in mind.

Hereā€™s what weā€™ll focus on:

  • Fast-loading, mobile-friendly design for better user experience.
  • SEO-friendly coding practices to help your site rank higher.
  • Consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) information for local search.

Whether youā€™re building a new website or optimizing your existing one, weā€™ll make sure itā€™s ready to perform in the Brainerd-Baxter area and beyond.

Our Comprehensive SEO Services

We provide a full range of SEO services designed to meet the unique needs of businesses in Central Minnesota:

  • Keyword Research: Find the terms your customers are searching for.
  • On-Page Optimization: Improve your websiteā€™s structure and content.
  • Link Building: Boost your siteā€™s authority with high-quality backlinks.
  • Content Creation: Write blogs, articles, and resources that attract customers.
  • Local SEO: Optimize for Brainerd, Baxter, and other areas in Minnesota.

We take the guesswork out of SEO by providing clear strategies that get results.

Integrating SEO with Content Marketing

Great content goes hand-in-hand with SEO. From blogs and case studies to service pages, we create content that helps your site rank and connects with your audience.

By targeting the keywords that matter to your customers in Brainerd, Baxter, and across Central Minnesota, weā€™ll help drive more traffic and leads to your business.

Mobile Optimization: A Must for Central Minnesota Businesses

Most online searches happen on mobile devices. Thatā€™s why we prioritize mobile optimization for all our SEO clients.

What does this mean for your business?

  • A website that looks great and works smoothly on any device.
  • Faster loading times for better user experience.
  • Improved rankings on search engines like Google.

Mobile optimization isnā€™t optional anymoreā€”itā€™s essential.

Why Matter Solutions?

As your local SEO experts in Brainerd and Baxter, weā€™re here to help your business thrive. We understand the unique challenges and opportunities in Central Minnesota and tailor our strategies to deliver real results.

Whether you need to boost your visibility, drive more leads, or grow your business online, weā€™re ready to help.

Ready to Get Started?

Letā€™s make your website matter. Whether youā€™re based in Brainerd, Baxter, or anywhere in Central Minnesota, weā€™re here to help your business grow with SEO that delivers results.

Call us today to book a free consultation with our SEO experts or visit our Get Started page to learn more.

Talking to a few SEO agencies? 
Awesome, we encourage that!

First Class Reputation For Digital Marketing
We urge you to go and check out what people have to say about Ben, our founder, and the team at Matter Solutions

We're confident that you'll find that our team in Brainerd walks the walk, and we look after our clients for the long term.
Read Google reviews about usRead Facebook reviews about usTake a look at our Testimonials page
Google Reviews that highly recommend Matter Solutions
Nick's Story of Our Comprehensive Approach
"Their communication - Outstanding"

"The end product -Remarkable!"
Nick Moller - Entrepreneur
STATMENTORS.COM.AU & ADFMentors.com.au

Ready to get started?

Begin with a 20 minute conversation about your goals. We'll bring the research into your website. With the right effort your website will become something that Matters to your business.

Some SEO Results For Clients
Snapshots of SEO Rankings, Traffic & Conversions (clients removed deliberately)
  • Brainerd based training company that asked for serious SEO results
Do You Need To Learn How SEO Works?
Helping Brainerd Learn About SEO since 2010.

Places we share SEO and Digital Marketing knowledge today

  • A great place to start is our YouTube channel:
    YouTube.com/askMatterSolutions (740 subscribers and growing).
  • We also have some specific playlists, our SEO one is actually embedded below and linked here: SEO Basics On Video.
  • The Digital Marketing Workshops ran monthly from 2016-2019 in Brainerd MN and Sydney (near Hyde Park) will make a come back soon (after COVID). These workshops cover SEO, but not in much depth, it actually covers how digital marketing channels like SEO, Ads, CRO, website design and even things like your Social Media all fit together for your business.
  • Digital Marketing Blog posts. Here's a link to the sub-section of SEO blog posts.

Ben (founder) and Nemek, the then Head of SEO Strategy at Matter Solutions started delivering SEO training sessions to Brainerd businesses at a small cafe in Redcliffe back in 2010. We received some great testimonials from business leaders, some of those attendees became clients and some are still clients today over fifteen years later!

Watch this playlist from our YouTube Channel

SEO Strategic Basics - Concepts And Ideas
Frequently Asked Questions...
...about Brainerd Search Engine Optimization

What is Search Engine optimization?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving a website in order toĀ increase your websiteā€™s visibilityĀ in the search engines.

This can be distilled down to considering justĀ ranking in Google because they are the number one search engine (by far).

SEO is a combination of techniques

  • creative,
  • technical,
  • writing, andĀ 
  • socialĀ 

... all about improving the quality and strength of your website.

Website Quality

Quality is a good way to think about these techniques. You should be striving to make the best website you can make.

It should inform, be useful and give people what they need - when they do a search. This means thinking about search intent.

There is also the User Experience (UX) aspect. A slow website will turn-off visitors even if it is well written and well designed.

All the quality aspects need to be addressed to get and hold people's attention.

Website Strength

Websites mention each other. This doesn't happen very often compared to the amount of text out there but it does happen. This mention could be of your brand or even a link to your website from their website, called a back link.Ā 

The quality and strength of their website, and their page, has an impact on the strength of your page when they link to it.Ā 

Earning links, especially good quality links, means that you can accumulate this value. This is what is meant by "Off Site SEO" work.Ā 

A SIMPLE MENTAL MODEL: THE SEO TRIANGLE

Our SEO Triangle (video below) helps people new to the subject get a handle on the basics. The mental model explains the need for multiple activities and a strategic approach in various different directions.

We've used this to great success on our YouTube Channel and with our clients to communicate clearly about the work we do.Ā Ā 

The trade-offs are often hard to grasp at first, and we find this three-sided explanation helps new people understand why a website redesign won't improve your SEO without some improved content (with keywords) and earning some backlinks.

Is it all about Google? Do you do SEO for the other search engines?

Yes, basically.

Google has such a dominant position with 80%+ of the search market that we usually focus on Google to acquire traffic for clients. In some particular markets a ranking in Bing can be valuable. This is in markets where users are unlikely to (a) have a PC and (b) unlikely to change the default search engine, e.g. retirement planning and aged care, but even then the focus remains on the big prize: A top ranking in Google.

It is also worth noting that the sort of Search Engine Optimization services that work for ranking in Google also works when trying to rank in most other search engines too, e.g. Bing or DuckDuckGo.

SEO Brainerd

How long does the brainerd SEArch engine optimization take?

SEO is a long-term strategyĀ compared to other forms of advertising such asĀ advertising in GoogleĀ with AdWords.

Consider these three factors:-

  1. Speed, how soon the rankings arrive
  2. Cost
  3. Risk of anything going wrong

An expensive SEO campaign can be put together to get even a new website ranking quickly, but that work, especially any links that that website earns may be seen as spammy (risky) and it might cost way more to put in place than a campaign over 6-12 months.

In my years of experience, I (Ben is writing this) have found that the time factor can be used as an ally, instead of an enemy.Ā 

I recommend clients be ready for a 6-9 month from zero to hero (page one) and 12-15 months to get to solid number ones, this is a balanced pace for a campaign but of course, easier/lesser keywords can arrive faster... and super competitive (and generic) keywords can take much longer.

SEO Consulting in Central Minnesota

DO I NEED TO WRITE CONTENT FOR Matter Solutions TO USE?

No, but you can if you really want to.

In the past clients have begun their engagements with us by specifying strict editorial control, i.e. they want to write every single word that appears on their website. When it comes to the scientific work to improve your pages this slows everything down massively and isn't advised.

We have excellent procedures to handle your content changes in two ways, either...

  1. We create and input content for you to review privately and approve for publication.
  2. We publish content, show you where it is and you have a right to edit or veto as you wish.

In some fields (finance, healthcare and legal) we know that clients must approve our work before publication - so they must use method A.

For speed and effectiveness, we recommend method B, but if clients want to be the gatekeepers at the start we totally understand. We're able to switch so you might want to start with A (private approval) and when ready, we all move to B (publish and log) once our writers have earned your trust.Ā 

Knowing the subject -vs- Writing skills

You'd be surprised at the subjects our writers can write about.

It is true that the best content will likely come from the owner of the business - but how much time to do they have to devote to writing? Not much.Ā 

Even when entrepreneurs and business owners do write they're often limited in their writing skills. They omit key aspects like keyword usage and tone, e.g. humour and engaging writing.

It is far more efficient to have a great writer create the website's content and then have someone technical check it over.

I've learned the hard way that some clients can be their own worst enemy when it comes to copywriting... and block the progress of entire campaigns because they want to do the writing, but just don't have the time.

Content Marketing in Brainerd Minnesota

Do I only need to do SEO once?

Like the meme says, *it depends*.

Google makes about 500 updates to its algorithm each year. There are likely to be things that need work overtime to address those changes.

I wrote above about the core concept of earning links when I introduced the SEO Triangle above. **If** your website can earn enough links to get ahead of your competition or you add something so amazing to your website that it earns links naturally at a faster rate than your competitors can catch then the SEO you need in the future will be mininal. It'll really just be a care-taking of that linkworthy asset, and tuning the content to account for algo changes.

But - that IF above is a very big IF. Not many clients are able to create content that earns links at a huge rate.

Firstly links are rare and hard to earn.

Secondly, what earns links today may not earn links in the long run.

Creating an asset to earn links can be hit and miss... The insurance brand Budget Direct created some great linkworthy tools on their website. Of around ten special features on their website only one actually earned a decent amount of links.

If you've done low-quality SEO it could even be that past SEO practices that worked like a charm in years gone are seriously harming your website now or in the future.

Recommendations
  1. Be careful
  2. Consider SEO as a long term investment - as mentioned above.
  3. Find a provider who you can work with you on short, medium and long term returns to suit your needs
SEO once? It depends

HOW DOES YOUR TEAM KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGES?

We use a scientific data-driven approach. Consider these two...

Off Site SEO

The first principle we use:

What other people say about your website (backlinks) is more important than what you say.

The fundamentals don't change that much. How we earn links might change, but the need to earn quality links has and will remain constant. Some SEOs talk about the increasing strength of other factors like "on page", "UX" and "trust factors" this seems to be true, but links are such a good way for Google to evaluate authority (quality and strength) that there is unlikely to be a massive shift any time soon.

On Page Optimization (SEO)

We use another first principle here:

Google is looking to reward the best website. Give visitors the best website and Google will follow.Ā 

Working with this at the core we're able to make decisions when

  1. Analysing your competitors,
  2. Deciding what technical work - speeding up a website (UX), fixing poor rendering on mobile phones.

Using data usually gives very clear signals about what humans want to see, and therefore what Google is likely to reward.

Scientific SEO means growth

WHY IS SEO IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESS?

Imagine you have a shop.

Imagine your shop is on wheels. Not a van. Like a full-sized retail store that is on massive caster wheels.

Day one when you start the shop you're nowhere. As you step out of the front door of your beautiful store you step into red dust. You're in the middle of the desert - dry, arid and no people, just a kangaroo hopping along in the distance.

SEO is like deciding on day one that you want to be "in the city" you head towards the city pushing your shop on its wheels because you know there are customers there.Ā 

You don't know exactly where "in the city" you will end up, but you'll refine that later.

You don't know quite how long it'll take to get to the city but you know for sure that the closer you get to the city the better it'll be - when compared to the desert.

You make steps like this for weeks. You've come across zero new people, just more red dust and kangaroos, but you can see the city lights on the horizon at night so you know you're headed in the right direction.

As you continue it gets busier. The first visitors enter your store - yippee! People! Some of them browse but no one buys. That's okay, you're not in the right spot for buyers yet, so you continue. Do not give up!

You send out some friends with signs advertising your retail store. Some people follow those friends back to your store - and those people buy! At last! You learn from your friends (1) where they found those people and (2) that there are lots more people in that part of the city.

You push your store to that part of the city. There are already stores like yours so you line up alongside them and make your store even more inviting than the competition.

With the right approach on making customers happy you can dominate and over take the retail stores already in place.

This answer is based on part of the SEO Training I used to provide, from 2010, and this graphic (below) is the one we used to use in our website's footer to advertise our training workshops.Ā Ā 

Digital Marketing Advertising Flyer

Can I do SEO myself?

Yes. There are many SEO techniques that you can apply for yourself.

It should be noted that some techniques can go from simple to complex very quickly.

For example, analysing a website to find out what technical improvements to make is very simple with Googleā€™s PageSpeed Insights Tool, some changes might be easy for you (your developer) to implement many changes might have you scratching your head and even finding out that your website designer or developer doesnā€™t (after all) know much about SEO - or they left it out of the original build because it wasn't their job.

Do I need any coding experience?

No, definitely not. If we're doing coding on your website we'd rather you didn't work on it at the same time. With real coding work to be done, we usually use bitbucket to manage the code using git (in a private repository). Most web designers know how to use this and can work together with us. We can share the code directly with them. We don't recommend clients get into technical stuff when a solid SEO campaign is underway. There is more chance of harm being done than good. We'd rather clients stick to assigned content editing and even that we keep don't rely on clients to work on their own campaigns for success... it is just an added bonus if you want to learn by helping.

Can you guarantee the 1st position in Google?

No. This is a bad idea for you, for us and everyone using the web.

Over the years weā€™ve seen hundreds of so-called SEO experts come and go in Brainerd.

The ones who disappear the fastest are the ones who resort to over-promising. They win deals with glitter and shiny promises. The shady ethics mean they are left with no option quick tricks to get quick rankings. The client is happy and pays up. It works. But for how long? The seeds of future problems have been sown.

These operators are smart enough to make sure their ranking guarantees are well cleared and the money is in the bank before a Google penality comes looming. The client is then carrying the proverbial can for shoddy SEO work, dodgy link building and even keyword stuffing.

These offers seem so good we've lost clients to these clowns. Good business owners who don't know what they're buying in an unregulated market getting burned. It happens all the time.

Clients can be their own worst enemies. They insist on ranking guarantees and then the only answer is to do shady work.... sometimes keywords don't move as expected. The question is do you want shady work done to meet the guarantee or do you want it done right? We decided years ago to approach this differently.

I've got clients who ask me to guarantee the work we do. I do. I guarantee it'll be first-class SEO work all done the right way to get you ranking and we will only take risks that you know about. No shady tactics or dodgy ethics here. Matter Solutions has been around since April 2000, and operating in Brainerd since 2007. Our reputation isn't worth risking for one deal or a hundred deals.

Ā 

QUESTIONs TO ASK OF AN SEO COMPANY LIKE THIS

If you find yourself on the edge of buying SEO from someone like this ask these questions, and get the answers in writing, ideally enjoined into the contractual agreement.

  1. Will you use Private Blog Networks (PBNs)?
  2. Will you buy links from link schemes?
  3. Do you use link building software? If so, what?
  4. Will you report to us on what links have been built and indexed?
  5. How long will you guarantee the rankings for? Just for the "we reached it" or for months and months?Ā 

How much does SEO cost?

This really is an *it depends* question.

The answer above about the time it takes to do SEO is very relevant here.

  1. Time
  2. Money
  3. Rankings

The more money you have the better rankings you can have.

The more time you have the better rankings you can have with the same, or even less money.

Keyword Competition

The cost of Search Engine Optimization is very much dependent on the level of competition for the keyword(s) you're targeting.

The "Cubby House" market is worth a great deal less than "Property Investment" so a long-slow-burn campaign for Cubbies could be done for $1200-2500 per month, or $3-4k per month for a campaign seeking results in 6-9 months... Property Investment could swallow up 5x as much and still not quite rank.

This is a factor of how competitive the keyword is, and how many players are in the market doing SEO seriously. In "property investment" in United States it is clear that 10-12 companies are seriously doing SEO, and another 20+ are having a good go. Getting to page two is harder than getting to page one for "Cubby House"... but its also worth noting that getting from page two to page one for "Property Investment" is an uphill battle which is hard to predict... well much harder to predict than "Cubby House".

Consider also that in these many months of work a new competitor could enter, existing competitors can step up their efforts and Google can just change the type of sites it wants to rank for this keyword (it happens).

This is why this meme about SEO Questions is so accurate. The answer really does "depend" on factors outside the SEO's control.Ā 

The best first step is to talk to one of our Ranking Specialists, check out Getting Started page first.

How do I know if itā€™s worth doing SEO?

Consider the Return on Investment for your business. Answering these questions should help...

  1. Do people look for what you do on Google? (Sometimes they don't)
  2. Do you think the people who look for what you do on Google would want to get help from you?
  3. Can you help those people and make a profit?

If you answered "yes" to all three of these questions then you should definitely do some SEO, even just a little bit to accumulate value and strength in your website over time.

It'll still take skill to make sure the "intent" (in question two) of the people searching lines up with what you're offering (q3) but that's the job of a great SEO Company. We're here to help you learn and improve your marketing.

If you're still unsure you can still set-up a small Google Ads campaign, this way you can test to see whether people look for your offering (q1), will buy or get in touch (q2) and you can make money (q3). If you're making money from Ads you can definitely make money from SEO when you rank.

Consider SEO this way, imagine a retailer setting up a huge store and testing the market with a huge investment. It'd be better to set-up a temporary kiosk and do some market testing. We have experience doing this using Google Ads. Our Brainerd Google Ads Managers can link up with your SEO specialist and put this in place for you.

What results should I expect to see?

Our SEO team will be able to help optimize your website that will see an increase in:

  • Traffic to your website
  • Keyword rankings specific to your business
  • VisibilityĀ across search engine results pages, and
  • Valuable sales leads.

Take a look at the answer above about "How Long Does SEO Take?" - that's some good guidance for this question too.

Is SEO safe?

When SEO is done correctly it is safe and will helpĀ protect your website from future Google algorithms.Ā 

When SEO is being implemented that goes against best practices ā€“ that is when your website is put at risk.

Much of our SEO work relies on excellence in Web Development combined with Technical SEO, fundamentally this is about making your website great for visitors first, and as a by-product search engines see it as a great place to send visitors.

If a website is seen as trying to trick search engines then there are number of remedies that Google (and others) can impose. Most penalties are algorithmic but in extreme cases where a website is doing bad techniques on a consistent level, search engines will give you a manual penalty. A manual penalty could be partial for a set of keywords, for a set of pages or sitewide. A sitewide penalty will remove your entire website from the search engine completely.

Always make ask your SEO company about the risks you're taking on. This is a clear conversation we have with clients early in the campaign planning stage.

Will MATTER SOLUTIONS sEO FIT INTO MY DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY?

We help clients craft Digital Marketing Strategies.

Some clients already have a strategic digital marketing plan defined and need a specialist Search Marketing Company like Matter Solutions to deliver on its activities and meet its objectives.Ā 

In either case our SEO campaign work by our team is well placed align with specialists at Matter Solutions, or other agencies, who provide complementary activities and objectives, e.g.

What REPORTS ARE DELIVERED DURING AN SEO CAMPAIGN?

Most of our SEO Packages include a monthly report split into three sections.

  1. Rankings Analysis - Largely presented on a page by page basis, focused on the pages and keyword clusters being targeted.Ā 
  2. Traffic & Conversions Analysis - An overview of traffic its value is considered. BTW - Our Brainerd based SEO experts even touch on and overlap with our Brainerd CRO service where appropriate.
  3. Activity - Links earned. Content created. Technical/coding work done - what & why.

Where relevant a skilled member of the SEO team will write about the data, the activity and the results to give you insights into what we see in the results.Ā 

Brainerd SEO

We are based in the City of Brainerd, MN. Most of our clients are in the city, Crow Wing county, and central Minnesota. We love to meet clients face-to-face and although that's significantly lessened since Covid-19 we've maintained close connections with our local Brainerd based clients. We know the city, we know Minnesota Nice and we're here to help Brainerd grow.Ā 

Gold Coast SEO

We have a few SEO clients on the Gold Coast - and we are keen to help many more. From 2010-2014 we had a second website that was number one for SEO Gold Coast in Google for years and years. This was at a time that the business was based in Redcliffe, North East of Brainerd.

I (Ben) used to drive to the Gold Coast once or twice per week to meet with clients and get their SEO campaigns underway. It was quite exciting but didn't last because we used an SEO Strategy that Google decided to reverse direction on - just another example of pushing the envelope so we know what to recommend to clients.

Sydney SEO

In 2019 we started delivering our WordPress Training Days and Digital Marketing Workshops in Sydney. We used a venue linked to our office in Brainerd. The Hub, near Hyde Park. It was a great location with excellent facilities. As a result, we began working with companies keen to get more direct access to SEO expertise, i.e. less account management, and more hands-on SEO. As a result we've consulted with some of the largest names in consumer electronics and digital printing as a result. If you're in Sydney and want a better deal, an agency based in Sunny MN is a great option. We're almost in the same timezone and you can access professional United States SEOs for less than the flashy agencies in Sydney and Melbourne.

Not sure where to start?

We've helped thousands of businesses get to grips with their website.Ā Our educational approach means you get more skilled as we deliver more, and more.

Let's Talk SEO

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