SEO FAQs
Questions an SEO company should answer before you sign.
Short answers here, with a link to the full version where there is one. If the question you have is not below, ask it. We would rather answer it than have you guess.
Scope and delivery
What the work actually is.
What does ongoing SEO include?
Ongoing SEO combines research, technical improvement, site architecture, on-page work, original content, internal linking, local SEO, authority development and measurement. The exact mix follows the opportunities and constraints identified for the business.
Who does the work?
Chris McCormack, owner and SEO lead, sets the strategy and stays on the account through implementation and reporting, so the priority you agreed is the priority that gets built. You deal with him directly rather than through an account manager.
Do you implement the SEO work or only provide recommendations?
We implement the work. Ongoing engagements include the agreed technical, structural and content changes, not a report that leaves execution with the client. A standalone SEO audit is free, and strategy is available as a standalone scope.
How often do we talk?
Monthly reporting as a baseline, and directly by email or phone whenever something needs a decision. You will not be charged for a call, and you will not be managed by a ticket queue.
Timelines and expectations
How long, and what moves first.
How long does SEO take?
SEO is measured in months. Timing depends on the starting condition, competition, implementation speed, website history and target market.
Do you guarantee first-page rankings?
No. No SEO company controls Google’s rankings. We commit to clear priorities, completed implementation and transparent reporting.
What should I expect in the first month?
A documented baseline, a ranked plan, and the start of implementation. Usually the technical and structural work, because it constrains everything after it. Visible ranking movement in month one is not the goal and is rarely real when promised.
What happens if it isn’t working?
We say so, with the data, and change the plan. SEO has genuine uncertainty. Some markets turn out harder than the research suggested. What is not acceptable is discovering that six months late because the reporting was written to look reassuring.
Money
Pricing, value and commitment.
How is SEO pricing determined?
We price each engagement from the website’s condition, competition, target markets, content requirements, implementation scope and measurement needs.
Is SEO worth it for my business?
It depends on whether people search for what you sell and whether a customer is worth enough to justify sustained work. When the answer is no, we say no. A smaller project usually solves the immediate problem better.
Am I locked into a contract?
There is a six-month initial term, and during it the agreement cannot be cancelled for convenience. That is the shortest window in which organic lead generation can be judged fairly. Complete the term and the website is yours, free. After six months the engagement continues month to month, and either side can end it on thirty days' written notice. A published buyout applies only if you want to end the term early and take the site with you.
Do I own the website you build?
Yes, once you complete the six-month term. During the term it is built and hosted as part of the engagement rather than sold to you, which is why there is no separate build charge. Finish the term and it is yours, free, to keep and move. If you want to leave early, a one-time $5,000 plus GST buyout takes it with you. Your brand assets, your content and every account in your name stay yours throughout, and the buyout is waived if we are in breach.
Websites
When the site itself is the problem.
Do I need a new website?
Only when the current platform, structure or performance blocks the strategy. We retain capable websites and rebuild when the evidence supports the investment.
What happens to an included website if the SEO engagement ends?
You own the website once the six-month term is complete, free, no buyout. Ownership, hosting, cancellation and handoff terms are all agreed in writing before work begins, not assumed or hidden inside a generic offer.
Working with us
Location, access and fit.
Do you work outside Edmonton?
Yes. YEG was founded in Edmonton and serves businesses across Canada.
Do I need to give you access to my accounts?
For the work, yes: Search Console, Analytics, the CMS and your Google Business Profile where relevant. You keep ownership throughout; we ask for delegated access rather than credentials, and it can be revoked at any time.
What industries do you work with?
Local services, ecommerce and industrial B2B are the documented ones. The method does not change by industry. What changes is the research, the buying cycle and the kind of content that satisfies the buyer.
See also
Related across the site.
Start here
Still have a question? Ask it.
If something here did not answer what you actually wanted to know, send it over. You'll get a direct answer, not a discovery call.