They provide a speedy, accurate and personal service. I am very impressed with the knowledge and the results achieved.
Mandi Cooper, FastBuy Properties
Results Focused
We've recently started using Big Surf for PPC and have been hugely impressed with the amount of research, knowledge, and time that's been invested in creating our campaign.
Caledonian Driver Training
Wealth of Knowledge
Calum at Big Surf Digital was available at short notice to deliver a comprehensive training session on SEO. We wouldn't hesitate in recommending his services.
H. Miller
Skilled and Professional
I needed some advice on marketing my website through google ads and Calum put me in the picture. He gave me loads of his time, even though he is obviously a very busy man. He is skilled and professional at what he does.
Stuart, The Academy of Professional Celebrants
Highly Recommend
Since Big Surf Digital have optimised my site, my rankings have increased considerably for my keywords and are continuing to do so. The impact on my business has been noticeable. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them to prospective clients.
Rachael Roberts
SEO & PPC considerations when starting a new business
When starting a new business, there is so much to do. SEO and PPC can play a big part in getting a new business the leads and sales it needs to thrive.
One of the first steps in launching a new business is determining whether there's a demand for your product or service.
This is where keyword research comes into play.
By researching the demand for particular keywords in your area, nationally, or globally you can quickly build up a picture of whether or not there is enough demand
for what you're planning to do.
If you find that the keywords related to your business have a high search volume, this is a strong indicator that there’s a market for your offering.
Low search volume might suggest that demand is limited, or that you need to rethink your offering. You can find useful keyword data and trends using keyword planner.
For some keywords it will be easy to find search amounts but for niche products or services it may prove more difficult. Google's Keyword Planner is
notorious for rounding down amounts and not showing any searches at all for searches with less than 10 per month.
Testing for Google searches with Search Console
A tactic to find out what people are actually searching for
Google Search Console is incredibly useful. It will show you which search terms your
site showed up in results for. If you're just starting out you may not have a site though so how can this apply to you? Here's how:
1. Create a quick website
This 4 part process will take a month or two all in. First of all you need to get a test website live. You can do this quickly by visiting a hosting provider or
a site like Wix.com.
Create a couple of substantial pages of content about the product or service you're looking to start selling. Then submit the pages to Search Console to get them
indexed. You can read about how to create substantial content here.
4. Review the search terms
Once your pages have been indexed you'll be able to see which keywords people are searching for. The more time you give it after the pages are indexed the better
but about 2-3 weeks should be enough. Then you'll be able to see what people have actually typed in and crucially how many searches there are over a particular period.
Read about how to find that data.
Now you can make a decision as to whether there is enough search demand for your new business.
Testing with PPC traffic
Live traffic can get you essential data quickly
Once you've established that there’s a demand for your product or service, the next step is testing how it performs in the real world. PPC is an excellent tool for this. With PPC, you can quickly drive targeted traffic to your website and measure how well your product or service resonates with potential customers. Unlike SEO, which can take time to yield results, PPC offers immediate feedback, allowing you to make informed decisions faster.
Start by creating a simple landing page that highlights your product or service’s key benefits. Then, set up a PPC campaign targeting the keywords you've identified during your research. The goal here isn’t necessarily to make a profit right away, but to gather data. Monitor metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost per conversion. These will give you an indication of how well your product or service is performing and whether adjustments are needed.
If your PPC campaign results in a high conversion rate, it's a good sign that your business has potential. However, if the conversion rate is low, it could mean that your product or service needs tweaking, your messaging isn’t resonating, or you’re targeting the wrong audience. In any case, PPC allows you to test and refine your offering before investing heavily in a full scale launch.
Testing different geographical markets with PPC
Google Ads gives you the ability to test your business in any city or country
Another advantage of PPC is its ability to test different geographical markets before committing to a broader expansion. Whether you're considering targeting local markets or going international, PPC can provide insights into where your product or service is most likely to succeed.
Start by running small PPC campaigns in various regions, adjusting your messaging to suit each area. For example, if you’re targeting different countries, consider localising your ads to reflect cultural differences and language preferences. Even within the same country, different regions may respond better to different messages. By testing these variables, you can identify which markets are most receptive to your offering and where to focus your efforts.
The data gathered from these campaigns can also inform your SEO strategy. If a particular market shows strong results from PPC, it may be worth investing in SEO to build a long-term presence in that region. If a market underperforms in PPC, you might decide to hold off on SEO efforts there until you’ve refined your approach.
PPC & SEO for new businesses
We love bringing on new clients and getting strong results. Our focus is on getting the most out of every campaign for the budget available.
We start every campaign with
- Research on your website vs your competitors, plus a plan for how to beat them.
- Comprehensive keyword research to find the right targets to go after.
The structure of our campaigns
Each campaign will involve different products, services and completely unique websites but our method follows a set of principles and methods that we've
developed over the years.
Our optimisation service includes
- Content creation. Creating substantial content that beats what's currently on Google.
- On-page optimisation. Matching the right keywords to your pages.
- Link building. Researching your competitors' links and then getting better ones.
- Conversion rate. Refining your sales content and design elements to boost enquiries and sales.
- Reporting. Monitoring ranking and traffic data and search terms to refine the campaign.
