Common FFL SEO Questions Answered
Things to ask any SEO or Digital Marketing Company
Hey there FFLs and Gun Store Owners—listen up: these are the tried-and-true questions you need to fire off at any SEO or digital marketing agency before you pull the trigger on your budget. You don’t want to drop your hard-earned cash only to find out your marketing plan is pushing up daisies. So load up on the intel before you sign on the dotted line.
Asking these questions beforehand helps you dodge wasted dollars and keep your business right on target. You deserve a digital marketing partner you can trust—one that’s got your six and knows exactly how to help you stand out in a crowded field. That’s why we’re giving you the inside scoop to grill not just us, but any marketing team you’re considering. Keep your aim steady, get the skinny, and shoot for a strategy that hits the mark every time.
Q: How long has your business been doing SEO?
Q: What sort of increase in our rankings can we expect?
A: Despite our technologies and research into the workings of Google, we cannot in good faith guarantee any rankings. We have a strong understanding of Search and Information Retrieval Science, however, there are far too many factors outside of our control.
From tweaks to the algorithm to other competitors launching their own SEO campaigns, there are variables that we cannot account for or be able to know. No reputable SEO or Digital Marketing Firm will guarantee you first place or any raking for any particular keyword.
Furthermore, ranking alone is not a silver bullet, ranking well for terrible keywords is just as bad as not ranking at all. During the onboarding process we talk with you about your goals and outline your Key Performance Indicators.
Armed with these we conduct extensive keyword analysis to focus on keywords that you actually want to rank for.
Imagine you’re a gun store that sells customized AR-15s. Sure, you might want to rank for the broad keyword “guns,” but how many of those searchers are actually ready to purchase the specific AR-15s you offer? They could just be browsing or looking for something totally different. Instead, we zero in on those high-intent keywords—like “custom AR-15 for sale” or “FFL transfers near me”—that’ll bring in the folks who really want to buy. Ranking for terms that actually convert is what matters, not just flooding your site with tire-kickers.
Q: Could you itemize each of the services that you will be providing during the campaign?
A: Absolutely. You can head over to our Services Page for the full rundown on everything we include in a Local SEO campaign. But here’s the deal: once we finish the initial audit and dig into the nitty-gritty of your site, things can shift. We tailor our strategies to your specific situation—no cookie-cutter packages here.
We list out these services to give you a feel for the heavy artillery we can bring to your marketing arsenal. However, each campaign is unique, so we’ll adjust our approach as needed to keep it both highly effective and easy on the wallet. We’d rather see you investing your resources into real results—not burning capital on stuff that doesn’t pack a punch.
Q: Do you utilize any ChatGPT, Large Language Model (LLM), or "AI" as part of your content production or other services?
A: Yes, we will use LLM’s to help expedite the analysis of data, production, and automation of processes for deliverables where appropriate.
Everything produced to expedite our processes by a LLM is vetted and refined by human hands for the final product.
Google specifically harshly penalizes content that is exclusively LLM generated and while it is a useful tool for various processes, it is just one step in a project pipeline. It may be easy to simply copy and paste the output of an “AI” and call it good. But the results will be less than stellar and like any tool it has its uses and areas where it simply does not work well.
For example, we may generate the initial outline of a particular blog post and a first draft using a tool like ChatGPT. However, that is step one. Once, created the initial content will be rewritten, vetted for accuracy, and refined further to meet our exacting standards. Such as comparing the scope and depth of the content to competing content. The goal is to help us work faster and smarter, not replace human touch or create words just to fill the page and hope they rank.
For visual content this will depend on the use and needs of the campaign. Many of the images that we use on our website were generated for us using tools like DALL-E. However, we look at the needs of the campaign first and recommend the most impactful methods for visual, audio, and video content production.
Q: How many hours per month can we expect for each service?
A: It all depends on your campaign goals and what we’re tackling at any given time. We run on a monthly retainer, which covers the core deliverables you’ll need. For a full SEO campaign, we typically put in at least 20 hours of work each month. If the project scope expands or your goals shift, we’ll bring in extra firepower—those additional hours will be spelled out in your proposal, so you’ll always know exactly where your investment is going.
Any add-on tasks—like extended content creation—are billed in full-hour increments, and costs can vary based on what you need. Our Services Page prices give you a solid ballpark, but they aren’t chiseled in stone. If we happen to go over our estimated hours for reasons we didn’t see coming, we’ll eat those costs, not you.
If we consistently find ourselves going beyond the contracted hours for three months in a row, we’ll regroup with you. We’ll talk it through, re-evaluate the contract, and make sure we’re still hitting the target without draining your wallet. Rest easy—our billing practices are transparent and built to optimize your ROI. We’d rather see your resources fueling real growth than getting burned on fluff.
Q: How many pieces of content, existing pages optimized, landing pages created, etc. will you create each month?
A: There’s no one-size-fits-all number here, but in a typical campaign, we’ll either optimize or create 4–8 pieces or more of content each month, depending on length and depth. That can include new landing pages, giving old pages a fresh makeover, and more—ultimately, it all depends on your unique goals for the project.
During onboarding, we’ll hash out exactly what you’re aiming for and shape our recommendations around that. From there, we’ll lock it into the proposal, so you’ll know exactly what kind of firepower we’ll be bringing every month. No surprises, just targeted shots that hit the mark.
Q: Do I own the content you make for me?
A: Absolutely. Anything we produce for your business—be it blog posts, landing pages, or any other kind of digital assets—belongs to you, outright. We don’t claim ownership, licensing, or any kind of usage rights to the work we deliver. Even if you pull the plug on our partnership, everything we’ve created for you stays in your hands.
If your campaign needs special tools, plugins, or software licenses, we’ll lay those out in the initial proposal or let you know if they’ll require a one-time or ongoing fee. Transparency is key, so there won’t be any surprises.
We do keep records of your campaign’s history, performance data, and anything else we gather while working on your behalf. Don’t worry—it’s strictly for our ongoing research and to craft new (anonymous unless you would like to be featured in them) case studies.
Q: How do you approach generating backlinks and how many can I expect?
A: We’ve found that a precise, sniper-like approach to backlinks beats unloading a shotgun blast of low-quality links every time. Our strategy focuses on quality, not quantity. That can mean using HARO (Help a Reporter Out), locking in relevant local citations, guest-authoring on reputable sites, and letting top-notch content do the heavy lifting organically.
We’re not going to slap a guarantee of “X backlinks per month” on the table because that usually means someone’s out there buying cheap links that can backfire. We only secure backlinks that help your business and keep you in Google’s good graces—no black-hat or spammy shortcuts that’ll land you in hot water.
Q: Do you have experience working with FFL's & Firearms Sellers?
A: We’ve run campaigns for all sorts of businesses—cosmetic clinics, precious metals, law firms, specialty batteries, and beyond. Whether you’re selling custom rifles or running a full-service gun shop, the bottom line is this: we do our homework. During onboarding, we dive deep into your market, your customer base, and your unique goals so we can lock and load a strategy that truly fits.
We don’t just assume we know it all—we listen first, then fire with precision.
Q: How do you measure and report success and how much time is spent?
A: We gather every key data point we can track—traffic, leads, conversions, phone calls, you name it—and turn those into monthly reports so you can see what’s happening behind the scenes. If you want fewer check-ins, that’s cool too.
All our work revolves around the KPIs you care about—actual sales, lead flow, store visits, whatever keeps your business growing. While we do bill on a monthly retainer, we’re happy to break down where our hours go if you need it. However, our main focus is pumping out tangible results that always justify the investment.
Q: Do you do Technical, Content, and UX SEO
A: You bet. We cover all three crucial areas:
- Technical SEO: Making sure your site’s engine is tuned, your code is clean, and your pages load fast.
- Content SEO: Shooting for high-value keywords, creating new pages, and optimizing existing content so searchers and search engines love you.
- UX SEO: Building user-friendly navigation and experiences so your audience sticks around longer and converts at a higher rate.
Depending on your in-house capabilities, we can either run the show or coordinate with your team to implement changes. Either way, we’ll customize our plan to fit your budget, tools, and overall objectives.
Q: How long will it take for us to see improvements?
A: We won’t sugarcoat it: SEO is a marathon, not a 100-yard dash. We can’t promise exact timelines until we’ve done a full competitor analysis and an audit of your existing online presence. Generally, though, you can expect noticeable progress in 3–6 months, with bigger gains often kicking in around the 12-month mark.
Why so long? Because building real, sustainable online authority takes time. But trust us, once you’re established at the top of the search rankings, it pays off in consistent traffic and lower customer acquisition costs over the long haul.
Q: How do you do your keyword research?
A: First, we define your goals—whether that’s more in-store visits, online sales, FFL transfers, or anything else—then we reverse-engineer the keywords most likely to bring in buyers, not just looky-loos. High-volume keywords might seem attractive, but if they don’t convert, they’re basically blanks.
We dig into your audience, your niche, current market trends, and your specific offerings, and we pair that intel with data-driven research to find those sweet-spot keywords that keep your cash register ringing.
Q: How will you help us stay ahead of our competition?
A: We take a deep approach that’s rooted in Information Retrieval Science. Google might constantly update its algorithms, but the fundamentals of how search engines catalog and prioritize content remain consistent at the core.
Our system is like walking into a dark room with floodlights while everyone else is fumbling with candlesticks. We leverage search engine patents, white papers, proprietary testing, and even newly leaked docs to figure out precisely what helps you shoot ahead of the competition. And while no SEO strategy is set-it-and-forget-it, the groundwork we lay is built for endurance.
Q: Will I have a dedicated team or work with the same team?
A: We’re a small, boutique-style firm. That means you’ll have direct contact with our founders, who will either roll up their sleeves on your campaign personally or oversee every aspect of it. No faceless “junior execs” getting lost in a giant corporate structure—just a tight-knit group that knows your campaign inside and out.
Q: Can you share some of your case studies?
A: Sure thing. We’ve got a Case Studies Page dedicated to showcasing our track record. You’ll find detailed breakdowns of the kind of results we’ve driven for clients in a range of industries. Spoiler alert: we’re pretty dang proud of the numbers.
Q: How do you price your work?
A: We start with a base package that covers everything you’ll need for a solid, sustainable SEO campaign. From there, it’s all about what you need and what you already have in-house. If you just need a few extra services—like content writing, link building, or social media management—we can offer those à la carte.
Our Services Page lists our standard pricing ranges, but for a laser-focused plan (with zero fluff), reach out and let us tailor a proposal to your specific goals, budget, and resources.
Q: What is the contract duration commitment?
A: We’re all about flexibility. Our main packages come in:
- Month-to-month contracts: Ideal if you’re testing the waters or need a shorter commitment.
- Discounted 6- or 12-month contracts: Perfect if you’re aiming to see the full might of SEO realized over time and want a break on cost.
We usually recommend giving us at least 3 months to show what we can do. If you want a peek at the typical project arc, check out our SEO Campaign Timeline page.
Q: Do you work with any of our competition?
A: Short answer: No. We take conflicts of interest seriously. During onboarding, we’ll double-check our existing clients to make sure we’re not crossing the streams. If we sense any conflict, we’ll pass. We want to give each client our undivided loyalty and best effort.
Q: What happens if I terminate a contract, or you terminate a contract?
A: We ask for a 14-day notice if you need to cancel your contract or monthly service. We’ll finish out the month and hand off any in-progress work or deliverables. We also do an exit interview to tie up loose ends and learn how we can improve.
In the unlikely event we need to end our contract, we’ll give you 30 days’ notice at the time of billing. We’ll keep on working for that final month, then hand over everything—completed or in progress—so you’re not left hanging.
For the fine print, refer to your specific proposal or contract terms.
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