SEO FAQ: Straight Answers Before You Hire an SEO Consultant
This SEO FAQ answers what people usually ask before hiring me: how long SEO takes, what it costs, and what AEO and GEO mean for AI search.
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General
Who am I working with?
I’m Hubert Pablo, a freelance SEO consultant based in the Philippines with 18+ years of experience managing SEO for ecommerce, e-learning, offshore staffing, iGaming, travel and hospitality, and home improvement brands, as well as digital marketing agencies.
What makes your approach different from an agency?
You work directly with me – not a junior account manager learning on your budget. I’ve already solved most of the problems SEO campaigns run into, so we skip the learning curve.
Do you work with businesses outside your industry experience?
Yes. While most of my work has been in ecommerce, e-learning, offshore staffing, iGaming, travel and hospitality, and home improvement, the fundamentals of technical SEO, content strategy, and link building apply across industries. I’ll always be upfront if a niche needs extra research time.
Services & Process
What SEO services do you offer?
Technical SEO, on-page SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), off-page SEO and link building, local SEO, and ongoing SEO strategy and reporting.
What is AEO and GEO, and why do they matter now?
AEO and GEO optimise your content so it gets surfaced and cited by AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, not just traditional search engines. As more people search through AI, this is becoming as important as classic SEO.
Do you handle technical SEO issues like site speed and crawl errors?
Yes. I run full technical audits covering crawlability, site speed, structured data, mobile-friendliness, and broken links, and work with your developers to get fixes implemented.
How do you approach link building?
Carefully. Most links are earned through outreach and digital PR on relevant, real websites. Paid placements are an optional add-on that I’ll always flag upfront, and I run regular audits to identify and disavow toxic or spammy links that could hurt your domain authority.
Do you offer local SEO for businesses with physical locations?
Yes. I manage Google Business Profile optimisation, local listings across directories, and map/local rank tracking to help you get found by customers nearby.
How do you report on results?
You’ll get clear, regular reporting covering organic traffic, rankings, and conversions – so you always know what’s working and why, without needing to interpret raw data yourself.
Working Together
How do we get started?
Start with a free site audit. I’ll review your website and show you exactly what’s holding your rankings back – technical issues, content gaps, and quick wins – with no strings attached.
How long does it take to see SEO results?
It depends on your site’s current state, competition, and industry, but most sites see early movement within 3 months, with stronger gains over 6 to 12 months.
What tools do you use to manage projects and track performance?
I use tools like Notion and Monday.com for task and workflow management, alongside industry-standard SEO platforms for keyword research, audits, and rank tracking.
More SEO Questions: Costs, Timelines and AI Search
How long does SEO take for a brand-new website? Longer than for an established one. A new domain has no history or links, so expect six months or more before the numbers get interesting. Older sites with technical problems often move faster, because fixing them unlocks rankings they were already close to.
Do you work with Australian businesses? Yes, most of my recent e-commerce work has been for Australian brands. The Philippines is two to three hours behind Sydney, so we share most of the working day.
Where can I learn the basics myself? Google’s SEO Starter Guide is the best free place to start. For real examples, read my SEO case studies or the comparison of an SEO consultant vs agency.
If your question still isn’t covered in this SEO FAQ, send it to me and I’ll answer it directly.
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