Frequently Asked Questions
Have Questions?
We've Got Answers.
Choosing the right marketing partner is an important decision. SEO and AI search can feel complicated, but understanding how FMS works shouldn’t be.
We’ve answered some of the most common questions about our services, strategies, process, timelines, and what you can expect when working with us. Our goal is simple: give you clear, straightforward information so you can make the right decisions for your business with confidence.
Working With FMS
How is FMS Online Marketing different from other SEO agencies?
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all marketing. Every strategy we create is customized around your business, your goals, your customers, and your local market. Our focus isn’t just tracking traffic and rankings—it’s helping your business generate more customers and long-term growth.
What types of businesses do you work with?
We primarily work with established service-based businesses, including roofing companies, HVAC, plumbers, auto repair shops, transmission shops, collision centers, pest control, artificial turf, electricians, painting, transportation and tours, and other customer service businesses.
Do you only work with businesses in Arizona?
No. While we’re based near Phoenix, Arizona, we work with service-based businesses throughout the United States. Whether you’re in Syracuse, NY or Los Angeles, CA we can help you grow.
Do you require long-term contracts?
Most industries are required to commit to a 90 day minimum, this allows us to build a foundation. After that it’s month to month. Some clients, due to their market and competition, will require longer. FMS will always be upfront about our growth program requirements.
What happens after we sign up?
After sign up we start the on-boarding process. Once completed we begin building your foundation for growth. Each client is assigned their own private dashboard where they can monitor all work being done and all measurable SEO metrics.
Local SEO
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO helps your business become more visible when customers search online for the services you provide in your service area. It’s designed to help generate qualified phone calls, leads, and long-term business growth.
How long does Local SEO take?
Many businesses begin seeing positive movement within 60 to 90 days, depending on their market, competition, and current online presence. Long-term growth comes from consistent optimization over time, some clients may require additional time frames.
Can you guarantee an increase in new customers?
No. We can help your business attract more customer interest, turn that interest into opportunities, and improve the path from search to inquiry. From there, your team controls response times, pricing and availability, and ultimately how those opportunities turn into new business. It’s a team effort.
Do I need Local SEO if I already have a website?
Yes. Your website is an important part of your online presence, Local SEO helps customers discover your business when they’re actively searching for your services.
How do you help our business rank in surrounding suburbs or towns where we don’t have a physical address?
While Google heavily prioritizes your physical address for immediate local map rankings, we expand your geographic reach using a multi-layered approach.
What specific metrics will be in our monthly reports to prove our phone calls and sales are coming from your work?
We do not look at baseline “impressions” or “views” as primary indicators of success. Instead, our monthly reports focus strictly on tangible, transactional actions. We observe trackable metrics directly from your local dashboard.
How long does it typically take to see a noticeable lift in our Map rankings?
Google Business Profile
Why is my Google Business Profile so important?
For many businesses, it’s the first impression customers have of your company. An optimized profile helps improve visibility, build trust, and encourage more phone calls.
Can you optimize my existing Google Business Profile?
Absolutely. We’ll review your profile, identify opportunities for improvement, and recommend strategies that strengthen your local presence.
Is it worth paying an agency a monthly retainer just for Google Business Profile optimization?
We don’t believe that this should be a stand alone service. It’s included in our Local SEO strategies.
Do Google reviews actually help my business rank?
Reviews are more than social proof, they’re also a trust signal. Google specifically states that review count and positive ratings can contribute to local rankings. They also play a part in how a customer determines who to contact.
How long does it take to see results from Google Business Profile optimization?
Initial optimizations—such as fixing categories, updating attributes, and cleaning up your business name—can impact local visibility in as little as 3 to 4 weeks. However, building dominant local authority and consistently ranking in the “Local 3-Pack” across a wider geographic radius typically requires 90-180 days of ongoing local SEO, review generation, localized updates, and continuous profile activity.
Can we rank in adjacent cities if our physical address is located elsewhere?
How do we measure our success and visibility in AI search results?
Traditional keyword trackers fail to capture fluid AI Overviews. We track your AI footprint by monitoring brand-specific mentions and citations in generative summaries, tracking changes in direct transactional actions inside your GBP dashboard, and utilizing modern visibility intelligence tools that scan AI-generated layouts.
Do we retain full ownership of our Google Business Profile and local listings if we stop working together?
Yes, you retain 100% primary ownership of all your digital assets from day one. Any digital assets that FMS creates after client signs up are owned 100% by the client. Our agency operates with complete transparency. We would never hold a client’s digital footprint hostage.
AI SEO, AEO & GEO
What is AI SEO?
AI SEO helps prepare your business for the future of search by strengthening your online presence so AI-powered search tools can better understand your business.
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
AEO focuses on helping your business become the answer customers receive when asking questions through search engines and AI-powered platforms, like ChatGPT and Google Overviews AI.
What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
GEO helps strengthen your online presence so AI-powered search experiences can better understand, trust, and recommend your business.
Do I need all of these services?
Not necessarily. Every strategy is customized. We’ll recommend the services that make the most sense for your business and goals.
Can you help my business show up in ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI search engines?
Yes, we can help by improving the content, structure, authority, and business information that search and AI platforms use to understand your company.
Will you optimize my existing website for AEO and GEO, or do I need a new website?
In many cases, we can work with your existing website. We’ll evaluate its content, structure, technical foundation, service pages, and overall search visibility first. If the website itself is limiting your ability to compete, we’ll explain what should be improved and whether targeted changes or a larger redesign makes more sense.
What is AI local optimization, and how does it differ from traditional Local SEO?
How do we get our business cited in Google's AI Overviews and conversational searches?
AI engines retrieve information from multiple sources simultaneously to answer user queries. We secure these signals, citations, and brand identity, by turning your digital profile into an undeniable source of truth.
Does AI search mean my business website doesn't matter anymore?
Absolutely Not. Your website matters more than ever. AI search engines pull information directly from your site to construct their summaries. If your site has a weak structure, outdated data, or blocks AI crawlers, the AI will simply bypass you and recommend a competitor.
We look at where you are today, what may be limiting your visibility, and what it will take to move your business forward.
Strategy & Investment
How do you determine pricing?
We price our services using a flat-rate monthly retainer model based on the scope of work. Our team looks at where you are today, what may be limiting your visibility, and what it will take to move your business forward.
What happens during a growth session?
We’ll learn about your business, discuss your goals, evaluate your current online presence, and answer your questions. If we’re a good fit, we’ll recommend a customized strategy designed to help your business grow.
How do I know if FMS is the right fit?
If you’re an established service-based business looking for a long-term marketing partner—not just another SEO vendor—we’d love to have a conversation.
Do you apply the same strategy for every client?
No. Every business has different goals, competitors, customers, service areas, and opportunities. Our strategy begins with an exhaustive competitive baseline audit. We reverse-engineer the top-ranking competitors in and around your zip code to see what they are doing right—analyzing their every digital move over the previous 3-6 months. Then we build our 6-12 month roadmap designed to exploit their weaknesses and bypass them in the local rankings.
Are there any hidden setup fees or on-boarding costs during the first month?
We do not believe in hidden surprise fees. Any upfront on-boarding costs, such as deep technical audits, historic duplicate citation cleanup, or initial website schema implementation required in the first 30 days—will be clearly outlined as a one-time setup fee in your initial proposal. You will know your exact financial commitment down to the penny before signing a single document.
What happens to our pricing if we want to expand and add more business locations later?
We love helping businesses scale! If you add a second storefront or expand into a new territory, we do not double your price. Instead, we offer multi-location discounting.
What is your strategy for outranking large national chains or big-box competitors in our area?
National chains have massive corporate budgets, but they have a major weakness: their local optimization is almost always automated, generic, and disconnected from the community. We beat corporate giants by being hyper-local. Our strategy focuses on tactics they cannot easily automate at scale.
