Let’s start with a few questions!
Ever been in a meeting and were unable to understand a word coming out of a person’s mouth?
Have you ever said to a friend, “hey bob! “That doesn’t sound right” still, you didn’t know what questions to ask!
Ever stared at a graph thinking whether the odds are in your favor or not?
Suppose you have ever been in such a confusing situation, thinking that you are spending money and not getting the expected return.
In that case, this blog is just for you.
Much like an IOS app development company takes time to deliver the perfect app – SEO also takes time to deliver the projected results.
And that is precisely what this blog is going to be all about.
Today, I am going to look at SEO the way I should.
We will learn what SEO is? Why It demands consistency? And what is the role of strategy when talking about SEO?
Let’s begin…
For Non-technical folks, What Is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization.
SEO is a way of getting traffic organically (for free), which means payment is not involved.
Search engine giants like Google, Bing, or Yahoo all have SERPs.
In these SERPs, web pages and other content are ranked according to a search query’s relevancy.
Through SEO, the SERPs’ rankings are improved, which results in more traffic, leads, and conversions.
With that out of the way!
Let’s talk about the 3 Ugly Truths About SEO.
Truth #1
SEO Demands Consistency
You might be thinking, “one needs to have consistency for everything, and hard work is required everywhere,” right?
Well, think again because, in SEO’s case, it depends!
You have to study all the time, and you have to keep yourself updated with the latest tools, techniques, and practices.
You have to continually improve your approach and improve your tactics to get the most out of your ongoing strategy.
Many SEO factors affect the overall approach you are making for your brand.
Like how old is your website, or how much content does it have?
Does the website link to other profiles? The SEO approach was taken before?
Keep in mind that no two websites start from the same place, even if they target the same customer or belong to the same industry.
I have arranged plausible scenarios for what your SEO efforts may look like during the initial months.
Let’s start!
Month #1
- Research analysis and discovery.
- Website Audit.
- Keyword strategy and implementation.
In the beginning, you have to conduct market research.
Understanding the brand and its targeted audience will enable you to refine your strategy.
Then you will start marking technical changes.
A website audit will tell you the factors that are affecting your site’s visibility in search engines.
In some cases, the competition is so tough that the research and discovery phase can last for more than a month!
Month #2
- Technical SEO work.
- Website Modifications.
- Creating Unique Content.
- Link Profile.
For the second month, you will overhaul the website.
This process can itself take months, let alone the first-month or upcoming priorities.
SEO activities like building link profiles, creating unique content can be done alongside the overhaul.
Moreover, you will notice that you are doing SEO, but you not getting results.
The changes you are making will only start to impact once they are completed.
Also, some pages may lose rankings, or keyword fluctuations might be seen.
This is because you are revamping the entire site, which is altering the SERP result.
Don’t worry because these fluctuations are a sign that you are doing great?
Just carry on the good work!
Month #3
- Company information.
Ideally, you had to opt for this from the start, but sometimes the budget restricts.
The point is technical SEO needs to be prioritized first.
By the third month, you’ll observe minor improvements in the rankings.
You may start getting traffic and leads. In this case, the approach is impressive, but, in most cases, you cannot necessarily expect them yet.
See, in the world of SEO, you need consistency to survive!
Month #4
- Ongoing content creation.
- Continued Technical optimization (website).
- Development of strong links.
By this month, all the SEO efforts you made previously would start showing results.
You can expect significant improvements in rankings and goals achieved.
Your website will start ranking for the selected keywords, and you’ll notice the traffic and leads coming your way.
It won’t be anywhere near the improvements you would see in a year, but it will still show you that your SEO strategy is working.
Month #5
By this month, you need to incorporate social media into your plan.
This strategy will amplify your content and increase traffic.
Because Google considers traffic a ranking factor in the SERPs, you will leverage social media this month to improve and amplify your content’s reach to get more traffic.
By this time, you would see more traffic coming from all the strategies and implementations of SEO and leveraging social media.
Truth #2
It takes a lot of time
SEO firms telling you that it may take 3 to 6 months to start seeing results are not bluffing.
This period they have given you is accurate.
You have to bear the fact that this is how SEO works, and the results grow along with passing-time.
You cannot just get a website, upload content, and get ranked on top.
Slowly and gradually, you’ll win the race; just have a little patience.
Whatever results you are getting in 6 months will be less than what you would get in 12 months.
I believe that while growing results by SEO, one should also focus on maintaining them.
Truth #3
SEO alone is not a complete digital marketing strategy
Until now, you might have guessed what the heading meant.
Yes! SEO is not a complete digital marketing strategy.
You need to take care of tons of other factors before calling yourself a 360 digital marketing agency.
SEO alone won’t do the job, and it is not enough.
I have arranged some other essential branches of digital marketing so you can understand.
Note that the below-mentioned points are an integral part of digital marketing and cannot be excluded.
- Social media marketing.
- Affiliate marketing.
- Marketing automation.
- Email marketing.
- Inbound marketing.
- Online PR.
- Content marketing.
Conclusion
SEO is not an easy task, and indeed not the one size fits all kind.
Unrealistic expectations for SEO will bring down your morale.
Even with a healthy SEO budget, you cannot expect unrealistic results right from the start.
In SEO, consistency matters, and it is crucial.
With time you’ll start getting the desired traffic and leads.
I recommend you stick to your plan/ strategy, don’t think that you’ll be getting results in 3 or 4 months.
Think about the long term benefits your website could get once you SEO is substantial.
When the time comes, Google will give you your traffic, but you need to be patient until that time.
Devise a comprehensive strategy, work hard to make it effective, and make a proper investment to get optimum results.
Know this, SEO is one hell of a marketing tactic that can translate into immense goal-crushing ROI.
So now you know the “3 Ugly Truths About SEO”.
What truth do you know about SEO? Did I miss any key points? Write them in the comment section below.
