Why SEO is Equal Parts Commitment and Investment.

The struggle is REAL. I want to be #1 on Google!

How soon will my SEO work?  More importantly, how do I get my business on the first page of Google and/or rank in the top three spots? We wish the answer was simple, sweet and happened overnight, but the truth is, it takes consistency, dedication, patience, a content strategy, and an understanding of how Google ranks your overall digital presence; then maintenance of all those items.

Google has essentially created a digital beauty pageant for the world wide web and no one wants to be runner-up. After all, if you’re not first, you’re last. So, how do you take home the crown? By getting through the preliminaries, of course!

In short, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, is really a business’ effort to appear on the first page of Google, above their competitors for the keywords consumers search to find their services.  A search engine’s job is to provide the most relevant website(s) to a user when they are searching and because Google owns 86.02% of the search engine market with Bing and Yahoo owning a small 6-7% combined, the focus will be around all things Google. When your SEO strategy is in place and running efficiently, you can capture that search audience and drive leads. While SEO requires you to put in the work, time and strategy, it’s worth the results…and the wait.

SEO Best Practices and Facts

• The #1 item Google looks at is your RELEVANCY.
• SEO is a constant, ongoing part of website maintenance.
• The rules of SEO are not constant; generally Google changes their algorithm/rules 2x per year.
• SEO takes time, patience, and at least 3-6 months to start seeing impact.
• Websites should follow what Google deems as Website Best Practices: Site map, privacy policy, terms and conditions, external site links, website activity like blog content, provide relevant and useful information, keyword use in title, alt tags and caption descriptions of images, meta descriptions, site links, the list is endless.
• SEO goes beyond your website and includes social media activity and proper keyword descriptions, reputation management/reviews, content on other websites about your business, relevant and organic link building, directory listings and information which can be managed with tools like YEXT.
• Google will penalize sites for utilizing black hat practices such as using link farms, keyword stuffing, irrelevant keywords, duplicate content, and spam.

There are plenty of free resources out there for those who have the time to research and implement internally, like SEMrush Academy and Yoast Academy.

For those that are looking for assistance to get ahead on SEO, we are here for you and we actually love doing it. Reach out to us to set up your initial consultation and digital discovery meeting. We look forward to hearing from you.