The SEO industry is a very dynamic world where the SEO Strategy of today may not work tomorrow. Those who cannot adapt to change will come out as sore looser. An online web presence is no longer an option for a successful business. Marketing via the web and social media is now the only way to reach a large portion of your potential client base. If you have taken the time and resources to implement an SEO (search engine optimization) plan (and you should), don’t make the mistake of taking a vacation from your plan. All your hard work can be destroyed by simply neglecting to nurture and grow your SEO vision. Continue reading for 6 reasons you can’t afford to take a summer SEO vacation.
- Your SEO strategy should be long term. If you utilize an SEO plan for a short time frame you may see an initial boost that will taper off as soon as your plan ends. The longer your SEO goes without being tended to the further your business will fall in the search engine results. A strong marketing strategy plans for the long term. If you are going to invest your time and money into an SEO campaign, it should be for the long haul. Don’t give up the increase in results and possible conversions by starting a campaign and then walking away. If you neglect an ongoing campaign for even just a week or two while on vacation you may see any positive results vanish. You should begin any SEO strategy with a long term plan and goal. Don’t short change your business with short term results.
- Content must be fresh, frequent and directed to your audience. White hat SEO marketing is based on honest, authentic website and social media presence directed toward the consumer. Webopedia, defines white hat SEO as, “the usage of optimization strategies, techniques and tactics that focus on a human audience opposed to search engines and completely follows search engine rules and policies. For example, a website that is optimized for search engines, yet focuses on relevancy and organic ranking is considered to be optimized using White Hat SEO practices. Some examples of White Hat SEO techniques include using keywords and keyword analysis, backlinking, link building to improve link popularity, and writing content for human readers.” White hat SEO is important, focusing your SEO campaign toward the consumer and not search results. Using techniques that are strictly geared toward increasing your search results can alienate visitors to your site and incur penalties from search engines such as google. You want to market your business and brand in a positive way. To achieve this, you need to add new content to your site frequently and make sure that it is relevant to your prospective customers. By creating quality information and updating it often you can become a trusted resource and increase your SEO simultaneously.
- Be prepared for evolving SERP’s. SERP is short for search engine results page. Companies like Google are constantly adapting and changing how they process and provide search engine results. Part of your long term SEO strategy should include evolving SERP’s. Incorporating possible changes to how search engine results are calculated and provided to the end user can give you a leg up on your competition. Be prepared for what may be on the horizon and make sure your long term plan leaves some room to adapt.
- End users are constantly adapting as technology is changing. Technology is continually advancing and your potential customers are advancing with it. Semantic search is a good example of this. The semantic web is not limited by applications and allows information to flow freely. “The Semantic Web provides a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise, and community boundaries. It is a collaborative effort led by W3C with participation from a large number of researchers and industrial partners. The semantic search focuses far more on context such as your location and your social groups”. This brings about a huge shift away from just keywords. This is a strong example of how the internet is evolving. As your customers adapt to new technology, your SEO strategy needs to adapt as well. Make a long term vision, implement and maintain it and leave room for change and growth.
- Your competitors are also utilizing SEO. You are not the only company that is leveraging a marketing plan that includes SEO. It is important that you give credibility to your site and brand by producing a website that has quality content. You also have to continuously add to your site to keep it fresh and keep up with your competitors. Taking a break from your site can make your search engine results stale and give your competitors an automatic edge.
- Your marketing strategy should match your business strategy. Marketing strategies are ultimately tools to make people aware of your business and your offerings. You need to focus on your ideal customer and give that customer a reason to stop at your site. Your site should be a reflection of your business, your values and your brand. As a business owner, you strive to give people quality products and service. Your marketing campaigns should do the same. If you are looking to build a long-term, growing business you should plan and execute a long-term, continually growing website.
Taking an SEO vacation is something you just can’t afford to do. Make long term growth a goal and then maintain and care for your plan. Marketing efforts need to keep up with ever changing technology and end user demands. Your SEO campaign needs consistent care and a long term plan to deliver the best conversion rates possible.
