SEO is Not a Life Preserver

I talk with business owners all the time who have heard of SEO and the power that it has to bring people to a website.  This is true, but what they don’t understand, in many cases, is that search engine optimization is an ongoing process that takes time to nurture and mature.

Because it takes time and expertise that takes years to develop, SEO is not a life preserver that will magically bring you new business.

There are over 200 different ranking signals that Google alone looks at and those signals have different weights based on what a person is searching for and what device they are using, whether it’s a desktop or laptop computer, tablet or smartphone.

All of these things need to be taken into consideration when optimizing your online presence.  And all of them need to be addressed over time.

If you have a huge marketing budget then sure, you can speed things up a little, but it’s still going to take time for you to build authority and trust online with the search engines as well as your future customers.  If you don’t have a big budget it’s simply going to take more time and energy to see the results you desire.

If your business is having problems and you’re on the brink of closing your doors there are probably 100 other things you can do to bring in new business that will result in faster returns.   SEO is for businesses that are growing and doing well and are ready for the next step.

If you’re just getting started or you’ve been in business a while, and you have the budget, SEO can be a very solid pillar that supports your business growth for years to come.  But it’s just that, a single pillar that can’t support your entire business all alone.

When used in conjunction with other pillars such as a great product or service, great customer service, social media, face-to-face networking, and offline initiatives, SEO can be very powerful indeed.  But SEO is not a life preserver that will magically transform your business.

If your business is doing well and you are interested in optimizing your website we would love the opportunity to work with you!  We offer two SEO packages, WordPress SEO Essentials, which is a powerful boost for a company that is local or in a niche market, and WordPress SEO Pro, which is a customized program tailored to the exact needs of your more competitive business. Compare the two SEO plans here.