When it comes to building an effective web presence, practically every modern business needs help with search engine optimisation but as a technique, it’s widely misunderstood. Over the years, a whole host of incorrect assumptions and ideas about SEO have emerged and it’s important to address them. Here are some of the most common misconceptions:
There are no secret tricks for effective SEO
In the early days of the web, SEO could be ‘gamed’ by a bunch of rudimentary tricks, such as buying inbound links to your website or filling pages with keywords. Things are very different now and these tactics are a surefire way to SEO oblivion but still the myth persists that there are shortcuts to reaching the top spot on search engines. The fact remains that there are no quick fixes.
But it also doesn’t need to take years
The flipside of the above point is that it doesn’t have to take years and years to gain search engine visibility. This mistaken belief is responsible for business owners spending money on ineffective campaigns for much longer than necessary. While you do need plenty of patience to rank highly for high-value search terms in your industry, you can make substantial gains in a matter of weeks by focusing on local search and low competition or long tail keywords (which can still have high traffic).
SEO is an ongoing project
If you neglect your SEO you’ll soon start to see visits to your site and your standing on search engines take a dive. Establishing good SEO isn’t just a one-time deal, it needs to be maintained as your competition will be fighting to take over the top spots. Not to mention, your content becomes stale and your backlinks start to dwindle.
Successful SEO is arguably the most important factor for your business
It’s also common to underestimate the value of good SEO. It isn’t just about leading to extra awareness of your business, it can completely transform your company. Search engines are the number one tool for advertising, even overtaking word-of-mouth recommendations. They give instant access to customers who are looking for your products and services right now, and if you have the right reputation your sales will go through the roof.
Many of our customers rely on SEO to survive and once you get it right it can be a very lucrative and consistent traffic source for years to come.