So, there’s this thing called SEO that everyone keeps talking about. You’ve been told that your brand is in critical need of organic optimization for search engines in effort to improve visibility, generate stronger awareness, and ultimately create qualified leads. With search engines such as Google that cover nearly 70% of the search market, Bing/Yahoo approximately 30%, and YouTube being the world’s second largest search network, it should really be a no-brainer, right? Wrong! Companies are failing at clear interpretation of SEO necessity as a major hurdle preventing each from unlocking full brand potential. But, before I go off the deep end, let’s explore further the nuances of SEO.
SEO is of critical importance in today’s competitive and highly saturated marketplace. Statistically, approximately 67% of all web related leads for companies will be generated thru organic search. As consumers, we utilize search engines when looking for products or services which to this day presents untapped potential for brands seeking to reach the attention of potential customers thru organic optimization. With over 324 million mobile devices currently in circulation in the U.S. alone, mobile SEO is at high demand with over 75% of consumers demanding brands to provide a cohesive mobile experienced for them.
SEO provides long-term potential and definitely not something that will yield a high ROI overnight. That is a common misconception for brands who are completely new or simply incoherent to the SEO landscape.
How do you prepare for SEO success?
I’m typically very upfront with all of my clients in giving them a clear set of expectations when it comes to SEO endeavors. The three most important things that I highly value and ensure my clients are comprehensive of when it comes to SEO investment includes the following.
#1 Time
Time is never on our side realistically. Brands are always attempting to push the strengths of time to its limits. In the SEO world time is of an essence for organic optimization. Considering the delicate nature and everchanging landscape of SEO, time plays an intricate role to overall performance. Mostly due to the various contingencies that SEO is heavily reliant upon for true market success. Generally when working with new clients I’m very upfront about disclosing a ballpark time frame for them to start seeing some results from their SEO initiatives. On average, it may take as little as 3 months upwards to a full year before organic optimization comes to fruition. Again, the time frame heavily relies upon various determining factors for true success based on current market positioning of a brand. When it comes to SEO investment, consider such time frame as part of your marketing plan.
#2 Money
Generally speaking, SEO isn’t a cheap marketing initiative. Any brand that treats organic optimization as a cheap marketing strategy simply does not recognize its long-term potential. For brand that have been around the block several times, it’s easier to comprehend the fact that anything worthwhile in business took time to implement and mature. Constant upkeep of SEO performance stands of critical importance and most small business stumble on such hurdle simply due to budget constraints. Organic optimization and business success thru search heavily relies upon ongoing upkeep, month in and month out, which ultimately requires consistency in investment. In the planning phase of a marketing plan, it’s important to factor in consistency and longevity for SEO as well as ensuring an adequate budget to upkeep such initiatives.
#3 Patience
Strap in for “The Waiting Game” folks! No, literally. Brands tend to get cold feet when it comes to organic search success. Patience is of virtue when it comes to SEO especially in today’s competitive landscape. The number of contingencies and determining factors for brand improved in the search space can literally be mind boggling at times. Say, your website has been penalized by Google due to spam links pointing back to its domain? Now, you’ve got a serious problem on your hands and striving impatiently for a solution. Given the fact, chances for SEO improvement may be tougher than originally anticipated. With such an issue on the table, chances are SEO may seem nearly impossible to win over. The hypothetical scenario I put forth is a clear indication of certain contingencies that may arise and therefore making organic optimization far more complicated to digest. Patience is perhaps one of the toughest elements of search engine optimization for brands to comprehend.
How do you cope with your SEO efforts?