With every passing year, more and more SEO myths enter our Google searches and steer us away from the right goals. For a moment, we considered going through every single myth to tell you exactly why it was wrong- but we decided to teach you a larger lesson. These 3 myths about SEO are at the core of all false claims and once you understand them, you will find it less and less tempting to buy into the season’s latest SEO myth.
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1.It Can Happen Over Night
If an SEO service says they can get you instant results, run the other direction. Quickly. Whether you have 5,000 dollars a month to invest or 35,000 dollars a month to invest- the true value of SEO takes time. Think of SEO as the long term investment you put into your business. Though you may be able to look at a month of PPC data and see whether you got your return on investments, SEO services should never be judged in increments of less than 6 months.
SEO is like the perfect slab of ribs. It needs time to marinate. Keep an eye on your campaigns as the weeks pass, but don’t put the sticker of ‘failure’ or ‘success’ on any campaign until you’ve given it time to marinate. There are 2 very specific reasons for this:
- Short-term judgement of SEO campaigns allows agencies to screw you over. Remember that guy who said he can get you to the top of Google in 2 months for 1,000 dollars a month? He’s banking on you judging that campaign for JUST the 2 month period. After all, he never said how long he could keep you at the top of Google or -how- he would get you there. You can’t risk black hat tactics or temporary boosts- especially if you want your website to grow in authority.
- You screw over your own potential. Business owners tend to get this idea in their head that since they’re investing a larger sum of money, results need to happen faster. If you’ve hired the top SEO service in Houston but haven’t seen results in month 1- don’t declare war. It’s likely that your seo services are working to ACTUALLY rank your site for the long-run instead of short term results.
2. If You Rank for the Right Keywords Everything Else Falls into Place
Many people tend to look for a golden apple in the Keyword Planner. You may have a list of keywords that are top priority, but there is no exact handful of keywords that once you rank for them- you’ll get the sales and conversions you’re looking for.
Ranking at the top of Google simply means that when users search for their answers, you’re one of the first results they see. From there, it’s on your end to seal the deal. If your site is spammy, annoying, or down right outdated you need to improve your site before pointing any fingers. Your seo services should be able to tell you where to improve. In the event that you can’t make the updates you need to rank due to bandwidth, your SEO agency should also be able to recommend ways to make it happen.
3.One-Time Effort is Enough
Don’t confuse one-time effort for the initial optimization of your site. In our eyes, that’s on your content management team. What we’re talking about when we say one-time effort is investing into one big bulk campaign with the hopes that it will bring all the results you’re looking for.
Think about it: Is the Christmas sale 2017 going to help you close deals in June? No. If you invest everything you have into one campaign and expect it to bring you sales year after your year, you’re living in a fantasy land.
Need more facts to help you realize your one-time effort is a waste of money? Here you go:
- Your competitors don’t stop working on SEO just because you have.
- The guest posts you’ve created on authority sites will become historial within the year.
- Rome wasn’t built in a night.
Okay, that last reason may have been a bit aggressive- But it’s true. The most profitable sites on the internet have had years of campaigns and genuine content building up overtime.
Conclusion: Remember, No One Has the Answers
Most myths can be busted by remembering that no one has definite answers. What you really need to succeed with SEO is a partner who can either help your agency optimize, or find the people who can. If you see a tactic that claims instant success, don’t buy into a golden ticket before you’ve done your research.
SEO will always be important. More notably, SEO will always change no matter how long you’ve been working in it. It’s never a one-size-fits-all solution. How do you keep up to date with trends and news in the industry? Tell us in the comments.