When you work in the world of social media, one of the questions that you receive all the time is: “Do you have any suggestions on increasing my SEO?” One of the first questions that I ask back is: “Tell me what you know about SEO”, which helps me to weed out any bad information my inquirer has received. The problem with outdated or self-serving SEO information is that it is often misleading or stated as a ‘one size fits all’ concept. Wrong.
Before you partner with the first person that tells you that they understand SEO, or throw in the towel, let me share a few SEO tips with you.
Don’t Plan Your Launch… Before You Plan Your SEO Strategy
Optimizing your website? Launching a new one? STOP!
First, have you established a solid SEO plan or strategy? If not, then you could end up with the biggest cleanup job of your career. Start from level playing field, not from the bottom of the cliff.
Attention may be instant… SEO will take time
Clever marketing, attention-grabbing titles and cute graphics may garner a sizeable audience; but don’t be mistaken, developing search engine optimization is not established quickly. A trustworthy SEO consultant can help you develop obtainable goals and show you exactly what actions will gain the attention of the search engines.
Backlinks do NOT equal SEO success… They are only a part of the process
The problem with bits of information is that those ‘bits’ are part of a whole; and if you don’t get the whole, you may only be doing a part of the process. Though you may have read short blog posts that herald the use of backlinks and Meta tags, the process of SEO optimization is more formulaic than that.
Everyone that Claims to Understand SEO… may not have a clue
For example, if a person claiming to be a professional tells you that they can improve your SEO, without completing an assessment of your current practices… walk, no RUN in the other direction. Inquisition, analysis, and planning, come way before implementation.
SEO is NOT the Responsibility of One Person… this one takes a village
If your goal is maximized SEO optimization, the most critical step is to understand that SEO involves everyone (from marketing and public relations to sales and IT). The size of your organization, determines the level of cross-department training needed.
Your SEO ranking is high… isn’t that the sign of success?
Not so fast. Always, review the whole picture. Look closely at your visibility, conversion rates, new visitors, and content sharing. Be sure that your analytic reports – whether provided by an SEO consultant or a tracking system – are thorough, provide usable date, and give you a birds-eye view of activity.
SEO is no longer optional… it’s essential
Stop weighing the pros and cons of SEO; because if you’re still leaning towards not implementing an SEO strategy, you need to read this blog post again. Now that it’s painfully clear that you need a plan, what are you waiting for… get started.
Do you have advice for those that are on the fence with SEO? Have thoughts on the article?… post in the comments.
