SEO = Marriage Not Dating

Achieving high visibility in the search results through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a commitment like marriage, not like dating. It requires constant attention and affection, there will be challenges along the way, and you can't give up along the way (divorce) if you want to achieve success.



I received an e-mail today from an SEO client that we've been working with for about 3 months. In part it read... "I'd like to get the website SEO items finished up next week and start looking at Google AdWords." WHAT! So many ways to respond to this (ultimately I scheduled a phone call to discuss a long term SEO strategy) and the thoughts going through my head included...

• We are just getting started
• You still haven't completed the website changes I've asked you to
• You stopped blogging and adding new content as soon as we signed the contract
• We are just starting to see ranking improvements... you are satisfied with ranking on page #3?
• You are abandoning the plan after only 3 months? 

I guess I was feeling like a school girl that just got dumped because some prettier girl batted her eyelashes. In this case the pretty girl was Google's AdWords program and the promise of instant gratification. Again, lack of commitment will not lead to SEO success. Google and the other search engines want to see months of continued improvement both to the site itself and an increase in visibility through links from other sources before they reward you with top search rankings.

Now don't get me wrong, PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads are one way to generate traffic to a site and I'm ok doing both SEO and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) for a client, but understand the difference between the two. PPC is like dating. As long as your buying and taking your date out to dinner and a movie there's a relationship. It's short term as long as your paying. IF you want to get to that marriage and long term commitment it takes time and constant affection, but you'll eventually get there and the constant expenditure for dinner and popcorn tapers back. With SEO it's the same thing... some up front costs and then an ongoing maintenance level of SEO work, but once you've achieved success it costs a lot less to stay at the top. With SEM/PPC/AdWords it's always pay to play. The minute you stop paying, your all alone again.

So what are you after with your Internet Marketing? A quick date on Friday night or a long term relationship that will provide a wonderful relationship for years to come? The choice is yours to make. If you need some help with those decisions give us a call today at 602-427-5626.