SEO: An Essential but Slow Process | Iceberg Web Design |

SEO, or search engine optimization, is “the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.” (Oxford Languages)

SEO is not a Fast Fix

A common misconception is that SEO is a fast track to success. You make the necessary changes, and voila—customers will be beating down your doors. In reality, the process is a lot like starting a fitness regimen. How long it takes to get your website into shape and move it to the first page of Google’s search engine results page will depend on several things.

Working Out

Your Starting Point

When you are putting together a fitness plan, the path toward your goal will look very different depending on the point from which you are starting. If you want to drop to 150 pounds, the journey will take longer than someone who wants to drop 20 pounds. If you’re going to increase your strength, it will be harder for someone who has never worked out than someone who has taken a year off from their regular exercise routine.

If your business is brand new and you have just had your website built, it will take some time to gain some credibility. You need to build a foundation, get name recognition, create content with the right keywords for your site, and have backlinks that show Google your business is a healthy one that they can point customers to when they search for your product or service.

Your Plan

It is vital to have a solid plan that you can follow to build your SEO. Much like with your physical health, you want to avoid “fad diets.” These attempts at fast results will burn you in the end. In the SEO world, the equivalent is known as “black hat SEO tactics.” They include things such as:

  •         Keyword Stuffing
  •         Paid Links
  •         Duplicate/Low-Quality Content
  •         SPAM Comments
  •         Cloaking
  •         Invisible Text
  •         Sneaky Redirects
  •         Abusing Structured Data or Schema
  •         Link Farms

They may bring you traffic initially, but you will take a big hit from Google as soon as they figure out what you are doing—and they always find out.

Your Personal Trainer

The way to avoid black hat SEO is to hire a reputable SEO specialist who can help you develop and implement a plan to improve your Google rankings and website traffic. A good online marketer knows that SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all product. They need to look at where you are starting at, your short- and long-term goals, and the best way to get there. Often this involves:

  •         Keyword Research
  •         Adding New Content
  •         Updating and Utilizing Google My Business
  •         Updating and Utilizing Social Media Pages
  •         Gathering and Responding to Reviews

Having an SEO specialist allows you to focus on your business rather than your website.

Consistency

If you go to the gym once every couple of months and work out until you drop, it is unlikely that you will gain anything other than sore muscles. But, if you go a few times a week and do 30 to 45-minute workouts that work your heart and the rest of your body, you will soon begin to see some changes. It is the consistency that makes the difference.

The same is true for your SEO.

  •         Add new content every month—or refreshing old content.
  •         Pay attention to your Google My Business account. Post content there and update your information and business description.
  •         Post to your social media platforms with backlinks pointing to your website.

How long will it take SEO services to increase my traffic?

Many variables will affect the amount of time it takes to move up the rankings of Google’s search engine results page.

  •         How much competition do you have?
  •         Where are you at in your business plan? Do you have the name recognition, or are you just starting?
  •         Are there circumstances affecting the market? For example, most people don’t look up minigolf in Minnesota during the winter.

Remember, slow and steady, just like with fitness. You will eventually see the fruits of your labor.

How Are You Doing?

Could you use more traffic to your website? We would love to help you get traffic that converts! The pros at Iceberg Web Design are your SEO experts. Contact us today to learn how we can help take your business to the next level.

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