Myth #7: I’m At The Top So I’m Done Optimizing
SEO is a funny ‘science’. It isn’t something that you can conquer. Once you’re at the top, it may take considerable effort to stay there because it’s a lot easier to slide than it is to climb. SEO can’t be ignored.
Scenario #1: When a customer tells me they are at the top of Google, my first question is, “for what?”. The idea isn’t for your company to simply be at the top of a search for your company name. It is for your company’s website to be the answer to those searching for products and services that you offer.
Consumers generally want to do some sort of research on a product or service that they plan on buying. This may include all or parts of, general information, reviews, specification, industry knowledge or even history. If your website offers what they are looking for in regards to any of these areas, or other topics that may be relevant to a prospective customer, and your website ranks high enough to be noticed & valued, you will become first on their list to visit again when it comes time to purchase.
You may offer a product or service that lends itself to an immediate purchase making ranking as high as possible that much more important. Then you need to really look at proper SEO friendly website development and improving conversion of visitors (which is something your typical web designers definitely don’t do – they worry about pretty only since that is what they’re good at).
For those products/services with an extended buying cycle, you should be involved in each step of the cycle so that you have the best opportunity possible to engage with them when they are ready to make that purchase.
Scenario #2: Since there are countless ways to frame a query for the numerous products & services you offer, being at the top of Google for one or two of them doesn’t mean you’re SEO optimization is done.
Proper initial research will help identify a wide variety of specific keywords/phrases that a prospective customer will use in order to find information on the products & services you sell. A strategic SEO plan will ensure that your website is ready to be found for those queries and will rank as high as possible for them.
A number of things could bump you from your top spot ranking even though you put a SEO plan in place. A search engine’s algorithm could be altered and drop your rankings. Your competition could realize that you are stealing quality website traffic away from them and increase their SEO efforts in order to drop your SEO effectiveness.
As a side note, Advanced Web Solutions can offer an SEO guarantee that will we get you to page 1, but also that we will NOT work with your competition within the same region either.
All of these things, as well as a laundry list a mile long, means that just because you’ve make it to the top of Google, you can’t be sure that you will stay there. I do however tell my clients (depending on the online competitive level of their industry) that SEO is like a flying a plane. It takes a bunch of work and time to get a plane off the ground and up to proper flying level, but once at the proper cruising altitude, it takes less fuel to keep you there.
Myth #1: Meta Tags are extremely important to your rankings
Myth #2: Search Engine Submission is the best way to let the search engines know who you are
Myth #3: Paid Search participation will help your Organic rankings
Myth #4: Ignore Google – Black Hat SEO works
Myth #5: More websites means more ways to entice prospective customers
Myth #6: I have a website so now people will find my business
Myth #7: My company name is 1st on Google so my site is optimized
Myth #8: My web designer Optimized my website so I’m good to go
Myth #9: Submitting to Multiple Search Engines Improves Visibility
Myth# 11: Your IT Department Can Handle Your SEO Requirements
