SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is the practice of improving your organic ranking on search engines. This is something that confuses a lot of site owners because it can be hard to measure, algorithms are always changing, and results are not instant.

Here are 5 facts to help you manage your expectations and understand Search Engine Optimisation. Whether you’re undertaking it yourself or hiring an agency like us.

1. SEO is a long-term strategy & it takes a lot of work

SEO does not provide instant results. You need to be prepared to put in a lot of work and know that it will pay off. Improving your site SEO is about winning Google’s trust and building a reputation for your site.

  • If your website is new, then you will be putting more work in than someone who has been established for a while.
  • If your business has many competitors, then it will be harder to get those higher rankings.
  • If you have a negative reputation, you’ll have to work hard to repair this. Regaining Google’s trust is harder than getting it the first time.
  • Consider the keywords you want to rank for and how your website is targeting them.

2. SEO requires adaptability

Best practices for SEO tend to stay the same. But search engines are always updating their algorithms, new competitors can pop up and trends can change. Being adaptable in SEO means you should be aware of how your audience are using the web. What are your competitors doing for their sites? What trends are taking place in your industry? Be alert about changes in your industry and changes in your target audience’s online activity.

3. SEO involves building lasting relationships

One important technique for improving SEO is backlinking. Inbound and outbound links indicate the reputation of your site. It is also one of the most difficult parts of SEO because it requires a lot of outreach and building relationships with other site owners.

You want to connect with site owners who have high authority sites. Sites should also be relevant to your industry. Link building is not just a numbers game, links from irrelevant sites could harm your credibility.

4. SEO needs great content

Another aspect of SEO is your site content. When thinking about SEO you want to rank organically for keywords. You do this by ensuring your site content is keyword rich. Your content needs to be better than competitors. It should be trustworthy, relevant, useful, details and it should be keyword rich.

Great content tells Google exactly what matters to you. It can also define you to customers as an industry leader. 

5. SEO requires patience

As mentioned above, SEO is not a quick strategy. But it is very necessary. If you’re implementing the correct strategies, the results will come.