Search engine optimization, or SEO, isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it marketing tactic. We’ll say it louder for those in the back: SEO isn’t a one-and-done task. That’s because it isn’t static, unlike a print campaign or an email. An effective SEO strategy takes expertise, attention to detail, consistent tuning, and staying in the know with the ever-changing search landscape.
There’s a multitude of reasons SEO should be an ongoing effort, but there are a few core explanations we want to highlight.
Reason 1: Changing Search Algorithms
A search algorithm is a unique computer formula that determines which web pages best match a searcher’s query. Google and other search engines constantly change their search algorithms to serve better results. To maintain or improve your site’s rankings in search, your SEO must keep pace with the algorithm changes. If you don’t, you risk not only losing ranking positions to the point of not being high enough to be relevant (or not at all), but your competitors could also out-rank you.
Reason 2: Evolving User Behavior & Intent
How and why we search the internet is constantly changing. Our founder and chief strategist, Jason Dodge, likes to say, “Google is no longer a search engine. It’s an answer engine.” Users are looking for reliable resources to educate them and answer their questions. As user behavior and search intent evolve, your SEO strategy needs to shift accordingly to keep pace. The rise of local SEO is one example of how user behavior is impacting search.
Reason 3: Advancing Technology
If you’ve recently said “Hey Siri…” or “Hey Google…” to your smartphone or another device, you’re a voice command user. With voice commands has come voice-activated search. While voice-based searches make up only a minority of search types, they demonstrate how technology changes drive search changes. The advent of mobile is another example. As smartphones became de rigeur, best practices emerged for responsive design that is also search-friendly. As technology advances, SEO needs will too.
Reason 4: Basic Site Maintenance
Site optimization is in lock-step with search engine optimization. Changes to your site, even seemingly minor ones, may negatively impact core web vitals, which now play into search rankings, and user experience. Keeping plug-ins updated, especially those like Yoast that directly affect SEO, ensures optimization efforts don’t go to waste and prevents things from breaking on your site that could lead to poor user experience and even poorer SEO results.
Reason 5: Dynamic Business
Is your business the same this month as it was last month? How about this year versus last year? No? We didn’t think so. Your business changes constantly, from developing new products and offering new solutions to introducing new services. Plus, your industry may be impacted by cyclical changes, emerging market trends, and other external factors. To remain competitive and keep your customers up to date, your SEO strategy needs to be as fluid as your business, incorporating the new things and adapting to the changing ones.
For these reasons and many more, search engine optimization efforts need to be fluid and ongoing. The good news is that we’re well-versed in SEO, including local SEO. You know your business, and we know SEO. Partner with us, and we’ll do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on maintaining and growing your business.
