As the owner of a search engine optimization company, I have seen the SEO industry evolve a great deal over the years but never
more dramatically than it is right now. Lately I have noticed signs that the "free ride" of getting easy website traffic from
search engines is coming to an end. And that has caused many optimizers and website owners to ask themselves, "Is overnight SEO
success still possible?"
In the early years (very early), it sure seemed like it was. One could simply add a bunch of keyword meta tags and get almost
instant results. Then, meta tags were out and doorway pages were in.
The next fad was links from any and all sites, the more the better. When relevancy in links became a factor, many webmasters
rushed to get link scripts installed and set up link directories with relevant categories.
Then content got a good run for a while. And most recently, text link ads (paid links) became all the rage.
Paid Links: The Straw That Broke Google's Back?
As soon as link popularity became the holy grail of SEO and webmasters began learning how to artificially increase it with paid
links, Google began working on filters to stop ranking manipulation. It also seems to have inspired the rumored "aging delay" in
which new sites on newly registered domains face long waits to get indexed by the grand daddy of all engines.
While catching cheaters is a good thing, a lot of legitimate, quality sites are also getting caught up in Google's new fishnet.
There is plenty of grumbling among webmasters who report waiting up to nine months to appear in the Google rankings for even the
most obvious keywords such as their company name.
Yes, getting top rankings in Google is definitely a lot harder (and slower) than it used to be. This is partly because more sites
are being indexed and the sheer volume of competition is making it tougher to rise to the top. But that's only part of the picture.
Google and the other engines are hellbent on preventing rankings manipulation, and since they hold all the cards, we'd better
learn to play the game by their rules. And that, funnily enough, could mean going back to some of the "no brainer" promotional
methods in use four or five years ago, when many of us took our businesses online for the first time. Back then, we did things
like distributing articles and press releases and buying classified ads in relevant publications – not for the incoming links but
for the visibility, traffic and credibility they generated. It just made sense.
With overnight SEO success no longer possible, we as online business owners/operators not only have to change our tactics – we
also need to adjust our expectations.
Keeping SEOs on Their Toes
Responsible and workable SEO these days means not wasting your time or money trying to trick the search engines into ranking you
highly for keyword phrases that you have no business ranking for in the first place. That's why it's so important before signing
on with any optimization company to discuss these new expectations with them. You need to be an informed consumer because there
are still SEOs living in the (very recent) past and still deeply committed to paid linking schemes, keyword stuffing, etc.
Now more than ever you as an SEO client need to investigate the optimization companies you're considering. That means pumping
them for details not just about their proven results but about their methodology such as keyword selection and link popularity
before you pay the deposit.
Another reality check: SEO is going to be a tad more expensive in this new world (unless you are among the few who have the time,
skills and resources to do it yourself). Reaching your target audience with interesting and compelling information about your
industry is now the best way to achieve link popularity. But it's definitely not as easy, fast or cheap as buying 100 site-wide
text link ads or swapping links willy nilly.
If you don't have the resources to produce regular copy about your business or industry, hiring an optimization company that has
content writers to do the research and writing for you is probably your best bet. The benefits of greater link popularity AND
visibility will be worth it over the long haul.
In Conclusion...
SEO continues to evolve, which these days means we all need to accept that getting top ten placements for competitive terms
will not happen overnight nor in one month or even two.
Your task as a responsible SEO consumer is to do careful due diligence in selecting an optimization company. Be wary of any SEO
that offers a quick fix, uses dubious tactics, and guarantees #1 rankings. Expect your optimization results to improve gradually
over time.
No, overnight SEO success is no longer a reality but don't let that get you down. It's still worth doing... only now it's worth
doing well.
Anyway, the alternative – doing nothing – isn't really an option. It reminds me of a saying hanging on the wall in my karate
class: "While you are sleeping, someone else is training to kick your...."
I'll let you guess the rest.
About The Author
Michael Pedone is founder of eTrafficJams.com, a professional search engine optimization
company that specializes in getting targeted, eager-to-buy traffic to your site. You can also catch him blogging at:
http://prs10.blogspot.com.
