8 Elements You Should Know About Before You Start SEO Campaign - Handy Tips From Semalt
Do you have an online store, company website or other website and have decided that you want to invest in SEO? Before you start working with an agency that will implement a campaign for you or undertake such activities yourself, you should be aware of the key issues related to the positioning process, its course, the real period in which you can expect results, and more. Here are some things you should know.
Elements that you should know about before you start SEO
SEO to process
Positioning does not work in such a way that today you decide on SEO activities, and after a few hours, your website will be in the highest positions for the selected keywords. Yes of course, for example, meta tag optimization can bring a change within a few days, but this is only one of many elements that affect the position of the page. SEO is a process that lasts - it takes time to optimize your website for the requirements of Google's algorithm. As the months of work progress, the results of the campaign will get better and better, but they will not appear immediately.
It is important that the agency explains to you when you can expect the given results. It may be different in each project (depending, for example, on the industry, market, competitiveness of phrases or the current level of website optimization). In the beginning, the website's visibility increases in the form of an increasing number of phrases in TOP10 and TOP50. Then the actions start to translate into more organic traffic, and in the next stage, the conversion will increase.
SEO requires comprehensive action
The SEO process consists of on-site and off-site activities. Skipping one of these elements means that you limit your possibilities - by conducting comprehensive activities you are able to achieve more.
You can have a well-optimized site with high-quality content, but the lack of signals to Google in the form of links to the page will end up with not being able to use its 100% visibility potential. Similarly, investing only in link building is a bad choice. You will achieve the best results when the linking supports the activities on the website - and vice versa - and thus the (common) strategy of the entire positioning process.
What's more, you and your agency's initiatives also need to be consistent. You should be aware of what steps you should not take without consulting experts.
As much as possible is such a scheme in which the works will be separated. For example, you will take care of creating content and the agency will take care of other activities. SEO tasks require knowledge and experience, otherwise, it would be easy to develop your website's visibility. An offer of hundreds of links for pennies found on a classified website can be tempting, especially when it comes with the promise of quick results. The problem, however, is that using it may not do any good, but in addition, may cause a decrease in the visibility of the website.
The item cannot be guaranteed
Perhaps you have come across offers on the web which show that a given company guarantees the TOP1 position for the most important keywords for a given business. If this is what the message is, it should be a warning signal for you. In SEO, such declarations are often empty promises.
It is impossible to predict how Google's algorithms will change, and there is also, for example, the issue of the seasonality of your business or the activities of competitors, which may also aim to achieve the highest positions for given queries.
Returning, however, to the issue of updates - there were already some that turned the search results upside down. Therefore, we do not know what the search results will look like in the future, what they will depend on, so we cannot guarantee a TOP1 position after a certain period of time.
Fluctuating SEO is normal
There is no guarantee that the page rankings will only increase. Remember: smaller or larger fluctuations in the position in the search results are completely natural, so do not panic. Of course, it is always worth checking what caused them, but be aware that their causes often do not depend on you. Declines may occur, for example, due to the unavailability of the website for several days. Other reasons may be, for example, an increased competition, an infection of the website, an introduction of Google algorithm updates or your decision to completely change the structure of the website.
High traffic does not always mean conversion
Acquiring a lot of organic traffic from Google does not mean that it will translate into customer inquiries and sales. First, the right choice of keywords is important preferably with a tool like the Dedicated SEO Dashboard. If your traffic comes mainly from general phrases rather than long-tails, then the conversion rate may be lower, but that's not all.
Another important point is also the page itself. It may experience high traffic, but if it is not optimized for the user, the conversion effects may be negligible. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare a website that can actually convert effectively. Relevant issues include:
- Fast page loading - every second longer reduces the level of conversion. An analysis shows that pages that take up to 2 seconds to convert are the best.
- Structure of the menu - the internet user should find the subpages he or she is interested in without much hesitation. Good navigation is the key here.
- Product card/service subpage - the recipient must know what he/she is buying and should have all information about the product/service (preferably in an attractive form) in one place.
- CTA - eye-catching, clearly visible, and clear CTAs are a necessary element of the website.
- Search engine - it must be functional, should give hints when filling in the search field, and always display some results, even if the website does not have what the internet user is looking for.
These are, of course, only selected elements that are worth paying attention to. It is worth spending time on the website and polishing it. Thus, we can count on getting better results.
Self-positioning is not always a good idea
Training in terms of SEO is definitely the right direction - it is worth having knowledge in this field, even just to have an idea of the activities carried out by an SEO agency.
However, is positioning on your own a good idea? There is a high risk of making mistakes, for example in the form of investing in low-quality links, which can lead the website not to top positions, but rather to the filter. If only then you decide to cooperate with the agency, you have to reckon with the fact that the implementation of the link profile on a straight line will take time.
If you feel strong in some SEO components, e.g., in creating content and optimizing it, it may be worthwhile for you to take care of it and delegate the rest of the activities to specialists. At the same time, your initiatives should be consistent, taking into account, for example, the keywords for which you will optimize your website by using this keyword tool: the Dedicated SEO Dashboard.
Before you start positioning your website - summary
Getting started with an SEO campaign requires preparation. The implemented activities should be well planned, comprehensive, and cover all elements that affect the visibility of the website.
You have to wait for the expected results - the desired result will not happen overnight. In SEO, the time factor is very important - you cannot skip it. You can achieve the intended effect with regular, qualitative activities.
If you are not an SEO worker, and positioning is black magic for you, consider delegating the work to specialists - but remember, there is nothing to prevent you from educating yourself in the field of SEO.
FAQ
The SEO company guarantees me the TOP1 position for the most important phrase in 3 months. Is this a bargain?
If an SEO specialist/agency makes such a promise, a red light should light up in your head - especially if the assurance concerns the TOP1 for a competitive phrase in 3 months. In many cases, such a goal may be perfectly achievable, but it certainly cannot be guaranteed.
Nobody knows what the next Google updates will be - as a result, the website's positions may and probably will change, so you will have to optimize the website again, taking into account the current requirements of the search engine. Better avoid companies that encourage cooperation in this way.
Do I have to give an SEO company access to the CMS?
It is a matter of findings. Performing optimization requires access to the CMS, and often also to the hosting service on which the website files are located. At the same time, a model is also possible in which the SEO expert prepares a list of recommended changes, which are then implemented by the client or his programmer. Content can also be added either by the website owner or by an agency employee.