SEO is not an optional perk when it comes to business; it’s a necessity. It optimizes your website so that it ranks on search engines, allowing people to find you, turning website visitors into company customers.
But SEO shouldn’t be a one-time thing…it’s not a wham, bam, profit program that you can implement and then be done. Rather, SEO requires continuous vigilance due to one main reason: time. Your business must keep up with the Joneses and the trends.
Of course, time influences everything, which leads to several other reasons for ongoing SEO, including the following:
Tastes Regress and Evolve
From kitchen decor to backyard landscaping to the socks you’re wearing, everything moves in one direction or another….including your industry. The keywords that brought people to your website in 2020 might not work in the present day (or they might work less efficiently). Ongoing SEO keeps your site filled with current and topical industry-specific keywords, which improves your search engine rankings and helps consumers find you.
Buyer Behavior is Fluid
Consumer habits come and go. This is partly based on personal tastes and partly based on exterior influences. Whether Dungeons and Dragons is enjoying a rebirth thanks to Stranger Things or consumers are buying more yoga clothes because the pandemic taught us just how fantastic elastic truly is, buyers’ habits are fluid and evolving. Ongoing SEO lets you evolve, as well.
Your Competition isn’t Stagnant
Sure, it’s possible that your competition is resting on its laurels; perhaps they created their website, optimized it, and called it a day. It’s far more likely that they are engaging in ongoing SEO in order to stay at the forefront of the market. When customers are searching for a product or service, most rely on what they see first, which is why rankings are so vital. If your competition is keeping up on the trends, adapting to customer tastes, and updating their SEO accordingly, you better be too. Otherwise, they’ll target both their audience and yours.
The Rules Aren’t Set in Stone
Search Engines (including Yahoo, Bing, and the mothership, Google) change their minds and their rules frequently – algorithms are not written in stone and may change every day. This is done, in part, to rein in deceptive SEO practices. But it also means companies must keep up. Ongoing SEO allows you to adapt, go with the flow, and play by their rules, which is necessary if you want to improve your visibility.
Security is Paramount
Another reason for ongoing SEO is one people don’t always consider: security. Online commerce has increased dramatically, which is inviting to hackers who want to add links to your site, steal valuable information, or redirect your site elsewhere. Ongoing SEO helps identify vulnerable points in your website while monitoring it for any suspicious activity. It also helps you stay abreast of the latest security news, allowing you to be proactive and keep your site from being compromised. Because, it turns out, a 404 error page isn’t a great way to lure potential customers.
It could be argued that any SEO, even one-time SEO, is better than none. But if you want your business to continue to bring in customers, adapt to changing trends and buyer behavior, and stay on pace with your competition, then your SEO will require continuous effort. In short, ongoing SEO keeps your company going, too.
Whether you hire in-house or outsource your needs, regular search engine optimization maintenance can make or break your profit margins. Consider these reasons when looking for the right SEO for your business. Need some guidance? Give us a shout and we’ll be happy to help.