‘I’m ranking on Google, aren’t I?’
This was the question put to me by a client who returned to me after I did their initial website copy three years ago.
‘No’, I answer.
‘But I come up on page one of Google.’
‘Yes, but only when you search for your business name, which is unique to you.’
‘But didn’t you SEO my website in 2013?’
My left eyebrow peaks at the inference that I did something wrong three years ago.
‘Yes. But what have you done to maintain your ranking on Google since then?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Exactly.’
Why have I stopped ranking on Google?
It’s a frustrating question, because whenever I work for a client, I let them know they need to maintain their SEO.
Think of all the new content uploaded to the world wide web daily… The longer your website remains dormant, the more dated and less relevant it becomes.
Despite our recommendations to blog monthly and integrate social media feeds into the website design, to increase the website’s appeal to search engines and indeed visitors, nothing has been actioned for three years.
And hilariously, after re SEOing their website, they have decided to continue ignoring the importance of blogs and social media in the maintenance and marketing of their website, which basically means they will be in the same situation within about 8-12 months.
Maybe they think, because we offer blogging and social media services, we’re trying to sell them something extra. But what we are actually trying to ensure is that the money they have spent search engine optimising their website doesn’t go to waste, and that their website is optimised to generate new and repeat business.
What do I have to do to keep ranking on Google?
Just as you should invest in the continued professional development of your staff, because it has a direct impact on the quality of your products/services and therefore your business as a whole, you should be investing in your online business representatives.
So once you have SEOed your website, you need to consider regular blogging (probably no less frequently than once a month – more if it’s possible) and updating social media every day.
What is really ironic is that clients approach us because, essentially, they want to make more money and yet some begrudge spending money on their own business.
It begs the question: if you don’t believe in your product/service enough to invest in it, why should anyone else?
Even more ironic is that blogging and social media are free resources available to businesses of all sizes, so it wouldn’t necessarily even be a financial investment (which would also be tax deductible) – it could just be time.
So when you’ve set a client up with best practice SEO on their website, it’s really disappointing when they aren’t willing to invest either the time or money in their own business. And it’s disappointing because you know what you have done for them will ultimately be unsuccessful, even though you have set them up for success.
Invest for success
There is no question that businesses that invest in their online marketing are more successful than those that don’t because we live in the ‘just Google it’ era. You either need to invest in your business or accept that no one else will find you, let alone spend money with you
All other marketing initiatives don’t have the same scope, reach or ROI for SMEs. And if you’re hoping that, by some miracle, Google will do a complete backflip on its current algorithm and start ranking businesses that don’t care enough about their business to update their Facebook page more than once a month, don’t hold your breath!
Those who invest in their own businesses grow the biggest and fastest.
We like their pages, follow their feeds, save their links, remember their brand, associate it with a product/service (hopefully quality too) and ultimately we probably convert into customers – or it rings a bell when we think it could help someone else and we refer them on.
Brand association and customer conversions don’t happen overnight. In fact, it takes around 90 days to even start seeing the results of SEO. And that doesn’t mean shooting to page one on Google either. So it’s important to plan, budget and commit to a longer term strategy for success.
In the words of Pantene – it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
Where can I get help to improve my ranking on Google?
We can help.
Jagged Edge Communications has a proven track record of helping its clients improve their ranking on Google – and maintain it! – through the provision of expert SEO copywriting services, supported by blogging and social media content marketing.
We’re happy to provide examples of such success upon request, so drop us a line at director@jaggededgecommunications.com. Obligation free quotes are also available.