With my first introduction to SEO, I found myself riveted with the possibilities of what all this meant. It was a vast and curious world where anything seemed possible, the question lingered in my mind, “How could I possibly conquer the Denver SEO world?”. The sheer amount of information that went into it was mesmerizing. I spent months trying to figure out what it was exactly that this term was. Bit by bit I was piecing information together to form this picture.
Then…It all came crashing down.
I got my first job developing SEO strategy for a small roofing company, so I was now in the “big leagues”. What I read about it and what I had to do were two completely different things. Now that I was in a position to manage this I came to the realization that I had no idea what it really was. Months and months of convincing myself that it was nothing. Now that I’m finally here, it was too much of nothing, so much so that it seemed incomprehensible. I was terrified.
So I did what any scared-witless person would do…I researched “Denver SEO” with ferocity. Motivated by a relentless drive and passion to defeat this SEO monster, I kept pushing forward to find the answers to which I sought. I prodded the minds of those around me or who had experience in this department, holding on to the slight hope that I would someday come to understand this incredible enigma of the universe.
Terms were thrown around everywhere that I could have no way of knowing: backlinks, SEM, keywords, citations, SERP’s, do-follows, no-follows, content integration, etc. The list of terms I was supposed to know as an SEO “professional” seemed endless and, realistically, I was convinced I would never know. I was at the mercy of Google’s power.
…Until, I wasn’t.
The truth is, I was over-thinking most it and realized within the first couple of months that even though I didn’t know what I was doing, I had an impact. Nothing incredible, mind you, being that most digital campaigns are probably going to be a year-long process at the very least, but I was doing something in that space.
After speaking with many business owners or their employees on the topic of Denver SEO, there seemed to be a decisive conclusion made about what SEO actually meant. The misconception is that it was just another tool to get business owners to pay more for advertising without any true ROI. Certainly in the days before Panda (Google’s algorithm that changed the scheme of SEO to check for quality instead of erroneous content) this was a big problem with many companies placing a selected keyword or keywords as many times as they could on every page so that their website would rank far above anyone else not practicing this but the times have changed.
More so now-a-days, SEO and content branding is based on a well-thought out strategy that requires time and hard work. It is not some big mystery that can’t be solved. It is not Google’s massive control of the online market. It is all about what you make it.
For those that don’t know, there has been a drop in SEO companies over the past few years specifically for the fact that they were giving their clients strategies that were not geared toward long-term growth. Those that have made it through the Panda and Penguin updates are generally companies that built strategies on quality, such as, featuring content that was industry specific or working tirelessly to build the reach of a company through citations and backlinks.
If you really think about it, it is the same way that any quality business owner would treat any of their clients, with respect, dignity and a brand that looks to foster a long-term relationship rather than trying to compile as many short-term gains as they could. In essence, this is the key to winning the SEO (Denver SEO/wherever your business may be) game. It can all be utilized to help your business in simple steps.
Concentrate on Content
Write to your audience. No matter what field you find yourself involved in this is paramount. There is not a single person that ever goes to a website without intentions of wanting to know what is on it. The question is how will you inform these people that have spent their time doing research and have found themselves on your site? No need to be too technical but at least give them a clue about what it is you do and maybe some technical explanations to show that you know what you are doing. It is as simple as that. Your reward for building great content will be returned back to you many times over with the opportunity to create long-term partnerships with new clientele. There is no such thing as someone being rewarded for trying to get a quick buck.
Picture Perfect
Dr. Seuss had the right idea, keep it simple and add lots of pictures so a reader would know why they’re there. Albeit, these were books made for children, the underlying lesson still applies. Give the people what they want whether it be a portfolio to showcase your work, examples of equipment you use, or infographics that will relay results to portray that your system really does work. A picture is worth a thousand words, well not as far as Google’s concerned, but it will go a long way in creating beautiful aesthetics for your pages that will make people want to explore around.
Design & Refine
What you will most certainly find over time is that strategy takes time and cannot be perfected over-night. Do your due diligence with plenty of research but give your time to fail. In this game it’s not necessarily even failure; when you are just starting out you have nowhere to go but up. Build it and they will come, surely after much deliberation of course but you have time to find what works, eventually perfecting that over time. Even the most credible SEO experts in the world started not knowing, eventually rising to prominence through perfection of their ideas about what might or might not work.
Go to the Pros
If you are really feeling unsure about it then never hesitate to find an expert. Although, I would recommend some careful vetting first to make sure they know what they are talking about but if you’re willing to hire people to do work you don’t have the time for already why not hire experts that can help? Along with your careful vetting process, you can find the right person that will keep your business in mind first and help you build a prosperous strategy. (Tip: A good way to start is by checking out the Google My Business of a company, generally people tend to put all types of reviews on there so you can truly gauge the business)
The point I’m making here is that SEO is not an over-complicated measure meant to cause you headaches, it’s an incredible tool that could launch your business into the stratosphere if utilized correctly. Don’t let perception dictate a negative view of what is only supposed to be your friend along your journey to greatness. Stop over-thinking, as I did, and talk to an expert about what it can do for you or spend a little time to know which is the right way to go. My company currently helps other businesses devise their Denver SEO strategy but many companies (like mine) are willing to work with you no matter what area you are located in.
Would you like to gain a more in depth understanding of SEO? Let Tag Team Design know, we’re glad to help you get the best out of your website.