SEO. You’ve heard those three little letters before and you’re not sure what they mean. Your copywriter keeps using them when talking about your website copy and your blogs and you nod your head. You get that SEO is important, but you don’t know why, exactly what it is, or how it works.
I’ve got you covered.
SEO stands for search engine optimization. To put it in the shortest, simplest terms, SEO is what ranks you higher in a Google search. If you have copy that is well-optimized, Google will be able to place you in their search and make it easier for people to find you.
There’s obviously a lot more to SEO than that, but I thought we’d start with the basics.
The thing about SEO is that it doesn’t happen overnight. You could have the most well-optimized site that exists but if you’ve just created it or just revamped it, Google doesn’t know about it yet.
You probably don’t want to hear this because you’ve just invested money and time into a copywriter who assured you that their work will get you results. And it will, just not yet.
This is why a lot of people run paid ads because they want quick results. And that makes sense. But SEO is a long game that is worth playing. The reason is that, unlike ads, when you write SEO-optimized copy, it sticks around and you only pay for it once. SEO is the gift that keeps on giving. You just need to give it a little boost every now and again.
Here are five reasons why SEO takes longer than you want it to:
1. Google needs time to find your page and give it authority
If you create a website, no matter how well-optimized it is, it’s not going to show up in a Google search right away. It can take months for Google to recognize the page and compare it to other sites. [1]
In fact, according to an article in Forbes, it can take 4-6 months for you to start seeing results. [2] This is partly because you need to be working on your SEO consistently. Blogs, for example, are one way to boost your SEO. But you have to be consistent with how often you post and pay attention to how relevant the content is.
This can be frustrating because you want results NOW. But when it comes to SEO and Google, it’s a waiting game. And that can be hard when you hire someone who says they can get you those results, and months go by and you don’t see anything.
It’s important to point out that it’s not enough to just be ranked higher on the Google search. What you really want is conversions. You want people to go to your site and DO something. You
want to get more clients.
2. The keywords you use matter
Keywords and longtail keywords are what notify Google to what your content is about. Having keywords that are relevant matter, because keywords are one of the main things that Google pays attention to.
When you type in a Google search, those words you’re typing are keywords. They tell Google what you’re looking for and they’re how Google knows what to find for you. Longtail keywords are even more effective than just one keyword because nowadays people are typing full sentences into Google. Longtail keywords are short phrases that people search for.
3. SEO is ongoing
It’s not enough to put together a website with a lot of great keywords and longtail keywords and call it a day. SEO takes time because there’s a lot of back-end work that needs to be done by you and your copywriter to get you the results you need.
Another article in Forbes puts it very well:
“Your website as a whole needs to be optimized for user experience, while content marketing will help keep it regularly updated. Posts on your website should have SEO in mind from their very conception so they’re optimized the moment they’re published.” [3]
SEO isn’t a one-time project. Everything you put on your website should be optimized, and you should be updating your website regularly.
4. Consistency is key when it comes to SEO
I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth mentioning again. Google cares about consistent posts, especially when it comes to blogs. It’s the reason why writing one blog and calling it a day doesn’t do anything.
The more relevant content you post on your website consistently, the quicker your page will rank in a Google search. It’s why blogs are so valuable as a marketing tool and not just as a way to dispense information.
They’re great for that too, but blogs that are relevant and consistent are worth your money because you get more bang for your buck. As I mentioned before, blogs stick around on your website and continue to drive traffic, while something like a paid ad will get you quick results that you have to continue to pay for.
Another important thing to note when talking about consistent blogs is that Google doesn’t rank content that’s too short. Blogs less than 1,000 words won’t be recognized. Website copy that is barely a couple of hundred words won’t make a dent in your SEO. Google needs to be able to figure out what your content is about and more words allow it to do that. [4]
5. Your competition is working just as hard as you are
You’re not the only one in your field working on your SEO. All of your competitors are too. You may be in a highly-saturated field, which means you have to work even harder on your SEO game. It’s not impossible, it just means you have to really put the time, effort and money into it. [1]
You have to think about how often your competition is posting blogs. If you’re posting 2-4 a month and they’re posting 4-8, they’re probably going to rank higher, assuming their blogs are SEO-optimized. It’s important to keep an eye on the competition and see what they’re doing so you can outdo them. Remember, the key is to be relevant and consistent.
What does this mean for your business?
This is why you hire a copywriter who understands the importance of SEO and how it works. The thing is, no one is an expert, even the SEO “experts”, because Google doesn’t tell anyone how exactly they rank. But if you want some solid resources on SEO, check out Neil Patel and MOZ.
Now that you understand why SEO doesn’t happen overnight, it’s time to turn your SEO dreams into a reality. Send me an email at allielinnwrites@gmail.com or fill out the contact page to get started on your amazing SEO journey with a copywriter who understands a thing or two about how it all works!
[1] https://www.seo.com/blog/why-does-seo-take-so-long/
[4] https://yoast.com/academy/seo-copywriting-training/text-length/
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