For all intensive purposes, the US space program is done and over. After 135 missions over 30 years, the last shuttle launched and landed this past July. Some blame the program’s slow demise on cost, others site lack of interest from both the public and corporations who could have helped shoulder the expenses. Whatever the reason, it seems like the US is done with “the final frontier.” Sometimes your SEO might feel a little bit like a space mission. You’re heading off into the unknown, not sure what you’re going to find, how long it is going to take to get there or if it’ll prove worth it in the end.
Don’t let your SEO stop like the space program!
One of the hardest things for site owners to come to grips with when it comes to SEO is that it is long-term. It takes at least 6 months to get to Mars (and that’s if you have a rocket to speed things up), and it could take just as long (if not longer) to really see the true ROI from your SEO. For many site owners, this can be very frustrating. Most businesses operate under strict deadlines and have quotas that need to be met in order to appease management. They want every penny accounted for and proven ROI before they are willing to invest more. Great SEO won’t happen in a given amount of time. There are so many variables (many of which you can’t control) that there is no way to look at a calendar and pick a day when it’ll “happen.”
Because SEO is so long term, it’s very easy to look at your analytics three months in and decide it’s not working and pull the plug on the campaign before it really gets a chance to get off the ground. Don’t let your SEO fizzle out on the launch pad! The hardest part is getting over that first hump, especially for new sites lacking search engine trust. SEO builds on itself over time, but getting the ball rolling is the hardest part.
There are a lot of benefits to sticking with your SEO campaign. Increase brand recognition and online presence, upswings in traffic to your site, increased conversion rates, a strong online reputation, better relationships with your customers and more. But none of these things are going to happen particularly fast. Patience is a virtue, as the old adage goes, especially when it comes to SEO. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort if you want your SEO to succeed. In time, you’ll get back what you put in, if not more.
