How To Plan a Long-Term SEO Strategy & Stay Ahead Of The Game
Don’t plan to exist; Plan to thrive
Any investment takes time to grow, and SEO as an investment is no different. So, that shouldn’t be news to anyone.
But sadly, it is a popular misinterpretation that SEO is some sort of a magic potion that, when implemented, will work wonders overnight. It doesn’t happen that way — a few tweaks here and there, and results start showing.
A blip? Yes. But consistent growth? No.
So, if you think SEO can bring good news by the weekend, sorry to disappoint you.
How long does it actually take?
If today is T, you should be looking at T+Months for things to start showing.
Sometimes it’s 6 months, and sometimes it’s 12 months. And in some cases, years.
But wait. This is not eternity. It is good compared to what you will achieve for your brand. And remember, some months shouldn’t bother you when
You are building brands that last forever.
With proper research, optimization, and maintenance, one can attempt to start ranking on Google within a year or two.
Sometimes it may take even years to achieve that because SEO is very dynamic. A lot of factors go into its mechanism. Things like how big the competition is, the industry you are in, and the novelty of the product also have a say on the trajectory.
Is it worth the time?
Oh, Yes!! Every second invested is worth it.
Let not the long waiting period discourage you from investing in this wonderful opportunity to scale your online business.
1. First and foremost — money.
The maths is simple. The more defined the SEO, the more the traffic of the targeted audience and the more the revenue.
The compounding effect of long-term SEO translates to a steep increase in ROI (Return Over Investment) and a drop in the effective lead cost. Both together are healthy for the bottom line of any organization.
2. Competitive Edge
95% of the search traffic goes to the first page on Google and 33% to the first organic result. That’s the cut-throat competition we are facing. Not being on the first page is almost synonymous with not existing.
Hence having a sound SEO strategy ensures businesses stay on top of their game and on top of the consumers’ minds.
3. Creates authority
As a brand.
You are considered trustworthy when you are invested in the process and rank top on SERPs. This, in turn, boosts the credibility of your brand. And with high credibility comes a larger market share and customer confidence. As a brand, isn’t that what you aspire for?
4. A tireless process
It works 24X7.
SEO works relentlessly in your favor all around the clock.
With minor updates, original and optimized content continues generating rich website traffic. From an investment point of view, it is always advisable to put money into something that grows on its own.
5. Valuable insights & measurable results
Which page is the most interactive? How much time did the user spend on which segment? What actions do your users perform?
With SEO, you have access to your users’ journey at a micro level. It’s almost like spying on the user activity; this rich information can then modify and enhance the user experience.
And not just that, one also has the flexibility to measure the impact of changes and track its progress.
Work out the long-term plan
Unarguably, SEO has been in the driving seat of every webpage today. Despite the fact that it takes time to come up with favorable results, it is worth the wait because the rewards are too big.
But it demands just two things:
- patience, &
- continuous efforts.
And just that things have started working your way doesn’t mean that they will continue to do so. It might become another rabbit and hare story with your competitor outrunning you.
Many have faltered to miscalculations.
So, what to do?
1. User persona
Know your audience. Center everything you create on the website with your target audience in mind.
Let’s say your audience is 60+ in age, then you would want to use a bigger font for your website. And if your target audience is a teenager, you would want brighter shades and a more interactive website.
Having a clear picture of who exactly your visitor is will give you the right perspective to build your webpage.
2. High-quality content
Good content is the main driving force of a website. Your content has to meet three criteria:
- Good enough for the algorithm to see you as a topical authority (aka ranking)
- Engaging enough for your visitors to come again & again (aka traffic)
- Trustworthy enough for other sites to refer you to their sites (aka backlinking)
When these are met, you are definitely on a strong standing.
3. User experience
It’s almost like entertaining a guest at your house when you go out of the way to make the stay as comfortable and cozy as possible, with the objective of making them stay longer.
And you have to ask these questions to ensure that:
- Are the users able to navigate to all pages easily?
- Is it taking them time to switch between pages?
- Do they like what they see and stay long enough?
The more you focus on the ease of the user, giving them value at the same time, the larger set of loyal visitors you have for yourself.
4. Link building
Both external and internal.
Users, as well as search engines, like it when content is interlinked. Linking one content to relevant topics is not only an opportunity to keep the visitor engaged for a longer duration but also goes on to build credibility on the topic.
Similarly, external linking can be achieved through strategies like tools, in-depth guides, and market insights. Guest posting is also a great way to develop links. A great Google ranking factor, backlinking from other websites is a good way to funnel new visitors to the website.
5. Eye on the updates
With continuous updates on algorithms, getting outdated is the easiest thing that can happen to you.
Being proactive, keeping oneself updated, and acting on them are the most prudent things a webmaster can do. SEO is a slippery field, and caution is therefore a must.
Improve. Improve. Improve.
That’s the only mantra.
Conclusion
Yes, it is a shi*tload of work that I have listed down.
But let it not dissuade you from making plans because, tell me, when was a brand built without arduous groundwork? Never.
So, if you want to take your business to the next level, you have to plan it long and stick to it, improvising at every turn and always focusing on your user.
Are you really serious about your business? Are you ready to invest and start seeing the results?
My limited-seat course, 10X SEO Program, is tailored specifically to transform the digital presence of a business to the next (and then the next) level. It can benefit you immensely only if you have an open mind, a serious business outlook, and the willingness to experiment.
Drop me a mail at hi@sankardatti.com, and we will schedule a time to see if we’re a fit to work together.
[Not for the faint-hearted coz the results will be dizzying.]
