Did you know that search engines are an intrinsic part of how consumers interact with their online environment? In fact, 90% of online experiences begin with a search engine. It’s not hard to see how important search engines are for promoting your company’s goods or services.
You’ve also probably realized that there’s no instant solution to having a top ranking. Did you know that 80% of people using search engines never click past the first page of results? If you want more web visibility, you’re going to want to invest in SEO services, or Search Engine Optimization. But before investing, get informed. Here are three important things you should know about SEO.
1. SEO is Constantly Changing
“What worked in 2010 won’t be effective in 2013” is a pretty basic, yet incredibly important, rule in SEO. If you’re in conversation with a firm whose SEO strategy still relies heavily on link baited press releases, get out now. Some of the latest updates to the Google search engine algorithm, including Panda, Penguin, and the most recent, Hummingbird, have completely altered the SEO landscape and outlawed previously accepted syndication and hyperlink methods.
2. SEO is Not Magic
There are a few types of clients SEO firms hate getting, and one of them is the company who expects everything to happen right away as a result of SEO. Search engine optimization is a useful form of marketing, but it isn’t a magic wand. If your site design is lacking, your customer service reviews are consistently low, or you have no clear plan of action for where you’d like to see your site in search results (which keywords? What audience?), then expecting SEO to work effectively is like finding out someone has a broken leg and trying to fix it with a roll of duct tape.
3. What You Should Expect from Great SEO Services
Did you know that approximately 40% of of customers come via search? One of the last things you want to worry about is, “Is this SEO campaign actually working?” You don’t want to find out five months down the line that it really isn’t. For this reason, invest in an SEO company that provides you with constant and consistent analytics on how their campaign is doing. Check out online reviews to make sure that the company you’re investing in responds promptly to client concerns, and works to resolve any issues that pop up. Good luck!