SEO is hard. It’s a complex discipline that requires you to study thousands of ranking factors, try to make sense of what to do with the information, and determine how to execute on your knowledge. It’s enough to put most people off completely.
If that sounds like you, you might be tempted to outsource your SEO efforts to an agency or freelancer.
There are plenty of reputable companies that offer affordable services for businesses struggling with their online marketing efforts but this article will show you why that’s probably a bad idea.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Embrace SEO as a core competency of your business. |
| 2. Cultivate an in-house SEO team for better control. |
| 3. Understand your brand’s unique voice and message. |
| 4. Continuously educate yourself about SEO practices. |
| 5. Develop a long-term SEO strategy aligned with your goals. |
Don’t Outsource SEO
You are not your website. You are not your content. You are not your customers. You are not your competitors, and you certainly shouldn’t be outsourcing SEO to them!
You are also not the keywords that people use when searching for a product or service like yours especially if those keywords don’t include “your company name” or “the name of what you sell/do.”
Instead of looking at yourself as a keyword or ranking, look at yourself as the person who can help others find answers about what it is your company sells, who buys from you, why they buy from you (and how often), etc…
Those answers will help drive search engine optimization success down the road whether there is an active SEO strategy in place or not.
Learning the fundamentals of SEO is crucial for online success. Dive into our comprehensive guide on search engine optimization to start your journey towards better visibility.
Never Forget About Your Customers
The most important thing in SEO is your customers. The customer experience has been and will always be the most important part of SEO. You can’t forget this fact, no matter how much you want to believe it’s true.
Your customers are not robots; they are people. They have emotions and minds that drive purchase decisions and search behaviors, so treat them as such!
Be In Love With Your Content And Your Brand
- Be in love with your content and your brand.
- You need to be passionate about your content, because if you are not, who will be? Who will care? It’s the same with brand: If you don’t care about it, why would anyone else?
If your customers don’t see value in what you’re doing and saying, they won’t stick around for long.
So make sure that every time someone comes across something on your website whether it’s blog posts or social media posts or newsletters it feels like a good thing for them to be reading.
And make sure that every time someone walks into one of our stores or visits us online at [company website], we deliver on the promise of being able to help solve their problems better than anyone else can do it anywhere else in the world
Crafting compelling content goes hand in hand with effective SEO. Explore our article on becoming a content marketing machine to amplify your online presence through strategic storytelling.
Don’t Try To Trick The Search Engines
The internet is a big place with a lot of content, which means that it’s very hard for search engines like Google and Bing to be able to tell what the best results are.
They have algorithms designed specifically to help them figure out what should show up at the top of their search results page, but these algorithms aren’t perfect.
So how do you get your business’ website in front of people who are looking for your services? You don’t try to trick or manipulate the search engines! You offer valuable information on a consistent basis that will help people find exactly what they need when they look for it online.
Don’t Be Afraid To Put Your Neck On The Line
Don’t be afraid to take risks. If you’re not taking risks, then you’re not moving forward. There’s no way around it. You have to put yourself out there and fail sometimes if you want to succeed at anything worthwhile in life (or any business for that matter).
But don’t worry! Failing isn’t a bad thing it’s an opportunity for growth that will help you build stronger foundations for your future endeavors.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others who know more about their field than yourself. This is especially true when it comes to SEO because there are so many nuances in this industry that only an expert would know about!
So if someone offers advice and guidance with regards to your work, consider it seriously before making any decisions regarding how best they should fit into your team structure or company culture…and don’t forget: always ask forgiveness after making mistakes as well 🙂
Give Up Thinking Like A Business, And Think Like A Publisher Instead
As a business, it’s easy to think about SEO in terms of what you can do for yourself. This is the wrong way to look at it. SEO isn’t something that you do for your website or business; it’s what you do for your audience.
It’s not about sales and conversions, but about helping people and creating value not only for them but also for their friends and family who might be searching online as well.
That’s why Google rewards websites with high-quality content, user experience (UX), site speed, design quality, and relevance:
These things all affect how useful a website is to people searching online and how likely they are to keep coming back again and again because they find what they need on your site each time they visit!
Unlock the potential of your website’s visibility with actionable SEO strategies. Learn how to use SEO to drive organic traffic and connect with your target audience effectively.
Forget About The Competition And Focus On What Is Unique About You
Think about the things that make you unique. What’s different about you? What is special about your product, service, or brand?
How do you want to be seen in the market? How do you want to position yourself against competitors?
What value are you bringing to your customers or readers/viewers/listeners/etc.?
What is it that makes a customer choose you over another competitor? Why would they buy from your company instead of someone else’s business?
Talk To Your Audience, Not At Them
- Talk to your audience, not to them.
- Know who you’re talking to.
- Talk about what they want to hear.
It’s common knowledge that SEO is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and maintenance of a website. The key here is consistency – if you don’t keep up with changes in the algorithm, your rankings will fall and your traffic will suffer as a result.
It takes time, effort and resources on behalf of both the business owner(s) responsible for content creation as well as people managing SEO strategies on their end.
So why not just outsource it? But hold up: outsourcing SEO often means sacrificing quality control over what gets published online.
Because these third parties might lack expertise in this particular field or have no idea why certain keywords are more important than others when trying to build trustworthiness within an industry niche market segmentation scheme (which can happen if they’re unfamiliar with how businesses operate).
Never Stop Learning
As with anything, learning from your own mistakes is an important part of the process. But don’t be afraid to learn from others’ mistakes as well as your own. What works for one company may not work for another, but there’s still value in learning what doesn’t work and why it didn’t work.
Learn from successes too! Seek out stories where someone has built something great even if you don’t know them personally and see what lessons you can draw from their experience. Learn about the mistakes they’ve made and how they overcame them (or didn’t).
Be Yourself And Let Others Be Themselves
If you try to be someone else, it will only lead to failure. If you are not authentic, people will see through the facade and leave your business in droves.
Be who you are and let other people be themselves. The best way to do this is by being able to listen to what others have to say and understanding their needs, rather than imposing your own upon them.
Navigating through SEO ranking factors can be overwhelming. Discover a comprehensive list of SEO ranking factors and gain insights into optimizing your website for better search engine performance.
Stay Ethical. If You Can’t Say It Out Loud, Don’t Do It
You can’t expect your clients to take you seriously if you’re not ethical. If you don’t believe in something, then don’t say it. If you wouldn’t be comfortable telling your mom about what you’re doing, then don’t do it!
It’s fine to have some black hat tactics in your arsenal, but make sure they’re used responsibly and ethically. You should always feel good about what you’ve done for your client and for their website even if the results aren’t immediate or obvious (like with SEO).
You want to see where things are headed before committing to a tactic; otherwise, there’s no way of knowing whether or not it will work out long-term!
Learn How To Collaborate With Others To Improve Your Results And Theirs Too
If you want to be successful in SEO and get the best results, then it’s critical that you learn how to collaborate with others.
Collaboration is a skill that can be learned, improved and shared. When people have the opportunity to learn how to collaborate, they become more effective in their jobs and reach their full potential .
Here are some steps you can take:
- Learn from others who are more experienced than yourself.
- Share what you know with anyone who will listen (or even those who won’t).
Being Good At Research And Writing Are Key Skills For Being Good At SEO
In order to be a good SEO, you must be good at research. You need to know how search engines work and what people are looking for when they use Google. You also need to know how people engage with your content and the best way to keep them engaged.
Being able to write well is also important because writing is an integral part of SEO. If your writing isn’t engaging, then no one will want to read it and your search engine rankings won’t improve as a result.
Good grammar, spelling, and content are all important parts of being a great SEO expert!
Enhancing your writing skills requires a diverse range of influences. Explore how reading fiction can improve your writing and elevate your ability to communicate effectively in the digital realm.
Conclusion
The good news is that you already have most of the tools you need to succeed at modern SEO. You might not realize it, but if you can write, research, and communicate clearly with customers, that’s a huge part of it.
The hard part is learning how to do those things in a way that makes Google happy. Luckily for you, we’ve got tons more content here on the Moz blog about how to get started with SEO just search for “SEO tips” in our search bar and see what comes up!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on the topic of outsourcing SEO:
Rock Content: Is It Time to Outsource SEO? Short Description: Learn about the considerations and benefits of outsourcing SEO services for your business.
Flow SEO: The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing SEO Short Description: Delve into the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing SEO tasks and how it can impact your online presence.
SEO Training London: 7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Outsource SEO Short Description: Explore the reasons why keeping SEO in-house might be a strategic decision for your organization.
FAQs
What are the advantages of outsourcing SEO?
Outsourcing SEO can bring expertise and specialized knowledge to your SEO efforts, potentially leading to improved rankings and visibility.
Is outsourcing SEO suitable for every business?
Not necessarily. The decision to outsource SEO depends on factors like budget, goals, and the availability of in-house resources.
What should I consider when choosing an SEO outsourcing partner?
Look for a partner with a proven track record, transparent processes, and a good understanding of your industry and business needs.
How can outsourcing SEO affect my website’s performance?
When done right, outsourcing SEO can positively impact your website’s performance by optimizing it for search engines and driving organic traffic.
What are some risks associated with outsourcing SEO?
Risks can include miscommunication, lack of control, and potential exposure to unethical practices. Choosing the right partner is crucial to mitigate these risks.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
