“At Breakout Media, we are approached by a wide range of people. Not only do the businesses range drastically, so too do people’s enthusiasm towards SEO. Some people can’t wait to get started, whilst others have a few objections that they need addressing first. In this guide, we have highlighted five of the most common SEO objections and our takes on them. Ever heard or thought any of these before?
Algorithm Changes
A go-to objection when it comes to SEO is that Google and other search engines constantly change the algorithm. Many people look at this as though the rules will change on them 5 months in and all their SEO efforts will be for nothing. The reality is that the algorithm changes are always made with one thing in mind – producing better results for the user. If you do SEO the right way and focus on becoming an authority, algorithm changes will work in your favour. Each update will help promote real authorities whilst penalising those who are using spammy methods in an attempt to win the ranks.
We’re Already Top Of Google … For Our Company Name
In this post, you will see that we actually agree with some objections. We believe in helping you do what is right for your business and sometimes that isn’t SEO. However, sometimes objections can be overcome and are based on a misunderstanding of what SEO really is. For example, people will often tell us that they rank first on Google, but they don’t make many sales or see much traffic to their website. On further investigation, it is often the case that they rank first for their company name. This is great for people that already know that you exist and are looking specifically for your company. There are also plenty of people that are looking for your products and services too but have no idea who you are. SEO is about ranking for these terms and bringing in new people, who are actively looking for what you sell.
The Time Commitment
Another objection we encounter is that it takes too long. SEO is a mid to long term investment. It is about building something long term. While ads will give you instant access to the first page of Google, they are gone the second that you stop paying. With SEO, you put in the work upfront to gain longer-lasting results. If you are not currently bringing in enough money then we agree, SEO should wait until you have a short-term solution in place and are making money.
Measuring Results
Marketing is always part math and part art. Whilst art can be subjective, math is not and so the hard numbers matter a lot. Unfortunately, some people don’t realise the ways in which you can track SEO results. Firstly, there are the search engine rankings. We can track your position on different search engines for key terms. Secondly, we look at website traffic. We compare a period to the previous period to see month on month results or three months on the previous quarter (or any other period). If your business is seasonal, we can track periods compared to previous years to make sure results are improving due to SEO efforts.
Guaranteed Results
Many people that come to us for SEO service ask for a guarantee. They want guaranteed first page results or guaranteed increases in traffic. None of this can be guaranteed. Whilst we get results time and again there are no 100% guarantees. Unless you can control google you there is no way to guarantee rankings meaning anyone that is offering guarantees cannot 100% trust they will deliver on their promise – this is a warning sign. However, whilst SEO doesn’t come with guaranteed rankings it does come with a host of guidelines and a plethora of indicators which can be used to maximise your odds of the search engines deeming you an authority and move you further up the SERPs (search engine results pages).
Whether based on a lack of understanding or an accurate point which means SEO might not be for you, there are many objections for SEO. Hopefully, this guide has answered some of your questions and helps you decide whether SEO is for you.
