Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is often pitched as a mystical art requiring constant investment and management. Marketers frequently claim they can “optimize” your website to secure the top spot in search results, promising endless traffic and leads. But let’s break this down, is SEO really a golden goose that only specialized marketers can woo?

Why SEO is simpler than ever

1. Search Engines Are Smarter

Truth is, SEO isn’t as difficult or necessary as it used to be. As search engines become smarter, they are less dependent on keyword tinkering and meta descriptions and therefore, not worth trying to “game.” Search engines rely less on keywords and more on intent which means the days of keyword stuffing is behind us.

2. Google’s Search is crowded with Ads and AI

Google used to show a maximum of two ads at the top of each search. Now a user is likely to see AI results, followed by a full page of ads. This means that even if you have reached the top result of organic search, you may still be on the 2nd page (basically irrelevant).

3. Direct Traffic and Time On Site Matter Most

Two of the most weighted measures search engines use to prioritize sites are Direct Traffic (how often people go straight to your website) and Time on Site (how long they stay there). These measures indicate relevance and trust. By creating an impactful customer bonding campaign and answering questions customers are thinking of, you can positively impact your ranking more than regular SEO tweaks.

Note: I’m not proposing you build content into your marketing cadence indefinitely. There are too many big companies with full-time writers to win that game (HubSpot for example). I’m talking about taking the most commonly asked questions and creating evergreen content to answer them.

If you do hire someone to help with your SEO:

1. Choose Your Keywords Wisely – Before You Start

Your SEO person should show you a list of keywords they’re trying to improve before you contract with them. This allows you to filter out the irrelevant ones.

2. Don’t Overpay for Light-Traffic Keywords

Owning a keyword is only helpful if people are searching for it. Too often I see businesses pay SEO companies hand-over-fist to improve their standing on keywords with only a few hundred searches per month. In most cases, this is a vanity expense.

3. Know Your Competition

Your pool of competitors for keywords is MUCH larger than your direct competitors. If you’re a plumber eyeing the word “toilet” know that other plumbers, toilet manufacturers, interior designers, potty-mouthed comedians, and people wanting porta-potties are also vying to own that word. Remember, your limited capital will likely not move the needle against businesses with deep pockets.

4. Don’t Keyword-Stuff Your Homepage

SEO companies are still recommending businesses rewrite their homepage using their desired keywords ad nauseam. They seem to have forgotten that your goal is to make money, not just get people to the homepage. Make your homepage easy for your customer to read/navigate instead of trying to “game” search engines.

The Bottom Line

Site speed and tagging have some value, but SEO today is more “set it and forget it” than a mystical, reoccurring ordeal. Marketing firms know this too. Many of my clients work with other digital marketing firms and when they ask us to assess their SEO, our first request is for a list of SEO changes made over the past 3 and 6 months. 9 times out of 10, no changes have been made. This is why SEO might be worth paying a couple hundred dollars/month for, not thousands.

If you’d like my team to audit your digital marketing, let me know at MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

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