1. The Online Market Is Always Changing
Our rapidly advancing technology results in a constant introduction of new products and terminology. Because of that, keywords that once were highly effective can become less common or even obsolete over relatively short periods of time.
Say that you sell audio equipment. Once upon a time, googling “headphones” might have been enough to get online searchers to your website. With all the different options for personal listening now, though, that term just isn’t specific enough when people have a particular product or style in mind. The older keyword might land your site way down in the rankings where most people will never see it.
Therefore, it’s necessary to always research trending keywords and phrases so that you can evaluate the effectiveness of your site’s SEO, revise it, and optimize it.
2. User Behavior Changes
As products, trends, and terminology change, the behavior of users changes as well as they begin to use different search terms. This ties back to the previous point about changes in the marketplace. Yes, you need to stay on top of new products and phrases, but you also have to research what customers themselves are entering as search terms. If you are emphasizing one set of terms while customers are using another, then you may be losing out on their business.
Once again, your SEO strategy has to involve knowing what is more effective so that you can change or remove what is less so.
3. The Competition Isn’t Sleeping
In the online marketplace, you might have thousands or even millions of competing websites. Even if you provide services locally– for example, you run a landscaping company or a home services company— you could have over a dozen competitors depending on the size of the market.
Most people don’t go past the first page of results. Among those that do, very few go beyond the third page. If you’re not showing up on, ideally, that first page or at least on one of those first three pages, your business is going to be at a disadvantage.
Any competent competitors are going to be constantly evaluating and changing their SEO, and that means you have to as well so they’re not getting the customers you’re trying to target.
It’s also important to know when competitors expand existing services or products and when they add new ones. That may change search results and rankings, and that will require you to consider changes to your own offerings and SEO approaches in order to keep up, get ahead, or stay ahead. For example, if you run a local coffee shop that serves breakfast as well and a competitor decides to add breakfast to its menu, you’re going to want to make sure that you don’t fall in search rankings due to the competitor drawing eyes and clicks away from you.
” Those who spend over $500 a month are much more likely to be extremely or very satisfied with the quality of their SEO services compared to those who spend less. ”
4. Rules and Algorithms for Search Engines Change
The major search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing, for example) are not static entities, either. To remain relevant and to compete with one another for users, these search engines undergo regular revisions and updates that pertain to how they evaluate and rank websites when returning search results.
Another reason for the constant changes in search algorithms is related to the fierce competition among businesses providing similar products or services. To gain an advantage, some businesses engage in deceptive (SEO) Search Engine Optimization practices (called “black hat”), and the regular updates help combat these practices by using changed and improved search algorithms.
Google, for example, makes changes to its algorithms at least once per day on average. For Google, improving search results, steering users to the best sites, and making it harder for businesses to cheat or game the system means more users and more ad revenue. Likewise, other search engines have the same goals and motivations.
Even businesses playing by the rules can be impacted by this since the algorithms affect everyone, not just the bad players.
Consequently, just as it is critical to stay abreast of how the marketplace is changing, what searchers are looking for, and what the competition is doing, it’s critical to have an active and capable (SEO) Search Engine Optimization campaign that focuses on continuous improvement and staying attuned to changes in search engines. As a result, your website will remain more search-friendly on search engines.
A continuous SEO improvement campaign that tracks marketplace changes, user behavior, competitors’ practices, and updates to search engine algorithms will translate to attaining and retaining a high ranking among search results. One study found that such businesses enjoyed an 18% average increase in rankings.
In contrast, the same study found that businesses that did not keep up an effective SEO campaign experienced drops up to 30% in their page rankings.
Yes, an effective SEO campaign can be a lot of work
SEO takes work on a regular basis and being aggressive to get results but it’s something that absolutely pays off, and any business using one stands a much better chance of maintaining and increasing its market share. At Bold Eye Media, we specialize in SEO and other digital services and can help your business thrive. Just contact us today!