SEO has changed and evolved for the better. With the old ways of operating and thinking have come new ways of operating, and in turn, there needs to be some new ways of thinking. As an industry the old ways of thinking no longer serve what we do so it’s about time we do away with them.
The role of SEO agencies is now different compared to what it was years ago. The role for SEO companies has now become more diverse, seeing us perform tasks such as brand development, growing communities, enchanting audiences, and flexing our creative and analytical muscles. The role of the SEO agency is now helping to build and grow a business.
The new roles that have grown out of the evolution of SEO need to be reflected in new ways of thinking when it comes to dealing with our customers and operating as a business in general.
Old Thinking: – I want my content to go viral.
New Mantra: How can I be of Most Help to My Customers?
Your thinking should always be about how you can provide value to your customers. Instead of making things all about you, they should be all about your customer.
Your thinking should always be about providing value rather than a tactic like trying to go viral. This is because going viral isn’t something that is necessarily realistic, something like only 0.001 percent of content produced is considered “viral.” For something to go viral you need a lot of shares but this requires a different mindset altogether.
If you want to produce viral content then you need to have a mindset that is all about providing the most helpful and valuable content. After all, if something is insanely useful to a reader there is a fair chance they are going to share it.
If you want to produce content of this type then you need to take the time to research the consumer’s purchase path. Understand their thought processes and try to find ways that you can provide value to them.
Old Thinking: What’s the latest “it” tool/directory/tactic?
New Mantra: There are No Silver Bullets
There are no shortcuts for long term success in the SEO industry. As much as we may wish there was, there simply isn’t. There are many people who try to look for some new tactic or tool that will allow them to generate super fast and effective SEO results but there simply isn’t one.
If you want success in this industry you need to adopt a long term thinking strategy. Of course there are tools and certain strategies out there that work better than others but that is all they are, tools and strategies to complement an overall SEO effort.
It’s been a common tendency in this industry unfortunately for people to overuse certain tactics as well. For example, guest posting was one strategy that was hailed as the new “it” thing but many people have used this to the point where it devalues the entire industry.
Your strategy should be one that always provides value. For that to happen you need an array of tactics that will generate great results for your clients.
Old Thinking: The more content I put out, the better.
New Mantra: It’s All About Quality
Everything you do needs to be about quality. None of this posting content for the sake of posting content. All this does is devalue all of your efforts and there is already enough average content floating around the web.
Instead focus on posting content that really stands out, that has the potential to wow anyone who reads it. Avoid the thinking of posting content every week just because you’ve been told to. Instead, post only when you feel like you have super useful content to post that is going to be useful to readers.
It’s far better to post one stellar blog post per month than it is to post two posts per week that are average in quality.
Old Thinking: But my competitors who outrank me are still doing (insert black hat tactic).
New Mantra: Focus Only on Long-Term Sustainable Efforts
The smart thing to do in this industry is focus on long-term sustainable results. It can be frustrating when your competitors outrank you when they appear to be employing not-so-kosher SEO tactics. It can be easy to want to use the same tactics but you need to resist this temptation. The reality is that sooner or later Google is going to crack down on them and they’ll be penalised.
This is why it’s so important to adopt a long-term thinking mindset. Short term gains are going to be just that, short term. Rather than joining your competitors by using somewhat dodgy tactics you are far better off to be using genuine tactics that generate long-term results.
Don’t just focus on results alone either. It can be helpful to also focus on things like social media, leveraging influential sites to send traffic to your website and even online PR efforts. These are all great ways in which you can grow.
Focusing on these other efforts can also counteract not ranking as high as you would like because by resonating with other audiences you are helping your search results improve over the long term.
Old Thinking: I hate Google!
New Mantra: If we want to Play in Google’s Sandbox, Let’s Make their Rules Work in our Favour
It can be easy to bash Google because they are favouring big businesses at the expense of small businesses. However, this thinking is unproductive, largely untrue, and isn’t going to help you reach your goals.
Google is a great search engine that cannot be ignored. They provide great results for every search and they are always trying to find ways to improve experiences, hence why people still use it.
If you want to get Google to work in your favour then the best thing you can do is play by their rules. Google focuses on listing sites that help readers the most and provide them with a great experience. So instead of focusing on some dodgy tactic or getting angry with Google, you are far better to focus on getting their rules to work in your favour.
For example, just take a look at why Google is so popular. They provide a great experience for users, hence why they have so much market share. So focus on the user experience, treat your customers well, and you’ll fare better than everyone else.
In Conclusion
SEO as an industry has changed. The role of SEO companies has changed and this means we need to change with it. Specifically, our thinking needs to reflect the changes that have taken place so we can better serve our customers, and stay on the good side of Google. By adopting these new mantras we will do much better as an industry and we’ll do more to help our customers.
How have these new mantras benefited you in your business?
Christian Michaels
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