SEO For Beginners: The Long Game Strategy

Why SEO is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Welcome back to the “What Is SEO? SEO for Beginners.” If you’re wondering how long it takes for SEO to show results, you’re in the right place. In our last video, we went over SEO factor number 10: Optimize for voice search, highlighting its growing importance.

But today, we’re wrapping it all up by focusing on playing the SEO long game.

Understanding the Time Investment in SEO

SEO is not something you can master or see results from overnight. Creating amazing content that is fully optimized for both search intent and user experience is only part of it. Obtaining backlinks to your site requires consistent and targeted efforts.

While this process demands time and dedication, the payoff is exponential. SEO stands out as one of the most effective methods to generate consistent, free organic traffic to your website.

Key Techniques for a Winning SEO Strategy

We’ve covered a number of SEO techniques you can start implementing right away.

1. Optimize for Search Intent

Search intent is what a user is looking for when they type a query into a search engine. Ensure your content matches the intent behind search queries to rank higher.

2. Obtain Backlinks

Backlinks are crucial for SEO. They act as votes of confidence in your website’s content and boost your credibility in the eyes of search engines.

3. Improve Page Speed

A fast-loading site not only enhances user experience but also ranks better on search engines. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you identify and fix issues.

4. Create a Great User Experience

User experience (UX) encompasses everything from easy navigation to high-quality content. A stellar UX keeps visitors longer on your site and reduces bounce rates.

5. Generate Fresh, Accurate, and Thorough Content

Content is king, but only if it’s up-to-date, reliable, and comprehensive. Make sure your content is consistently refreshed to stay relevant and helpful.

6. Build Authority in Your Niche

Being recognized as an authority in your industry improves your site’s trustworthiness and ranking. Publish insightful and authoritative content to build credibility.

7. Secure and Mobile-Friendly Website

Google prioritizes websites that are secure (HTTPS) and mobile-friendly. If your site isn’t both, you’re likely losing ranking points.

8. Use Structured Data

Structured data helps search engines understand your content better and provide richer search results for users.

9. Optimize for Voice Search

Voice search optimization is increasingly important as more users rely on voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. Tailor your content to meet this trend.

The Simplicity of Your SEO Goal

When boiled down, SEO is quite straightforward. Your ultimate goal is to deliver authoritative, trustworthy, and relevant content that searchers are seeking. Offer this on a secure, mobile-friendly, and fast website. Once you prioritize these elements, tasks like getting backlinks become much easier.

Embrace the Patience

The journey to achieve SEO success requires a consistent and steadfast approach. Immediate changes may not be apparent, but with persistence, tangible results will follow. Commit to playing the long SEO game and the traffic will come.

If you want to delve deeper into how SEO integrates with your broader digital marketing efforts, consider joining the Smart Arsenal community.

SEO is a Smart Marketing Move

But SEO is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to a smart marketing strategy. Let me ask you a question, Do you know how your marketing stacks up?

Find out by taking the SMART Marketing quiz. Get customized results on how to get smarter with your marketing – you’ll learn exactly what YOUR business should focus on, get customized recommendations on how to get the best bang for your marketing buck, and unleash your business’s true potential. It’s like having a personal marketing coach by your side!

And remember, you don’t need crazy tech skills, buckets of cash, or a dedicated staff to market your business. You don’t even need a lot of time.

What you need is to be smart, and SEO is smart for your business.

If you're ready to grow your business with smart marketing you can:

1. Sign up for weekly FREE Business Bytes with CEO, Torie Mathis

2. Get a SMART Funnel and begin to automate your marketing

3. Learn Digital Marketing with a Smart Marketing Course

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: TORIE MATHIS

Torie Mathis helps entrepreneurs grow their business with Smart Marketing.  She is a best-selling author, Army veteran, international speaker + trainer, and the CEO + Creative Director at Lake Shark Media. She also teaches entrepreneurs how to get smart with digital marketing at toriemathis.com