Today, almost all of us start our shopping experiences online, so it makes sense that businesses are concerned about SEO, ranking well, and being found by their prospects and customers.

But, for all the talk about what SEO is, it’s even more important to take a look at what SEO is not.

Good SEO is not an excuse for lousy websites and design.

Being found online is only one part of a much larger whole.

After all, SEO means nothing if your visitor gets to your website and is completely underwhelmed. If Google sends someone your way, Google wants to be sure that your visitors will find want they want on your site.

Good SEO comes from a quality website with exceptional design and exceptionally crafted content.

So, don’t get lazy. Step back and look at your website from your buyer’s perspective. Do they see a solution to their problem, or a print company with poor web design and irrelevant content?

Good SEO is not a quick fix where you can cheat your way to the top.

Like weight loss and get-rich-quick schemes, there is no magic pill or secret sauce that will make you instantly…well, anything.

In the SEO world, that means throw out the not-so-sneaky ideas of keyword stuffing, hiding keywords in the code or background, and realize you’d make a lousy criminal.

SEO will never “save” your company or make you an overnight success, so prepare yourself to dig in for the long game. Good SEO comes when you commit to doing the work.

Three things to remember: SEO is ongoing and always changing, give yourself at least six months to see results, and as with most things that require hard work and commitment, it will be well worth it.

Good SEO is not about quantity.

As much as you want to believe that SEO is all about rankings and traffic, remember that good SEO is not about quantity, it’s about quality.

Think of it this way: is your goal for increasing your SEO to brag to your printing friends that you’ve got a ton of website traffic?

Probably not. Why? Because who cares how many people visit your site. What you’re really aiming for is happy, highly-profitable customers.

Good SEO works when you keep the BUYING customers in mind. High rankings don’t mean you have a lot of traffic. High traffic doesn’t mean you have a lot of leads, and a lot of leads doesn’t mean you have a lot of QUALIFIED leads. Keep the real goal in your sites and don’t get discouraged by the numbers.

Good SEO is not about hiring a guru (ok… “consultant”).

You can save all of the money you would’ve spent on hiring an SEO consultant if you follow this one, simple piece of advice. Are you ready?

If you use your website to answer the questions your customers are searching for,
you’ll never have to worry about good SEO.

The truth is, when you educate your print buyers with quality content through blogs, knowledge centers, FAQs, etc., Google will point them your direction more and more frequently.

Also, keep in mind that it’s not all about Google. SEO has changed to integrate a lot more with social media, so make sure you’re thinking about your social media channels too when answering questions and educating your consumers.

Still to Come

A good SEO strategy comes down to having real online conversations with your customers through quality content. Stick with us over the next several weeks as we dive deeper into how to create content that ranks well, how to do SEO right, and how to make your social media work for you to increase your SEO.