Where should I start with SEO?

by pittfall on December 22, 2011

Seemingly, one of the simplest questions to ask and one of the most difficult questions to answer when deciding to optimize a website for organic performance, however, it can directly influence the impact of your efforts. Because much of the tactics are inter-related, some may not even be necessary and all are limited in how much of an effect they can provide, it is important for you as a marketer to understand your website and what things you should, shouldn’t, can and can’t do to positively influence your organic rankings.

The larger your website or more complex, the more challenging it can be to answer this question with certainty. I am not going to sit here at my laptop and think that I have the answers for your particular website or vertical, rather, I want to share some insights that I have gleaned over the years that can help you decide where to start eating the SEO elephant without getting bored or getting into it without having any idea where you are and how you got there.

Really, if you want to go somewhere, you will need some way of conveyance, you can walk, run, bike, swim, drive, fly, row… whatever. But where are you? Where do you really want to be? What is between where you are and where you think you need to be? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, you will have a difficult time getting to where you want to be going, right? It is no different when it comes to SEO, it is a constant journey, and the ground is moving continually. So, are you making up ground or simply continuing to fall further behind?

OK, Steve, get beyond the analogies and let’s get down to business.

Alright, you are ready to get moving, but before we get going, let’s find out what we have and if there is anything that we will need to get along the way. So, the easiest way that I know to remember things, is to not have to, I write them down so I can go back to them to update or remember, so what should we need to have on our list?

This piece will be a journey of sorts as well, we will be going through a number of things that are important to consider, understand and measure if we are going to be successful online. Not all are exclusive to SEO, but all are important and impactful to your growth and success in organic search.

Make a list – What’s in Your SEO Portfolio
Rules of the road – Who Will You Meet along the Way
Smarter not harder – What Do I Need to be Competitive Organically
I would walk 500 miles – How to Start on Your Journey
Are we there yet – How to Measure Your Progress
The road less traveled – Why Some Tactics are not Worth the Risk
Steady as she goes – How to Set Goals for Continual Success

In the next installment, we will look at the first step that you will need to do before departing on your SEO journey to the top of the rankings.

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Tagged as: marketing, serps, strategy, whitehat

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