This is one of our favorite myths because it’s not only incredibly widespread but also comes in a couple of different forms. On the one hand you have business owners – along with a handful of digital marketing “professionals” – who will tell you that search engine optimization (also known as SEO) is incredibly easy. And on the other hand there are plenty of others who will tell you that it’s virtually impossible to get traffic from Google.
Obviously, both camps can’t be right. And as it turns out, neither point of view is really all that accurate. In fact, both versions of this myth avoid a simpler truth that lies in the middle.
If this all seems confusing, then don’t worry too much about it. We’re going to explain everything you need to know in this article. Let’s jump in.
Why Search Engine Optimization Isn’t Easy
SEO is all about convincing Google and the other search engines that your site is the best one for visitors to come to. Because there are literally billions of pages on the internet, with millions more being added each day, it’s difficult to stand out. That’s particularly true when Google and the other engines are using automated bits of software (called robots and spiders) to catalog content on a rolling basis, comparing huge websites to local retailers and startups.
Despite this reality, there are some in the business community who are convinced that you can use hacks and gimmicks to game the system. To be fair, there were some SEO tricks that used to work reasonably well in the past. However, the programmers who work at Google and the other major tech companies are smart people. They haven’t just closed the loopholes in the system, but have begun actively punishing businesses trying to employ them.
So why does this version of the search engine optimization myth still persist? The short answer is that there are people who benefit from spreading it.
Some entrepreneurs like to brag. And so, they’ll talk about the magic SEO formulas they figured out in the same way that they lower their golf scores after the fact. Or, they may be under the mistaken impression that something that worked for them once is still effective. In that way they can pass on information that could hurt a growing company because they think it’s great advice.
Worse than that are the web designers and online marketing gurus who sell the digital equivalent of snake oil. They know their instant search engine tricks don’t work, but just don’t care. They are looking to sell clients and take deposits. If a business owner doesn’t get results, they can always claim they were the victims of an algorithm change or some other unexpected development.
If you meet someone who offers you something that sounds too good to be true, then you should be suspicious. That’s particularly true when you hear about companies selling search engine optimization consulting or services. You should do some research to find out what kinds of results they’ve actually been able to achieve for others, and whether those improvements have held over time.
Regardless of what some of your colleagues or would-be vendors will tell you, mastering SEO isn’t just a matter of changing a few things in your website or unlocking some hidden code. It takes a bit of work and effort… but not as much as some people will tell you.
Why SEO Isn’t Impossible, Either
And now we reach the other side of the coin. In the same way that some entrepreneurs will tell you that getting traffic from Google is like flipping a switch, there are others who will insist that you can’t get search engines to send traffic your way no matter what you do.
These folks usually fall into the “tried and failed” camp. They may have even fallen for one of the scams we’ve already mentioned, meaning that they haven’t ever even tried to get search traffic the right way once. Having seen their own dollars wasted, they are eager to stop you from attempting to succeed with search engines in the first place.
This version of the myth falls apart pretty quickly. After all, if SEO were impossible then there wouldn’t be companies (like Weblinx) that still get lots of clients from word-of-mouth advertising. Also, Google itself would be pretty useless if it wasn’t possible to add new websites to its catalog. It’s the most popular stopping point on the internet precisely because it helps searchers find exactly what they are looking for.
Some business owners will claim that search engines can be a valuable source of business, but only for huge companies. That’s not true, either, but at least there is a glimmer of reality here. Large organizations do have an advantage when it comes to SEO, but only because they devote time and resources to studying their markets and generating content (they face disadvantages, too, that we’ll get to in just a moment).
What’s important for now, though, is to recognize that making progress with search engine optimization certainly isn’t going to be an easy task that is mastered in one afternoon. But neither is it some unfathomable project that necessarily has to drag on for many years with no results. Even a solo entrepreneur can start getting results in a few weeks or months if they follow the right approach.
The Truth About Attracting Search Traffic
Now that we’ve covered the two sides of this myth about search engine optimization, let’s get back to the facts. Essentially, they boil down to a few details:
• First, that Google and the other search engines are in the business of matching humans to websites and information. That’s how they keep people coming back to their pages. If that didn’t happen then all the things they profit from (like advertising) wouldn’t be possible.
• In order to give good search results and keep users coming back, Google and the other engines prioritize information that is relevant, trustworthy, and current. Again, they do this because that’s what their users want, and without users they can’t generate revenue from advertising and other channels.
• What’s relevant can vary greatly by market, user, location, search history, and dozens of other factors. There isn’t one set of search results for everyone. It’s about what a given person will see when looking for a certain term or phrase on a given day. That can and will change in real time.
• And finally, putting all of this together, Google and the search engines don’t really have a preference for bigger websites. It’s just that the bigger players do a better job of optimizing their sites and content within certain markets.
This last detail is an important one. You probably aren’t going to the top of Google’s search listings, nationally, for “flatscreen TVs.” But you might have a very easy time beating out your competitors if you want to dominate searches for “Aurora’s best doughnut shop.” If you think about the differing scale of those two challenges, you’ll quickly understand why some business owners think that search engine optimization is simple while others consider it to be impossible.
How Small Businesses Can Succeed With SEO
Winning at SEO is a huge topic, and one that goes a bit beyond the scope of these articles. That being said, there are some quick tips and strategies you can follow that will certainly point you in the right direction.
The first is to realize that your website and hosting plan are incredibly important. Without the right foundation – a fast, functional, and informative web presence – you will be ignored by search engines and customers alike.
The next thing you have to know is that great SEO is all about planning. The more you know about your market, the easier it is to target buyers with the right search terms. Then, once you know what they are looking for, you can start to generate content that pulls your desired audience toward your website.
As with most things in digital marketing, it can take a few months of consistent effort before Google and the other search engines will notice you. However, if you follow a smart and focused path, you’ll start to see fairly quick and consistent results. Then you can branch out into bigger search audiences or continue to dominate a narrow niche.
Remember that finding success in search engine optimization isn’t just about drawing eyeballs to your website. You’ll also need to have some strategy to convert them into real-life customers or clients. This goes back to the business plan we mentioned in earlier articles. How do you intend to use your website to grow your business? Your SEO campaign should fit in as part of that bigger goal.
In the end, search engine optimization isn’t easy or impossible. It’s just a project that requires some knowledge, planning, and consistent execution. When someone tells you they mastered it overnight or couldn’t make it work, they are simply expressing that they fell short in one of these areas.
You can do better with your business. And then you’ll be in a position to tell people the truth about bringing in business from Google.