Many business owners see SEO (that’s search engine optimisation if you need a reminder) as a ‘dark art’. With the rise in misleading agencies sporting unrealistic promises, it’s really no surprise it’s seen as confusing, likely leaving you wondering if SEO is even worth it.
As a multi-award winning SEO agency, our owner, Peter Curran, was asked to take the lid off the SEO box and share some home truths with the group at Queensland Leaders Gold Coast. These are some of his key notes and tips for business owners, demystifying SEO and sharing the truth about the magic behind search rankings and Google.
The Truth is, SEO Isn’t Magic, It’s a Strategy
The problem with SEO is that there are a lot of agencies and specialists who take advantage of business owners who may not understand the ins and outs of why it works. Because why should you if it’s not what you do? So, they make bold, misleading claims that sound great on paper, like “We’re going to get you on page one in 30 days,” but it doesn’t actually help you grow. Look quick results generally mean something shady is going on, unless you’ve already got a great organic presence. SEO is a long-term investment & certainly not a quick fix.
Now, this is where the trick is, because there’s a potential they WILL get you to page one in 30 days. What they’re not telling you is they’re finding 5, 10, 20+ keywords that no one else is targeting, so they are easy to get you to rank for, getting you to that top position. And that’s the trick. By targeting low-competition, low-traffic keywords they are technically fulfilling their promise to you, BUT these keywords do absolutely nothing for your business.
How to avoid the SEO scam:
Peter’s advice is simple:
- Ask what keywords are being targeted?
- How much search volume (AKA how many people are searching for those terms every month) do they have?
- How will those SEO efforts actually translate into actual business growth?
- What metrics are important to your business (we’re talking $$).
“If an SEO provider can’t explain what they’re doing and why, they’re probably not doing much.”
What does Google really want to see?
Google doesn’t care about your business or your digital marketing efforts. They care about their users, changing the ‘game’ overnight if they think it will benefit them. So, where does this leave them? Algorithm updates (you may hear them called core updates) are designed to favour high-quality content and genuine user experience over SEO tricks. This means for your website to rank, Google wants to see your EEAT, AKA your:
- Experience, making it very clear you have hands-on life experience with what you’re talking about. This is where social proof like case studies can come in handy.
- Expertise, showing you as the author have the skill to be sharing the information you are, such as having an about page with your qualifications, certificates, awards, etc.
- Authoritativeness, proving you are a trusted voice on this topic, such as being a government body, having trusted websites link back to yours, good reviews, social proof, case studies etc.
- Trustworthiness, showing Google and users they are safe with you, such as having an up-to-date HTTPS and SSL certificate on your site.
TIP: EEAT Google's Quality Guidelines
EEAT is Google’s framework they use in their Search Quality Raters Guidelines to assess content quality.
At this point, you might be a little overwhelmed with what to do and where to start. And that’s okay. This next part might help break it down a little more for you.
So, what SEO strategies actually work to Level Up Your Business?
SEO is not about tricks. It’s about trust. You have to earn Google’s trust over time. While some results might come quickly, it won’t always, and it could take weeks, even months to see results from initial SEO work. This is where having someone you can turn to and trust for advice will help immensely.
While SEO foundations remain the same, each campaign should be unique and a tailored strategy should be created to suit your business’s needs.
Some key strategies to focus on if you’re new to optimising your website include:
- Regularly updating or publishing new high-quality, valuable content, such as product/service pages, blogs, case studies and other useful information.
- Technical SEO, improving site speed, mobile usability, adding structured data and ensuring it’s easy to use your website.
- Building high-quality backlinks (links from other websites to your own) and brand trust, such as using digital PR.
“SEO is about building a smart, long-term strategy that helps people find real solutions to their searches. If your content is covering their search intent and providing real value, well that’s when you’ll see great wins with SEO. “
How to Avoid SEO Traps & Choose the Right SEO Agency to Help You
As the owner of an award-winning SEO agency, Peter often hears horror stories from businesses who have paid thousands, even tens of thousands, to an SEO agency who has sold them false promises. Some SEO red flags to be wary of include:
- Vague promises with no real answer to how a strategy benefits your business.
- No clear strategy or reporting.
- Lack of transparency in their methods, with a lot of ‘trust us, we’re the experts’.
Remember, SEO is a Long Game, Not a Quick Fix
SEO isn’t magic. It’s a strategic, consistent effort over time. Businesses that keep this in mind will see long-term sustainable results. Still not sure? Check out our range of SEO case studies and award-winning campaigns to see how your business could benefit from our Search Specialists help.
If you feel like you still have questions or have doubts about your SEO, please do not hesitate to get in touch for a free consultation with Peter.
