Although recent changes to Google’s algorithm have been mostly well-received by searchers, they did come as an unwelcome surprise to some business owners and SEO consultants, who saw their websites go from “first to worst” overnight… and profits go right with them.
Many grumbled about the changes, swore off Google forever, and stopped putting any more time and effort into the affected websites. But is giving up the smart move in this situation?
That depends a bit on your business and market, of course. If your profits weren’t exactly stellar before, then rebuilding from the ground up might not make sense. But, for most business owners, search engine optimization isn’t an “all or nothing” proposition. In fact, there are some quick and easy steps you can take if your search rankings took a nosedive in 2012:
1. Keep what still works. Most sites that took a big search traffic hit this year suffered from low-quality linking strategies. You may still have other elements of your plan, like high-quality content pages or a strong domain name, that give you an advantage in the market.
2. Start digging out. The process of auditing a business website, removing bad links, and rebuilding pages tends to be a slow and tedious one. But, unless you’ve done something really bad to offend Google, the task ahead is a bit like shoveling snow from your driveway – just start with a piece that’s in front of you, and you’ll be finished sooner than you think.
3. Get traffic from other sources. E-mail lists, social media links, and pay-per-click ads are all great sources of quick traffic that can help make up for the loss of a prime search engine position.
Of course, the best thing you can do to restore a previously profitable website to the top of the search rankings is turn away from losing tactics and hire an expert team who knows how to help. Why not call or e-mail a member of our team today to set up a free consultation and see how we can revitalize your online marketing strategy?
