Playing With Fire: Canceling SEO Services While at the Top
We’ve seen it many times. A client’s site soars to the top of search engine rankings during the minimum term of a project, then they cancel services. Once you’re ranked #1 for lucrative terms, it’s tempting to “coast” or to have employees try to maintain search engine optimization (SEO). Unfortunately, a lack of knowledge and poor strategy typically lead them right back to square one. Stopping services if your SEO company delivers poor results is understandable, but canceling while you’re on the rise can be a big mistake. Here’s a closer look at why it’s a bad idea to approach SEO with the mentality that once you’re a winner, the race is over.
The First Month Seems Fine, but Then…
If your SEO team has put a lot of effort into your rankings, your results should be stable (and could even rise) in the first month after you stop services. Your rankings are probably the result of months of strategic and consistent on-site and off-site optimization. Without expertise, businesses tend to ignore analytics and rankings. They focus on operations. Larger, well-known brands may be able to rest on their laurels for a while because they’ve built so much clout with Google. The average local business doesn’t have that luxury and will usually suffer a rankings drop without continued optimization tasks. But why?
Algorithm Changes Continue
Like time, Google updates wait for no one. As algorithm updates are rolled out, serious changes happen to website rankings. Recent algorithm updates like BERT and Panda have had massive impacts on which sites rank well in Google. Experienced SEO companies monitor and anticipate industry changes and adjust your strategy accordingly. Without that expertise, major algorithm changes go unnoticed—and rankings may tank. You may have a big problem on your hands, but may have no idea how to fix it.
Content Grows Stagnant
We aren’t just talking about blogs, here. The content on your site pages constantly needs to be optimized in order to keep up with algorithm changes and shifts in keyword importance for your industry. When you let your content go stale or continue to rely on the keywords that worked for your older strategy, you’ve essentially hit the brakes on improving your site rankings. As you stop improving and creating quality content, Google will see your site as outdated and less useful to searchers, and will no longer provide your site as a top resource for relevant search terms.
Your Competition is Still Chugging Forward
While you drop SEO services and get comfortable, your competitors keep working and will pass you by. Search engine optimization is a well-known marketing strategy. You can bet that your top competitors have an SEO team working to increase their visibility in search. Without continuous updates, be prepared to be placed on the backburner by Google and your target audience.
It’s Hard to Pick Up the Pieces
Canceling SEO services is like quitting the gym when you’ve hit your goal weight. You won’t notice much of a difference the first few days, but as time wears on, bad habits return and you’ll end up off page one where you started. Unfortunately, websites don’t just “stay great” without attention to SEO. The good news is that your brand can still get back on top, although it may require some time to grind back up the ranking hill.
Confidently Keep Your SEO in Shape with Dallas SEO Dogs
If you’ve recently left an SEO company or are ready to jump into the landscape and work your way up to page one on search results, Dallas SEO Dogs would love to help. We’ve managed successful projects in every industry and have the expertise and tools to do the same for you! Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
