SEO vs. SEM Timelines: A Medical Analogy
Marketing directors and search engine optimization (SEO) consultants are often questioned by their bosses and clients about the progress of their SEO campaigns. Most business owners don't understand how SEO works and, quite frankly, could care less.
Nonetheless, they know it's important and just want to see results. Unless you're ingrained into an industry or market, it's tough to comprehend how effective certain strategies are and when those results can realistically be expected.
As an SEO consultant, you might have been posed with questions similar to one of these:
Now that we turned on the SEO, we should be on the first page, right?
Or:
If I pay you overtime, can you work on my SEO over the weekend so we can rank by Monday?
So how do you explain to your boss or client how SEO works and when to expect results? My office uses doctors and medication as an analogy and it seems to get the message across.
SEO is a long-term tactic that requires a solid foundation and consistency over time. When you get sick or have an infection, antibiotics aren't going to provide instant relief. As you begin to take the antibiotics, it may seem as if nothing is happening, but you must believe in what the doctor suggests and take the medication as prescribed.
The doctor might ask you to follow up in a week or so to see if anything has changed (reviewing ranking reports). It is common to find out that nothing has changed and a new medication needs to be prescribed. Doctors and SEO experts don't have exact answers and must test different strategies to see what works and make adjustments when necessary.
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SEO vs. SEM Timelines: A Medical Analogy