How Complacency Could be Killing Your SEO

When it comes to getting SEO right for any business, it’s all about striking the perfect balance without going too OTT. Too much of a good thing will bring you little to no joy whatsoever, but right at the opposite end of the scale there’s an attitude that can be even more hazardous – complacency.This applies to those that outsource SEO just as it does to those that are actually implementing the process themselves – complacency can be a real killer. Of course, it’s easy to understand how and why so many end up sitting back and hoping for the world to fall right into their laps – especially if and when their campaign gets off to a strong start. The traffic is coming in, visitors are being converted and all seems to be heading in the right direction, so why fix what isn’t broken, right?    Wrong – take a backseat and you stand to lose out in so many areas.Content FreshnessAs far as that actual content of your website goes, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that this is not only what converts your readers or otherwise, but also what Google and friends judge you and award your ranking position by. The only content seen as valuable by either party is the one that’s fresh and relevant to the industry/niche as it stands today. By contrast, show yourself to be rooted in the past with dated content and you’ll lose a great deal of respect from both.Missed OpportunitiesThe only way any business can know what is and isn’t working across their site is to carry out frequent, ideally constant analytical research. It’s never been easier to see what’s going on in real-time and make adjustments as and when necessary. This means not only tackling problems when it’s apparent things aren’t going to plan, but also isolating exactly what is working in your overall SEO/marketing strategy and doing more of it.Backlink AuthorityYour backlinks are only as valuable as the sites and sources you put them on. So, are you 100% sure that all of the sources where your links are placed are of high value, or could it be that several have slid? Worse still, could the site have been penalized and is now dragging you down with it? Unless you carry out regular link audits to find out, there’s no way of knowing.Keyword ValueAnd the same also applies to keywords – have you checked whether or not the keywords you count on are actually of any value anymore? If not, you’ll never know.Out of TouchAnd finally, to sit back and leave things to their own devices means to end up completely out of touch with your niche and your target audience. In order to remain a source of authority, respect and trust, you need to make sure your voice is heard on a regular or ideally constant basis. This means blogging, social media participation, guest posting and so on – all of which are worth their weight in gold.