Your SEO Journey Might Be Long, But It’s Worth It
You’ve probably seen or at least heard of the epic books and movie series, The Lord of the Rings. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins goes on an epic quest to destroy the One Ring and end evil in Middle Earth by defeating Sauron. As Frodo leaves the Shire (his home) and sets out for Mt. Doom (where he must destroy the ring), he had no idea of exactly what the journey was that he was truly getting into. Frodo and the Fellowship didn’t know exactly how long the journey would be or the challenges and obstacles in the path that lay ahead.
When you start optimizing your website for search engines, you might find yourself relating to Frodo and his quest more than you think. You’ll set off with nothing but the best of intentions. You’ve for sure heard that SEO can help your website rank higher on Google searches. I’m sure you’ve been told that SEO is one of the best ways to attract new leads and customers. What you might not have heard, however, is that SEO is a long journey. It is not a quick sprint. It is not a weekend warriors project. It is a long journey, requiring a strategic path, patients, and consistency. Just like Frodo’s journey, it is absolutely worth it.
The Fellowship of SEO
Before beginning on his epic journey to Mordo and destroying the ring, The Fellowship of the Ring is first established. The Fellowship is the team of 9 who are tasked with seeing to the destruction of the ring. A team to help Frodo carry the ring and keep him safe. Your SEO journey will have a sort of fellowship as well, though it won’t be elves, ax swinging dwarves, or wizards, it will provide aid on the journey.
- Keyword Research: The roadmap for where you’re going.
- Content Creation: The voice that guides and informs along the way.
- On-Page Optimization: Making sure every page is aligned with best practices.
- Technical SEO: Fixing the behind-the-scenes structure of your site.
- Link Building: Building authority and trust through quality connections.
These key activities work together to support your SEO efforts. Even with all the right SEO activities in place, the results don’t happen overnight. That’s where many small business owners can start to feel discouraged and lose focus.
It’s a Long Road to Mordor
There are many key phrases in SEO, one that could almost be a motto would be “Patience is key.” Real, lasting, profitable SEO results take time – months, even years sometimes. That might sound discouraging at first glance, but it’s actually a good thing. The slow and steady approach is what leads to the sustainable and long-term growth businesses are after.
Think about Frodo’s journey again. There was no quick way to get to Mount Doom in Mordor and complete the task of destroying the ring. He had to walk and walk and walk and climb and climb and climb. Along the journey Frodo faced countless setbacks, detours, and moments of absolute doubt. The same thing can happen with your website’s SEO. Your site might rank high one week and slip the next. A competitor can suddenly show up and take a higher ranking than you. Google can roll out new updates to the algorithm that force a chance. All these things are perfectly normal in an SEO journey. SEO is not a static target, it’s not a “one-time fix” type of problem. It’s an ongoing, always evolving process that rewards only those who stay true to the path.
Over time, the consistent efforts you put into SEO start to add up. Your site becomes more reputable and authoritative in the eyes of Google. And then the higher rankings can begin. You’ll attract better traffic and users and leads – month after month. And if your website is well designed, that turns into more leads, more sales, more success.
Small Wins Along the Way
Frogo’s number one goal was to destroy the ring of power. Even though he had that one big and lofty goal, he still had several small victories along that way. Those small victories kept him going. Doing things like fleeing the Nazgûl, getting out the Mines of Moria, getting support he needed in Lothlórien. Each step forward was a step towards the goal.
Your SEO journey will have those moments as well. Your blog post or landing page might move up from ranking on page five to ranking on page three. Maybe a few new backlinks boost your domain name authority from 7 to 8. Maybe a few sales come in through a low-volume keyword. Those little wins are all worth celebrating. In the journey of SEO, there will need to be many more of those little victories in order to achieve your biggest goal. Those little victories and successes are all signs that your website and SEO journey are moving in the right direction.
Destroying the Ring is Worth It
Although presented with many opportunities to do so, Frodo didn’t give up on his journey. Even when things got hard and victory seemed like such a distant possibility, he pressed on. You’ll want the same resolve on your SEO journey. The journey might be an uphill climb, but it will lead to real, lasting results that can transform your business’s future. You don’t have to complete the journey all at once, nor should you. You don’t even have to have the path all figured out. You simply need to start and keep going.
So whether you’re still in the Shire of your SEO journey or you’re in the Misty Mountains, or even at the gates of Mordor, keep up with your SEO strategies and activities. Because even the smallest of websites can change the course of the future.
