What are the consequences when you stop doing SEO?
“How long will it take for my page to rank number 1, and how will ranking number 1 affect my website’s brand visibility?” These are two of the most common questions new business owners ask. But neither one of these questions has one truly simple response.
In most website owner’s minds, a successful SEO campaign means reaching the top organic spot. And once that number one spot is reached, most businesses start questioning whether SEO is a necessary expense to continue. They suppose that their website is now optimized and will continue ranking no matter what they do moving forward. When in reality, that is simply not the case.
Traffic and Rankings WILL be affected
So what exactly is the outcome if you stop SEO? Do your rankings drop right away? Does traffic to your website start to sink immediately? Well, the short answer would be no – but the long answer is way more complicated.
Although you may notice your rankings staying relatively steady and as a result, your traffic remaining the same during the first couple of months, this pattern is usually temporary. You might even see small amounts of growth depending on the SEO strategies your business was previously utilizing. Nevertheless, a decline in traffic and rankings become inevitable once you discontinue SEO efforts. It only takes a few months of no longer optimizing your website with new, well-formulated content, for your traffic to slip.
Remember, although this process might not appear at the same rate for every brand, it will still befall one way or another.
Example: Locally-focused brands might continue to see steady traffic for longer- lasting periods due to name recognition or the need for their services – On the other hand, non-locally focused business or retail brands will most absolutely notice the effects of stopping SEO way faster.
Stopping SEO – Why Does Traffic Drop?
At this point, you might be wondering why there is such a sharp drop once you stop SEO activities. And the answer is quite a simple one: your business will most likely stop ranking in the top search results. Sites that receive the highest amount of visibility are ranked in the top organic spots and in turn, top-ranked sites have the highest click-through rate. To some business owners, the distinction between ranking number 1 and number 3 may be insignificant, when in reality, this small change can have serious effects on your site’s traffic.
Rankings: Why Do They Decline?
Lack of Fresh & Relevant Content: Websites that are updated on a regular basis usually dominate organic rankings. The more you add new content, the more Google and other crawlers will return to your site to index that new content. Remember, “Content is King” so it’s no surprise that if you quit focusing on the quality of your content, your rankings will drop.
The Competition Never Stops: Search Engine Optimization is a worldwide practice that every thriving business invests in. Think about it, if your website dominates the SERP’s, then you should know your competitors are following close behind, watching your every move and strategy, and thinking of new and innovative strategies in order to outrank you. If you stop your SEO campaigns, you are giving the competition the chance to overtake you.
SEO is crucial if you are looking to be found by people searching online, and should be considered a top priority of your business’s marketing budget.
What is The Consequence?
SEO requires not only attention but constant work. When you slow down your SEO activities you will notice a significant drop in rankings, traffic and ultimately sales. SEO is crucial if you are looking to be found by people searching online, and should be considered a top priority of your business’s marketing budget. Keeping your site relevant and optimized doesn’t have to take up an extensive amount of time or cost a fortune if you consider that the ROI is almost always higher than any other equivalent marketing investment. So there’s really no excuse for stopping your SEO efforts and systematically fade away from search results unless you are considering closing down your business.
