Are You a Victim of Relentless Internet Scare Tactics?

Do you ever receive emails threatening that “Your Strategy is in Jeopardy!” “There is an issue with your website!” or “Your SEO is a Failure”? We tend to see a lot of these “sky is falling” emails whenever Google makes changes to their algorithm, so I wanted to share some of my knowledge and expertise in this arena.

Consider the Source

One of the first things I do when I receive one of these emails is visit the sender’s website – that is, if they include a link to their website. It still amazes me that 9 times out of 10 the author of a ‘sound the fire alarm’ email isn’t even following their own advice.

In fact, last week I received an email that warned of a “steep decline in traffic” unless immediate action was taken. This email suggested strategy changes/implementation for social media, website copy and link strategies. Upon receipt of this email, I took it upon myself to review the website of this ‘marketing specialist.’ Surprise, surprise I found that this Internet expert didn’t have any social media signals on their own website, they had no foundational (on-page) SEO, their content was dated….the list goes on and on. My assessment certainly raised some questions.

The Truth

The Internet is changing and it is moving quick. In fact, Google changes its search algorithm hundreds of times throughout the course of the year. Most of these changes are minor, but every few months Google rolls out a “major” algorithmic update that affects search results in significant ways. With all of these changes taking place, recommendations and suggestions can help you enhance and improve your SEM strategy.

Building a successful Internet strategy takes a lot of hard work and it doesn’t happen overnight. It is crucial that you trust your Internet marketing firm, read and review suggestions from credible sources, avoid shortcuts, and when it doubt, follow Google’s longest standing suggestion: build your website with your visitors in mind.