In knowing and understanding these 5 "little known" Keys could lie the answer to succeed in your online business.
1. Patience
Unlike PPC and SEM where the results are quickly visible, SEO is known to take a long time before you can see any tangible results. We are talking about 4 to 6 months of consistent SEO effort, so "patience" is one of the qualities you must have for long term success of your online business.
I have seen too many SEO strategies fail simply because the SEO client got frustrated with the process, and deciding to do something about it spoke to another SEO expert who guaranteed results quickly. A new SEO expert wants to promote their own strategies, and typically downplays the efforts of the past SEO to buy extra time.
Do not waste your time starting from scratch, choose the right SEO strategy, and stick with it!
For those in haste to see results or increase sales, please use PPC and other paid forms of advertising. SEO is by no means for the impiated hearted.
While the results of the PPC and SEM campaigns typically dwindles down as quickly as the campaign reaches its end, the results of proper SEO optimization and natural link building can be seen for a long time even after you have stopped the SEO activity.
Of course that does not aggravate the PPC campaign or the SEO campaign needs to be stopped, as we know that "consistency" is the next key to higher search rankings.
2. Consistency
What is consistency? Consistency simply means to take an activity of value, and repeat it again and again at specified time intervals. The reason consistency is so important for SEO is that both the users and search engines now know what to expect from you, and when they can expect it. But keep in mind that once you build expectations, its best you stick with it.
I advise a weekly SEO strategy that forms the heart of the SEO campaign. So each week you can create exciting content, syndicate that content, and then promote that content across relevant web, user and social communities. Compliment this with a relevant link building activity each month and you have a great SEO strategy that focuses on creating valuable content, and making that content visible.
If this seems like hard work, it is. If creating content is not a task that you wish to undertake, or outsource, then I advise not to focus on SEO only, but on other forms of online marketing as well. But if your intention is on creating value, then content is the way to go.
There will be times when you feel like giving up, or postponing it to another day. Do not, for we know now that "persistence" is the next key to online business success.
3. Persistence
We have been patient, and consistent in our efforts, yet sometimes the results we seek just evade us. Keep in mind search ranking is not a cause and effect, but rather a correlation of many parameters, so predicting search ranking behavior is probably impossible, even for the search engines themselves.
This brings us to our next key "persistence". Do not give up! If you have been creating value consistently, then the results you seek are not far off. Even though search ranking behavior can not be predicted, by creating value and being persistent, you will achieve your online goals.
If you are still not getting the results you seek, then sometimes you need to look (re-evaluate) at your content for "creativity".
4. Creativity
We are all part of a larger creative force. Sometimes that's why we feel inspired by anything creative. While creating content for mortgage breaking is more boring than creating content for an entertainment website, all the same, the principle of creativity applies.
Who says an article about mortgage breaking needs to be boring? Do not think like a dinosaur, we all know what happened to them?
Look around on Twitter, Social sites, YouTube, YahooBuzz etc. The stories that make headlines (voted by users) are the stories that are unique, have an interesting twist, or just presented in a creative way, and not necessarily the largest story or best writing.
So what makes creativity tick? It's "passion" that's the next key to everlasting online success.
5. Passion
While its creativity that drives your online business and search rankings, its "passion" that will fuel your efforts to leave behind a lasting legacy. No matter what business you are in, if you do not find the passion in doing it every single day, you will ever fail.
They say that "hell" is our own making. Knowing and understanding the 5 "little known" keys will pave the way to online success.
If you can not find the "passion" in your existing business, then maybe you need to look within for your reasons to pursue this business. If you have found your passion, then finding an SEO expert who is as passionate about SEO will act as the catalyst to success for your online business.
