One of the biggest misconceptions I see with organic SEO is the notion that it can be turned on and off like paid search. It’s common to see doctors creating and posting content, then letting the website sit without updates for months, only to come back and post again, expecting the SEO results just to happen.
Sorry to say, but that’s not how it works. In fact, that’s an exact recipe for a disastrous online marketing strategy.
Organic SEO Requires Consistent Effort
If you want to rank well when patients search for your specialty, then it’s mission-critical to stay consistent in creating content. Creating content is the “blocking and tackling” of SEO. You simply can’t win without doing it.
This is really where the danger lies in thinking of organic SEO as something that can be turned on or off.
Once rankings are lost because of inactivity, you’re basically starting the entire ramp-up period all over. And, if someone else has gained in the rankings and is remaining consistent, then it’s going to be very challenging to overtake them.
Organic SEO Takes Time
Adopting an SEO strategy is really about playing the long game. I always tell the physicians I work with directly that organic SEO will likely take 3-6 months to start to develop. The good news is that once you’re established, you have the opportunity to begin then ranking and dominating the results for a long time if you keep at it.
Winning Is a Habit
Growing up, I was always taught that winning is a habit, not something that just sometimes happens.
In order to win with organic SEO, it’s critical to maintain the activities that enable you to succeed.