When new homeowners are building a house, they start with the foundations first before looking at extra features that add prestige and value, and this same principle applies to the field of SEO.

SEO campaigning cannot be achieved on a whim where decisions are made on the fly and results are earned instantaneously. SEO Shark offers quality digital marketing solutions including social media and PPC (pay per click) advertising.

Of course this strategy can be balanced with paid advertising, but why try and spread a message when consumers have no experience with the messenger?

Here we will outline some of the best preparation steps that optimisers can take before starting the project.

Run A Full Site SEO Audit

Before you can start to gain momentum with an SEO venture, a site owner needs to know what their current strengths and weaknesses are for their pages. This requires the use of Google’s free audit tool through Chrome, PageSpeed Insights or another program that can deliver a comprehensive report on the performance of the site. The report will offer detail on site visits, the duration of their stay, the demographics of the users, the loading speed and other vital data that can be gleaned for the operator. That will form the foundation for the planning that lies ahead.

Have an SEO Budget Planned

Running an SEO initiative can be incredibly cost effective if it is implemented right. Yet this is not a one-size-fits-all operation model as everyone from small corner stores to major conglomerates can be involved with the exercise. If there a modest budget of $5 a week or $5000, it is worthwhile scaling resources appropriately to manage funds and ensure that the business can take a sustainable approach to the project.

Know Your Consumer Profile Prior To SEO Launch

You have to do your research when it comes to making an impact with an SEO campaign. This will include finding out the following details about your consumers:

• Age

• Location

• Gender (majority)

• Interests and hobbies

• Occupation

Once this information is known to the brand, they can target these constituents with branding and messaging that will attract their interest and attention. Much of the heavy lifting is these types of preparation steps, laying the foundations before the optimisation processes are engaged.

Decide on Internal SEO vs. Outsourcing

There are two fundamental approaches that are involved with brands that want to leverage SEO – running the project internally or outsourcing it through a professional firm. The best tactic for operators who don’t have a grounding with this exercise is to begin with a modest outsourcing agreement that gets the ball rolling before learning the tricks of the trade and taking the reigns. Eventually those brands that don’t have an endless amount of resources will need to oversee their own optimisation project to ensure that intellectual property inside the business can be improved and to manage costs effectively.

Have a Short, Medium and Long-Term SEO Plan

There is little point engaging in an SEO campaign without working towards some key objectives. Is it to grow the consumer base by 10%? Is it to expand into a new market? Is it to sell a specific type of product or service? Is it to meet a new financial objective by end of financial year? Whatever the aims of the brand are, have them stated and clear so that all participants can channel and synchronise their efforts.

Be Prepared To Be Patient With SEO

The best step that anyone can take when engaging in digital optimisation is being ready to be patient. Even the first salvo that is utilised will take anywhere between 3-5 months to come to fruition, so individuals have to be ready for a marathon and not a sprint. So many brands and site owners falter because they cannot sustain the project as internal politics and external influences take control. Understand that this is the beginning of a practice that has to evolve and move with the times.