Naturally, optimizing your website for search engines is the top step a business can take to get new leads online. However, you must keep in mind that proper SEO is complex and requires professional management to be successful. Before you speak to a Toronto web design agency about SEO, here are some myths that you still may believe and why they’re wrong.

SEO should be cheap because it is easy

Proper SEO is a complex process that doesn’t just involve keywords. The major search engines focus on providing users with the best possible experience, so pages are ranked with that in mind. Although keywords are a part of rankings, everything from mobile responsiveness to the links in your website and the number of error pages is also considered. There are more than 200 factors a search engine considers when ranking your website, and simply adding some keywords isn’t enough.

The results from SEO are fast

There is no guaranteed timetable for results from good SEO to be noted. On average, websites that are currently ranked number one have been on the web for more than 2.5 years. SEO takes some time to implement and work. The search engines have to find your website once your entire SEO plan is in place, and that is a process in itself. Generally speaking, however, the more effort you put into SEO, the better results you will usually see over time.

SEO only needs to be done once

Like many factors in the web space, SEO is not a “one and done” act. With all the ranking factors involved and the constant shifts in Internet trends and developments, you will need to continually optimize your website going forward.

A word on blogging

Keep in mind that although effective, solid SEO is a practice that requires the services of professionals, you can do something right now to help your website in its organic search rankings, and that is blogging regularly. Regular blogging is recommended by digital marketers because it’s still one of the easiest and quickest ways to get some authoritative content up on your website. Websites that regularly post good, educational blog entries still tend to receive more traffic than those that do not, and they often get more leads as well.

Regular blogging can also allow you to interact more with your community members and prospects, since it’s a way to communicate and educate at the time same. While blogging can be time-consuming and even tough to stick to at first, the results are usually well worth it. Stick to topics that are relevant to your brand or its industry, and always have another person review a blog post before it’s posted.

If you haven’t done much about your website’s SEO lately – or ever – it’s never too late to start and give your brand a competitive advantage. Contact an experienced Toronto web design firm so you can get your website out to more of your target audience than ever before.