103: SEO: Maintaining Sanity and Motivation

Summary

In this episode, Meredith’s husband discusses how website owners can maintain their sanity while doing SEO by focusing on the right metrics. Instead of obsessing over fluctuating keyword rankings, he advises tracking impressions using Google Search Console. This approach helps build a solid foundation for long-term SEO success, much like constructing a "brick house" that stands the test of time.

Building a Brick House SEO Strategy: Focusing on Impressions, Not Rankings

SEO can be a frustrating and time-consuming process, especially when you're constantly checking keyword rankings and not seeing the immediate results you hope for. However, there’s a better way to approach SEO that can help you stay motivated and maintain your sanity. Much like building a sturdy brick house, a solid SEO strategy takes time and patience, and the key to long-term success is focusing on the right metrics—specifically, impressions.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss why focusing on impressions, rather than keyword rankings, can keep you on track and help you see real, lasting SEO progress.

Why Rankings Can Drive You Crazy

Many website owners make the mistake of focusing solely on keyword rankings to measure their SEO success. They use tools like SEMrush or manually search for their keywords on Google to see where their site appears. While this approach might seem logical, it can be misleading and frustrating. Keyword rankings can fluctuate wildly, especially if your site is not yet on the first page of Google. These fluctuations can make it seem like your SEO efforts are failing when, in fact, they may be working perfectly fine.

Imagine you're trying to build a house out of bricks, and after laying down just a few bricks, you step back to assess your progress. The house doesn't look like much yet, and it can be discouraging. SEO is much the same. It’s a gradual process that requires laying one "brick" at a time. If you focus on short-term results, like keyword rankings, you may lose motivation or change strategies too soon—potentially undoing all the good work you've done so far.

The Importance of Impressions

Instead of focusing on fluctuating keyword rankings, a more reliable metric to track is impressions. Impressions represent how often your website appears in Google’s search results for any keyword, regardless of where it ranks. By tracking impressions over time, you can see if Google is beginning to show your website more frequently to users, even if it’s not on page one yet.

Using Google Search Console, you can easily monitor your impressions and get a better sense of how well your site is performing in search. If your impressions are increasing, it’s a good sign that your SEO efforts are working and that Google is starting to favor your site more. Over time, these impressions will lead to higher rankings and more traffic, but it all starts with building a strong foundation.

Steps to Stay Sane and Focused

To help you stay motivated and maintain focus during your SEO journey, here are a few key tips:

• Track Impressions, Not Rankings: Use Google Search Console to monitor impressions, which are a more stable and meaningful metric than rankings.

• Be Patient: Building a solid SEO strategy is like constructing a brick house—it takes time and effort, but the results will last much longer than quick fixes.

• Focus on Long-Term Growth: Instead of obsessing over short-term rankings, aim for steady, consistent growth by producing high-quality content and improving user experience.

• Use Tools for Simplicity: If you find Google Search Console intimidating, consider using simplified tools like the Quick Start Dashboard, which pulls data from Search Console in a more user-friendly way.

Conclusion

SEO success doesn’t happen overnight. By focusing on impressions and building a strong foundation, you can avoid the frustration of fluctuating keyword rankings and ensure long-term growth for your website. Much like constructing a brick house, your efforts will pay off with a durable, lasting SEO presence.

Resources

For a simplified tool to monitor your impressions and keep track of SEO progress, check out the free Quick Start Dashboard mentioned by Meredith’s husband below.