We never thought we’d be posting a blog about the promise of #1 Google rankings in 2020. It’s kind of like Vanilla Ice giving rap advice to Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole. You’d think consistent algorithm changes and years of agencies writing about black hat SEO tactics (and the associated penalties on companies trying to cheat the system) would have let people in on the secret: There’s no easy fix or “promise” of #1 Google rankings.
Yet, some sources are still dishing out advice on fast ways to rank number one that requires little work. Our little optimistic minds want to believe there’s no way marketers would fall for these. Unfortunately, we still hear a lot about nasty content tricks like copying, automating, article spinning, and baiting and switching. There’s even still word of link farming, guest post spamming, and a new approach targeting Google Ads known as “spamdexing.”
If there is one thing we know for sure about inbound strategies, particularly SEO, there’s not a marketing version of a “get rich quick” scheme. Instead, what you need to do is put in the hard work. When you approach SEO earnestly, it will pay off. If an agency is telling you something different, we advise you RUN away really, really fast – or suffer bad rankings on Google or worse. In fact, Google has made it clear for over ten years that sneaky tactics are not rewarded, and downright bad ones may result in a search penalty.
So, while we can’t promise #1 rankings on Google, we can advise on how to rank higher:
- Make sure your content matches your searchers’ intent
- Produce high-quality material that educates and engages with your audience
- Remove anything, like large images that may slow down your site
- Ensure you have well-written on-page SEO (meta, title, and alt tags)
- Build an internal and external link strategy (link to relevant pages on your website or third-party sites)
- Place appropriate keywords throughout your copy and URLs, but don’t keyword stuff
- Monitor your SEO rankings to optimize your tactics over time
Like anything else in the world that is worth doing and gets results, SEO and digital marketing takes time, dedication, and hard work. There are no shortcuts. No quick and cheap magic pixie dust will get you #1 rankings. If you don’t believe that and try “spamdexing” or something similar, your SEO and credibility will suffer.
Don’t give in to the hype if you come across a blog or organization that promises #1 rankings with no real work. If you want to get started with SEO the right way, reach out to Lynton today!
