Patience as a virtue?

March 22nd, 2006

One of the most frustrating things for SEO clients must be the apparent long delay in seeing results from their investment in search engine optimization. It is a widely accepted belief that Google (which makes up over 80% of searches performed daily) employs an aging filter or ‘Sandbox’ that suppresses new sites search rankings for the first months of a site’s existence. So how, as marketing consultants, do we deliver results on our clients investment in these first 3-8 months? The answer in part is paid clicks in the form of Google Adwords, which can deliver instant results whilst we optimize the site and build links. Over time, our optimization techniques will increase organic (non paid) visits to the clients site, and we can draw back on paid listings as this transition occurs.

The important thing, as ever, is to build trust with our clients in our ability to drive traffic and sales with our marketing, especially when the results are not immediate. I think we do this well by being honest and open with our clients, and not making promises we cannot deliver.