If SEO were dead, revenue from ads in Google search would not represent 98% of Google, Inc.’s annual revenue. That said, SEO has changed in that the visual aspect of social media and internet advertising has become the primary means of engagement with one’s audiences. So, search is text and social is visual, but no matter what any individual is searching for, the individual must type a word or words into a search box somewhere, and the search results must be pulled from somewhere. Therefore, SEO remains of primary importance. Your plan to win at SEO consists of three primary components:

☛ Time – no matter how great your website or your content, it takes time—sometimes up to a year even when done perfectly—to climb the rankings of the billions of web properties represented in any Google search result.

☛ Care – Google has rules, which are the guts of their search algorithm. In order to rank highly, you must follow Google’s rules such as mobile friendly, secure, fast, etc. Google is kind about showing you how to comply with their rules in Google Search Console. Implement and follow those rules religiously.

☛ Content – The highest ranking factor in Google’s search algorithm is, and always has been, content. Fresh, real, consistent, authentic content applied on a web property that is fully compliant with Google’s other rules will always win the day.