Part 1: Benefits | Part 2: Drawbacks | Part 3: Myths | Part 4: Ranking Factors | Part 5: Costs

We're the biggest supporters of Search Engine Optimisation, naturally! However, we wouldn't suggest that SEO is a faultless form of advertising.

As with any form of marketing, you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. SEO could potentially be beneficial for anyone, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to promote your organisation.

This section of the Ultimate SEO Guide takes a look at the main drawbacks.

Part 2: Drawbacks

Timing

By far the biggest drawback to Search Engine Optimisation is the amount of waiting before seeing results. Be under no illusion, you don't hand over your money and get results the next day. Instead, it can take months to get results. If you're going after No.1 position, the closer to this position, the harder it becomes. It can be relatively easy to skip up to the 1st page of search engine results, but getting into the, say, the top 5 is much harder. This is normally because these rivals have already invested in SEO. Websites beyond the 1st page maybe haven't even heard of SEO!

Patience is certainly a virtue when it comes to SEO. The key is to be kept in the loop by the company doing the work for your. In the initial months, any progress is good progress. Normally, after a few months, results start snowballing and suddenly it all comes together.

If you are seeking immediate results, you should probably consider Pay Per Click advertising instead.

Change

In order to be successful, your website may need to under go a thorough revamp, depending on it's current state. Your website will require content and code changes that may not bother you, but there may have to be some fundamental design changes in order to improve your rankings. Of course, if you need a website designer involved, this will incur further costs.

Updating your website before an SEO project is worthwhile. After all, why invest money on marketing when visitors might be put off by an out-of-date or inaccessible website?

Being Realistic

You may have to accept you can't be top for every keyword phrase under the sun! The more varied keyword phrases you want to show up for, the more you are diluting your efforts. It is best to concentrate on a few keyword phrases. You will be surprised just how much traffic you can receive from related, highly targeted keywords.

Success

Perversely, one problem with SEO is that it can sometimes be more successful than a company is prepared for. If you are looking for a ten fold increase in enquiries, have you planned how you will cope with them? Plan ahead, or risk harming your reputation.

Move on to 'Myths'