Yesterday we finished three weeks of our SEO experiment and after reviewing the counting stats and my own personal notes and take-aways from the week 3 I have the following to two words to share:
» Consistency
» Patience
In order to build an search engine optimized small business blog you need consistency and patience. The Murray Group‘s SEO campaign came out of the gate guns blazing (see the result from my week 1 post below). There have been significantly less fireworks the last two weeks as far as new leads.
If this is the first time you’ve heard about my SEO experiment below is the kickoff post and the first two weekly wrap-ups:
- How My Experiment in SEO Will Change the Game on Small Business Blogging
- Small Business SEO Experiment – Week 1
- Small Business SEO Experiment – Week 2
I don’t want anyone to get confused about the small business SEO experiment… What I’m doing on The Murray Group website is about getting my insurance business found online and converting those visitors into business leads.
Traffic is great but revenue is better… I hope you agree.
In all honesty Competitive Ryan is a little angry this morning. Going two full weeks without an inbound lead from our blog feels like an eternity. It takes time every day to produce these videos and that is time I could spend doing something else… But then Rational Ryan shoots Competitive Ryan an email and asks him if he wants to go for walk to the coffee shop and discuss the small business SEO experiment.
On that walk Rational Ryan explains to Competitive Ryan that success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time… effort… energy… consistency… and patience. Rational Ryan explains that Competitive Ryan that we’ve only been at this 21 days which means there are 79 more days before to go before there is anything to worry about… Competitive Ryan decides not to jump in front of that bus.
See it’s not like the Traffic numbers are bad…
The trend line is still pointed up. The total traffic number is higher than after week 1 and I considered week 1 a success. It’s crazy of me to think that after only 21 days The Murray Group blog would have traffic through the roof.
Patience…
Consistency…
See the number I’m most interested in, the SEO number, search traffic was actually very positive.
Looking at the search traffic number definitely calms Competitive Ryan down a bit. You have to give Google a chance to index your posts Ryan… Albany wasn’t built in a Day.
See the deal here people is that I want to have the BEST Independent Insurance Agency blog in the entire country. That’s what I want. That’s my goal… The Belle of the Ball… The’s Cat’s Meow… A Kick-Ass Revenue Producing Machine…
And that is the same thing you should want for you small business or your independent insurance agency or your online business. But again success doesn’t happen overnight.
Consistency…
Patience…
This blogging thing is not easy. What I want you to learn from this post (because it’s what I’ve learned this week) and from my experience with The Murray Group blog over the last three weeks is YOU CAN’T GIVE UP!
The stats aren’t always going to be what you want them to be. You’re going to get frustrated, you’re going to get annoyed, you’re going to wonder what the hell you are spending all this time writing for.
But then it’s going to happen. Google indexes the right long-tail SEO phrase and all the sudden new leads start pouring in. It might take you three weeks… It might take 3 months… It might take 3 years… But it’s going to happen if you have consistency and patience.
I believe that my strategy will work. I believe it as strongly as I believe in anything (Other than God, My Wife, My Family and the Buffalo Bills winning a Super Bowl in my lifetime). I believe my strategy can work for you and your small business as well.
But we have to keep our foot on the gas. That moment of hesitation… of indecision… of doubt. That is the moment we make excuses. That is the moment we give up. That is moment we fall back into old habits. That is the moment we fail.
Words I want you take with you this week:
“Every week can’t be the best online week of you life… But next week can.”
Thank you.
(update… Now See Completed Results!)
Ryan,
Awesome post and experiment. I love seeing the approach and the detailed results.
Tom Treanor wants you to check out… How to Implement a Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaign
Thanks Tom… It worked out well for our business and has made for great blog fodder!
HI Ryan;
Would love to see an update on how your experiment is doing!
Jonathan,
We’re one week away from being done with the 100 Days experiment… then we’re going to do a complete re-cap of the entire experiment.
Thanks!!
Ryan Hanley wants you to check out… Trust is a Gift
Can’t wait. I’m sure there be some good lessons in there.
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It took the SF Giants more than 50 years to win a Super Bowl…but man was it sweet when they did.
Great work (thanks for blazing a trail for those of us who, for various reasons, need it). I keep thinking about Darren Hardy’s “The Compound Effect” and that whole idea of taking seemingly small, yet consistent daily action steps that produce results over time (and normally more time thatn we hope.
The Compound Effect is the whole deal here. This entire effort is based on that principle. Now let’s hope it works! Thanks Brett!
Keep it up! Looking forward to more results.
Thanks Jason… I appreciate the support.
Love what you are doing Ryan. Keep it up. Big results are going to happen.
Thanks Brent… I can’t wait to see what you come up with Bro you’re right there with me.
I am like you Ryan, Instant gratification is what I sometimes call it. Slow and steady is a much better way to go at it. Good work and don’t give up!
Patience is a virtue I was not blessed with but as of Thursday I’m a quarter of the way through… Keep on keepin’ on…