Gain an understanding of what happens to your local visibility over time when you stop your SEO campaign.
Real Life Example
Month Before SEO Cancellation - 100% Market Share! Not a SINGLE company was ranking ahead of this company.
3 Months After Cancellation: Dropped to 60% market share. TWO companies passed this company in visibility.
6 Months After Cancellation: Dropped to just 20% market share. 7 companies are now ranking ahead/more visible than this company.
It's important to understand the potential consequences of halting your SEO efforts. While it might seem tempting to take a break from SEO, it's essential to be aware of the potential impacts on your local rankings.
1) Short-term Maintenance: When you stop actively engaging in SEO efforts, your local rankings might not immediately plummet. In fact, for a few months, there's a chance that your business will maintain its current rankings. This is because Google doesn't instantly penalize businesses for taking a break from SEO activities. However, this period of stability is temporary.
2) Shifting Priorities and Consistent Growth: Around a few months after discontinuing your SEO efforts, you might begin to notice a change in your rankings. Google's algorithms are designed to prioritize businesses that demonstrate consistent growth and engagement. This means that companies that continue to invest in SEO and produce valuable, relevant content are more likely to move up in the rankings. As a result, businesses that have paused their SEO activities might start to lose ground to their competitors who are actively engaging in SEO.
3) Risk of Lost Rankings: After four or five months without SEO activities, the potential consequences become more pronounced. The rankings you had gained previously could start to erode. Search engines might perceive your website as less relevant or up-to-date, leading to a drop in rankings. The loss of hard-earned visibility can be challenging to regain, and it might require more effort to reclaim lost positions than it would have taken to maintain them in the first place.
Conclusion: While your local rankings may not experience an immediate decline when you stop SEO, it's important to recognize the longer-term implications. Google and other search engines are designed to favor businesses that demonstrate consistent growth and engagement through ongoing SEO efforts. A few months of inactivity could result in a shifting of priorities, potentially leading to a loss of hard-won rankings. To maintain your local online presence and visibility, it's advisable to continue investing in consistent SEO activities.