SEO Has Grown Up, But Many SEOs Haven’t

In the world of SEO, there’s an important truth we need to recognize: while our industry has grown and matured, many of us haven’t kept up. This gap can create real challenges as we try to build strong brands and genuinely serve our users.

Reflecting on Our Growth

Think back to your childhood. Remember wanting to sit at the adults’ table but often being held back by childish behavior? Similarly, in SEO, many of us act immaturely when we should be stepping up and taking responsibility.

Sometimes, we pretend to know more than we really do or avoid addressing important issues, thinking Google won’t notice. Others even buy links that don’t add much real value. This isn’t the right way to go.

Changing Our Mindset

Instead of acting like experts, we should focus on showing our real skills. It’s time to create content that isn’t just good but truly helpful—content that people want to link to and share.

To mature as an industry, we must honestly look at our practices and commit to improving them. Here are some simple strategies to tackle this maturity crisis:

Embrace Change

Change is a natural part of life and important for growth. As SEOs, we need to see changes in our field as chances to improve, not as threats. Whether it’s outdated tactics or new technologies like AI, we must be ready to adapt.

For example, many of us mix up crawl budget issues with indexing problems. In reality, getting indexed is getting harder. According to a 2023 report by SEMrush, only about 53% of pages are indexed by Google, showing how competitive the landscape is and how quality content needs to rise above the noise.

Moreover, Google’s recent focus on e-commerce search results is crucial. Many shoppers now prefer Amazon over Google. Research from Statista shows that 60% of consumers choose Amazon for product searches. This means we need to change our strategies to stay competitive. Google has started showing product grids in search results, so if your site isn’t appearing while your competitors are, it’s time to rethink your approach.

See Challenges as Opportunities

Life often brings us challenges, but each problem can also be a chance for growth. If your e-commerce store lacks authority, don’t let that bring you down. Instead, turn that challenge into an opportunity to improve.

One idea is to create helpful content that fills gaps others might miss. If you see a rise in searches for a specific product, act on it by pitching related articles to news outlets. According to Ahrefs, sites that earn backlinks from reliable sources can see up to a 55% increase in organic traffic. This builds your authority and can lead to more backlinks and traffic.

Stick to the Basics

While adapting to change is important, we shouldn’t forget the basics that remain essential in SEO. Google will always prioritize user satisfaction. This means we need to produce “the best” content, not just “good” content.

Following Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines (SQRG) helps us understand their expectations. These guidelines stress quality and originality and highlight the importance of author pages when needed. A 2021 survey by Moz revealed that 75% of SEO experts agree that content quality is the most important ranking factor.

Avoid Cheating the System

In our hurry for quick results, many of us might take shortcuts that can backfire. This includes buying links, using spammy affiliate links, or relying on low-quality automated content. Such tactics can hurt our reputation and long-term success.

Instead, we should focus on building real authority and trust. This means creating content that truly helps people and engaging sincerely with our audience. A study from the Search Engine Journal found that websites using ethical SEO practices are more likely to avoid penalties and maintain their rankings.

When we stop blaming others for our setbacks and take responsibility, we open the door to lasting growth.

Preparing for the Future

SEO is always changing, and staying ahead is vital. Google’s algorithms are becoming more complex, with new updates coming out all the time. To prepare, we should focus on logical and repeatable strategies.

Investing time in understanding the SQRG and creating high-quality, original content will always pay off. Instead of chasing trends just for the sake of it, let’s focus on delivering real value that users appreciate.

Final Thoughts

It’s time for us to grow up in the SEO industry. We need to embrace change, focus on what truly matters, and move away from shortcuts. By creating valuable content and building authentic relationships, we can overcome the maturity crisis and lay the groundwork for a successful future.