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SEO is A Lot Like Going to the Gym

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Personal SEO - Website SEO and Real Estate Marketing

One trip to the gym will not put you in shape nor will you lose weight. We all know this. So why do we expect the same results from other things in our life? My husband Tim and I have been marriage coaches in our community for several years and we often relate working on your marriage to working out at the gym.

 

To build a different life or to change something it has to be a consistent and continuous effort. To change old or bad habits we have to implement new habits and then stay consistent so that they actually do become a habit. The same goes for marriage, working out or losing weight; the more we stick to a plan even if we mess up from time to time, the better the overall result will be the longer you go.

 

SEO Should be Natural

 

The same is true for SEO. It is not a once and done, quick fix maneuver that will solve all of your problems and get you on the first page of Google within a week or two. I remember doing a blog post a couple of years ago about a client that put over $1000 a month into Facebook ads plus article writing, and hit it right out of the gate as fast as he could go, but because he didn't get as many clients as he thought within six months, he frazzled out, quit everything, and when into a different line of work. He did not put the consistent and long-term time into the job in order to get the reward.

 

You may have heard the term "good things come to those who wait" but I prefer the term "good things come to those who work their butts off and never give up." The beginning is always the hardest. Anything you work hard at will reward you and it's the things we work hard is for that will reward us the most.SEO is a lot like going to the gym

 

This couldn't be more true for online marketing. Remember, whether you started 10 years ago or last week, if you were consistently at it, don't drop the ball, try not to let your actual day job get in the way too much of ongoing marketing. You will reap the benefits even though it does take time.

 

New to SEO?

 

For brand-new websites and those that just don't have a lot of online presence yet we always recommend pay-per-click marketing. This can get you into the market quickly, get you on the first page, and let the PPC system run the marathon for you while you are gearing up and exercising for the next sprint. Once you have a good basis of business from your PPC campaign, then you can start to back off a little bit and put money towards Facebook promotions, content marketing, and start building backlinks from guest posts, high domain and page authority places, social media postings, boosted and promoted posts across the inter-webs.

 

What about Black Hat?

 

Is it hard? Yes. Will it pay off? Eventually. Are there any shortcuts?… I'm going to say yes but they're not always a good thing. You can shortcut a lot of SEO work but it may not give you the reward you're looking for. A lot of black hat SEO can get you banned or penalized from Google and coming back from that can take a while.

 

So what should you not do?

  • Spam everyone you know five times a day.
  • Buy backlinks unless you are purchasing local citations or a one and done from a high domain authority website such as a press release or newspaper article.
  • Post 30 times one week and then nothing for 2 to 3 weeks.
  • Give up too soon.

 

Stick with it. Search engine optimization and online marketing is not easy, especially with the millions of competitors out there. There will always be someone that will spend more than you, work harder than you, and do more than you but there will also be thousands that do a lot less. Find your groove, get yourself into a habit, and find what works for you and then work it consistently. 

 

More for the SEO-minded:

 

10 things to know before designing or redesigning your website
Do you want an SEO'd website or a pretty one?
Are you too busy to blog?
Can you really do your own SEO?
What do Yoda and real estate agents have in common?
Google wants content, but people get bored
Ranking Means Nothing If Your Conversion Rate Is Low
The hidden cost of getting and keeping a WordPress site

Posted by

Personal SEO Tim and Tammy Emineth

Personal SEO Facebook Page Personal SEO Instagram Page Tammy Emineth Pinterest Page Personal SEO Linkedin Page Linkedin Page

 

Tim and Tammy Emineth have owned Personal SEO since 2004. We focus on SEO first whether it's blogging, images, website design, IDX solutions and calls to action. We operate with a Storybrand philosophy to encourage more traffic to your site, more eyes on your content and more leads to your business. Call us or email us for a free website audit.

Tim: 425-443-8372  Tammy: 425-344-0677

Comments (13)

Laura Filip
Laura Filip Broker , Opening doors for All Seasons of Life - Whitesboro, TX
What can we do for you today?

Thank you for sharing this information, Agreed one must keep on with what needs to be done. Not always easy but sometimes worth the effort. 

Nov 20, 2019 01:32 PM
Tammy Emineth

Should be well worth it. I feel this is something that gives you what you put into it. Like the gym. :)

Nov 20, 2019 01:33 PM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Good evening Tammy Emineth - black hat is certainly very risky!  It's not nice to fool Mother Google!

Nov 20, 2019 09:34 PM
Tammy Emineth

Ha! Mother Google. Love that

Nov 21, 2019 06:16 AM
Dario Ferreira
Attleboro, MA
Internet Marketing & SEO

I like your analogy 
You are right, SEO is a long process that bears fruit down the road, just like working out regularly.

Nov 21, 2019 08:56 AM
Diana Dahlberg
1 Month Realty - Pleasant Prairie, WI
Real Estate in Kenosha, WI since 1994 262-308-3563

Consistency is the key ... it is a process and does not happen overnight.  I like your analogy to working out at the gym.  Commitment!

Nov 22, 2019 06:29 PM
Bruce Hicks
Best Homes Hawaii - Honolulu, HI
Your Best Hawaii Realtor!

Thanks Tammy Emineth .  Your stuff keeps me on my toes!  Happy Thanksgiving.

Nov 22, 2019 07:20 PM
Brian DeYoung
also affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Heritage Realty - Ithaca, NY
The Realtor with personal investment background

Great great post.
I am away but want to print it off when I get home.

Nov 22, 2019 09:33 PM
Chris Valverde
Multifamily Cashin - Houston, TX
Multifamily investment property acquisition agent

What is "paper click marketing"?

Nov 23, 2019 09:34 AM
Tammy Emineth

AHH! Fixed! Thanks!

Nov 23, 2019 10:33 AM
Fred Carver Real Estate Consulant
Retired BC Realtor - Victoria, BC
Accredited Real Estate Consultant

Tim told me if i go to the gym it would give me SEO and lose weight... haa
Great point be consistent and never give up

Nov 23, 2019 04:11 PM
Greg Mona
West USA Realty - Scottsdale, AZ
Professional Real Estate Representation for YOU!

Hi Tammy Emineth. Your analogy of comparing SEO to going to the gym is a great one. For me, I'd rather go to the gym! Seriously, though, successful marketing campaigns; whether building SEO or simple ones, all require consistency. That's the key. Right when you give up could coincide with your big breakthrough, so it's best to stick with it. 

Nov 24, 2019 12:46 PM
M.C. Dwyer
Melody Russell Team at eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Felton, CA
MC Dwyer-Santa Cruz Mountains Property Specialist

Well penned analogy; I dislike gyms and doing SEO almost equally.     Interesting that you do recommend pay-per-click in some cases.       

Consistency + right actions + drive + focus => results.

Nov 25, 2019 04:31 PM
Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO
Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

Easy to understand explaination of an important subject!  Thanks for posting!  So much to keep track of with SEO

Nov 29, 2019 07:36 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

It’s gotten quite a bit more intuitive than it used to be but not so much that it’s perfect, I find.

Dec 12, 2019 06:46 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR Agreed. There’s almost too much to keep track of for a lot of us, but it’s not impossible; you just have to keep going,

Dec 12, 2019 06:48 PM