Problems with generic SEO strategies

Creating an SEO strategy for your business is more than simply adopting a simple checklist of SEO goals. In fact, there are a range of different issues associated with not tailoring your SEO practices to your business, your aims or your industry. So what are the problems associated with generic SEO strategies? And why should you instead adopt a tailored approach?

What are the problems with generic SEO strategies?

There are a number of different problems that can be caused by using generic SEO strategies instead of taking a tailored approach to suit the needs of your business. These problems include:

• Not being specific to your market
• Not being specific to the industry
• Not taking into account the local competitors
• Not creating relevant content
• Not adapting to Search Engine updates
• Not aligning with business goals
• Focusing only on the short term

Generic SEO ignores market specificity

A nuanced approach to SEO is absolutely essential when it comes to different markets. Whatever industry your business works in, your SEO strategy should be tailored to the specific market. Even within the UK, there are regional differences to competition and consumer behaviour, and taking these into account as part of your SEO strategy is essential for success. However, a generic strategy is likely to overlook the subtleties of your business’s market, meaning that much of your SEO will miss the mark. For example, keyword optimisation may not be specific enough for your market. This can lead to lower visibility for your website, and reduced website traffic too.

Generic SEO is not industry specific

Just as different markets should be understood and adapted to as part of the SEO process, different industries should also be accounted for. Each industry area will have specific dynamics, and these need to be part of the SEO strategy, from the competitor analysis to the target audience. Unfortunately, a generic approach to SEO will not take these industry specific factors into account, instead taking a one size fits all approach. This means that your website will miss out on valuable opportunities to get ahead of the competition, and to capitalise on any SEO leads you do glean. From finance to healthcare, each industry needs a tailored SEO strategy, focused on the specifics of that particular industry area.

Ignoring the local competition

Online competition can be difficult to navigate, and in order to come out on top, your SEO strategy needs to focus on taking any advantage possible over your competitors. Whether it’s assessing their website for content that is lacking, or finding ways to make your website more user friendly, there are a number of steps you should consider. However, with a generic SEO strategy these specifics are not taken into account. Instead more broad aspects of SEO will be focused on. One example is the keywords focused on. A generic SEO strategy will likely focus on only highly competitive keywords. This means that you will not be able to take advantage of any niche keywords that could put you ahead, leaving your website to attract less traffic, and ultimately make fewer sales or sign ups.

Generic SEO leads to irrelevant content

One aspect of any SEO strategy that shouldn’t be overlooked is the content. Content can help deliver valuable and important information to potential customers and clients, building your industry authority and gaining consumer trust. This can also expand the keywords that your company ranks for, increasing your reach and visibility online, and drawing more traffic to your website. It’s essential that this content is tailored to your audience, your market, your industry area, and your business goals, and this is not something that a generic SEO strategy can achieve. A generic SEO strategy means that your content will not be as relevant, and you will miss out on content opportunities that could have put you ahead, for example local content and information, and relevant current events.

Not adapting to Search Engine updates

One thing to bear in mind about search engines like Google, is that these are always updating. Each update can lead to changes to what works, and what doesn’t, for SEO, content and websites in general. From mobile first indexing, to the E-E-A-T guidelines for website content, these updates have already had a significant impact on SEO as a whole, and for long term success, it is crucial that your SEO strategy is able to adapt. This is not something that generic SEO strategies can offer, which means that your website will be left behind by these algorithm updates.

Not aligning with business goals

Each individual business will have different aims and goals specific to the industry area. From driving more sales, to building awareness of your company, there are a range of different goals that a business may have. A generic SEO strategy will not take these aims and goals into account and by not aligning with your overall goals, this is likely to fail to meet your objectives. For example, a generic SEO strategy may focus solely on driving traffic to your website, but then overlook how this will convert viewers to paying customers or clients, which is a key part of SEO success. As a result, your website will struggle to meet the goals of your business and this will ultimately make it more difficult for your business to thrive online.

Focusing only on the short term

Finally, a generic SEO strategy is likely to only focus on short term goals or success. While this can be beneficial initially, it will quickly hinder the future growth and development of your business. Instead of making solid progress on your long term aims, and seeing improvement over time, you may achieve short term success that quickly fizzles out, or does not result in what you hoped for. This is because the whole strategy is not in tune with your business. Instead, taking a tailored solution can lead to long term success, built on a strong foundation.