Googlebot Doesn’t Holiday, Neither Should Your SEO!

To pause or not to pause, that is the question.

Are you having a well-deserved break over the holiday season? Googlebot doesn’t.

For many taking some time off, logic dictates that you can probably pause your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) campaign as well, right? Wrong! While you might decrease your budget on your Google AdWords campaign over this period of time (for which you should never cancel, but that’s a whole other article!) SEO simply does not work in the same way; let me explain.

A large portion of a SEO strategy is made up of various methods, one of which is content creation. Content is specifically created for your business’s website. Once it is placed on your website, Google’s algorithm bot, named Googlebot, searches your website for educational and well written content which is not only a permanent placement on your website, but is also fresh and relevant. Googlebot wants to provide users with relevant information to their search query.  If the content on your website matches a user’s search query, hey presto! Your website will rank for that user’s search.

So are you thinking of pausing your SEO? Then think again! Below I have collated a list of Frequently Asked Questions in relation to this very topic, and by the time you are finished reading, you will experience a magnificent light-bulb moment as to why you shouldn’t pause your SEO campaign over the holiday season.

     Q. Can we remove the SEO content just for the holiday period whilst I’m away?

A. Not the best idea. By removing any content from your website, Googlebot believes that the website is no longer providing a particular service or product of which that content describes.  This

is found by Googlebot caching (searching) your website and comparing it to the last cache (search), or as I like to call it a ‘before and after’ website selfie.  Googlebot has already built trust in the     content on your website and in removing it Googlebot’s trust lessens not only in the content but in the website overall. You should never remove content unless it is irrelevant to your business.

     Q. Could we just put the SEO content back on the website when we are back from holidays?

A. Not really. Googlebot had a relationship with the content on the website and in removing it Googlebot becomes dubious.  If the content were to be removed and then replaced again Googlebot would not trust the website and content as much as it had previously. It can take months of hard work at double the volume to rebuild that relationship.

     Q. What would happen if we turn our whole website off whilst we’re away and turn it back on when we’re back?

A. Googlebot notices when a website disappears. After a few weeks or so Googlebot will come to terms with the loss of the website and come to the conclusion that the website and business no      longer exist. Then when the website is put back up Googlebot again will have lost that trust, just like when content is removed, but at a much higher level.  Relationship damage of this size could      take much longer to fix. However, Googlebot understands that short periods can simply be issues with hosting or changing to a new refreshed website.

     Q. I won’t be available to service enquiries during this time – will I lose business?

A. People understand that many businesses close at some stage of the year especially during the holiday season. When people are doing a Google search for a particular service or product it is likely that most businesses that provide their needs are also closed, not just yours.  They will continue searching and either find someone available if it is an emergency or simply wait and try again around the time most people go back to work.

     Q. Will I be charged when someone clicks on my website but I’m unable to service the enquiry?

A. No. You never pay for clicks when someone chooses to click on an organic listing. You are ranking on Google organically due to hundreds of different factors that relate to not only SEO but educational information about your business or service.  SEO works for you continuously in the background, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It means that your search engine ranking will likely be the same when you return to work, so you can easily respond to any queries you received whilst you were away.

     Q. What if the person who manages my SEO is away? Is any work being done?

A. Yes. A professional SEO strategy plans the timing of work very strategically and will always take into consideration the particular campaign at hand since not everyone’s business has peak times at the same time of year.  Googlebot never sleeps and with the millions of websites on the internet, it only caches your website (takes a website selfie) approximately once a fortnight.  Depending on the stage your campaign is at during the holiday season, SEO work will have already been implemented ready for Googlebot to do its thing and cache the work. In order for a SEO strategy to achieve full results, Googlebot needs to cache the website around three to five times to fully understand the work done and decide where in Google’s search results your website should be positioned.  During the caching, tools are already put in place to monitor the effect the work has had, therefore providing a full understanding of the work and its effect on Google.

I hope this gives you a better understanding so that you can thoroughly enjoy that much deserved break knowing that your SEO campaign is back in the office, running smoothly whilst you’re enjoying some sun!

If you are keen to speak with someone more about the benefits of SEO for your business, or you would like to discuss any of the above, then please contact the friendly team at SponsoredLinX  on 1300 859 600, or visit www.sponsoredlinx.com to find out more.

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