The Art of Winning: Breathing Life into your SEO Strategy

Winning. It's a simple concept, right?

Well, not really.

There's a lot more to it than just crossing the finish line first.

It’s not just about that instant, that particular race, that particular game, that particular SERP.

It's about the whole journey.

It's about those small, often overlooked wins that lead to the big ones.

Charlie Sheen, whether you love him or not, had a compelling point: "I’m going to live my life the way I want, and I’m going to win inside of every moment."

There's a whole lot of self-confidence there, but behind that bravado, there’s also a grain of truth that we can all latch onto.

No, I’m not endorsing any addictive tendencies here.

But what I am endorsing is that fiery, relentless spirit.

The confidence to say, I am going to make this work, no matter what. That's a winning mindset right there.

We're all in the business of winning.

It's the ultimate goal, whether in sports, business, the SERPs, or life in general.

But do you know what it takes to develop a mindset that is geared towards winning?

That's what we're diving into today, and it might require you to go above and beyond your comfort zone.

Winning is a choice.

That's right.

It's a conscious decision to rise above the noise, the distractions, and the naysayers.

It's a choice to commit to your goals, embrace the challenges, and keep pushing even when you think you've got nothing left in the tank.

Speaking of tanks, I watched the 9th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday morning. Michael Woods, towards the end of an insane 115-mile leg, found the energy and the will to dig deep and win. All while climbing up an 11% grade…

He didn't just accidentally stumble upon the finish line first. He made a choice to stay focused, to push through the pain, to rise above the rest, and ultimately, to win.

Eric Thomas famously said,

That's because winning requires an unrelenting drive to succeed, an obsession that most people just don't have. As David Goggins eloquently put it like this -

Applying The Winning Mindset to SEO

What does this mean in the context of SEO?

Well, quite simply, it means you have to commit.

You have to dedicate yourself to understanding this everchanging field, to learning the nuances and the foundational best practices.

It means not settling for being just another SEO consultant, or a run-of-the-mill agency, or an in-house team that’s “good enough” but striving to be the best.

Take a look at this case study from Sterling Sky, detailing how unique SEO strategies helped a dermatology clinic reach top results.

This client tried multiple SEO agencies, and most weren’t able to execute on their lofty claims and truly help with organic growth.

But when they worked with Sterling Sky, things were different. There was a complete shift in transparency.

This client saw massive organic daily traffic growth, achieved top rankings for untapped terms, and tripled their monthly lead count in 18 months.

They were able to lay out a unique plan to help their client minimize the roadblocks that stood between them and success within the SERP.

And what does winning look like in terms of local SEO these days?

Top 10 local pack rankings factors in 2023:

1. Primary GBP Category

2. Keywords in GBP Business Title

3. Proximity of Address to the Point of Search (Searcher-Business Distance)

4. Physical Address in City of Search

5. Removal of spam listings through fighting spam

6. High Numerical Google Ratings (e.g. 4-5)

7. Additional GBP Categories

8. Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/Text)

9. Verified GBP

10. Proximity of Address to Centroid [think 2021 vicinity update] 260% increase YoY

Top 10 Local Organic Ranking Factors in 2023:

1. Dedicated Page for Each Service

2. Internal Linking Across Entire Website

3. Quality/ Authority of Inbound Links to Domain

4. Geographic (City/Neighborhood) Keyword Relevance of Domain Content

5. Keywords in GBP Landing Page Title

6. Quality of Inbound Links to Domain from Locally-Relevant Domains

7. Topical (Product//Service) Keyword Relevance Across Entire Website

8. Volume of Quality Content on Service Pages

9. Volume of Quality Content on Entire Website

10. Keywords of Anchor Text of Inbound Links to Domain

The landscape is shifting, and the importance of Google Business Profile signals, once on the rise, has started to contract, while on-page and behavioral signals are seeing increased importance.

It's also worth noting that Google's personalization signals have also seen a slight uptick.

It's another sign of the dynamic nature of SEO and the need to keep adapting, learning, and growing to stay on top. Feel free to dive in further at Whitespark.

Winners Never Stop Learning

Being a winner, a champion, is all about perseverance, as Andy Frisella rightly points out. It's about showing up every single day; on the days everyone else is taking a break, you do double; that’s how you separate yourself from the pack.

This applies to SEO as much as it does to any other field.

Remember, winning doesn't mean being perfect.

It's not about never making mistakes or never facing setbacks.

It's about continuing to push forward, outworking the competition, and to keep improving day in and day out.

I encourage you all to cultivate a winning mindset.

Let's strive for greatness in SEO and in life.

Let's commit to being the best we can be, every single day.

Join me as I build - Beyond the Dashboard, and share what's on my mind.

Matt

P.S. As always, I'm here to help you on your SEO journey. So if you have any questions or need advice, don't hesitate to get in touch!

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