SEO Strategy3 min

When Should You Start Investing in SEO? (Hint: Yesterday)

There's never a bad time to start SEO. But some times are better than others. Here's the framework.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The second best time is now.

SEO works the same way.

When businesses usually think about SEO

  • After a traffic drop (reactive)
  • After a competitor outranks them (competitive panic)
  • After running out of ad budget (desperation)
  • At the start of a new year (motivation that lasts 3 weeks)

    • All of these are fine. But they're all late.

    When you should actually start

    Before you need it.

    SEO compounds. The work you do today pays dividends for months and years. But it takes time to build.

    If you wait until you need traffic to start SEO, you're already 6 months behind.

    The minimum viable SEO investment

    You don't need $10K/month to start.

    You need:

  • A properly structured website (a few hours)
  • Basic technical SEO in place (a few hours)
  • A consistent content schedule (a few hours per week)
  • A system to track progress (30 seconds)

    • That's it. Start small. Stay consistent. Let it compound.

    Your 30-second start

    SEO Checkup. 113 prioritized tasks. Step-by-step tutorials. Free. No credit card.

    The best time to start SEO was yesterday. The second best time is right now. Moz's beginner guide is a solid place to start learning, and our SEO fundamentals post cuts to what really matters.

    Go.

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