How FOMO Can Kill Your SEO
Chances are, there’s something happening somewhere right this minute that you desperately want to be a part of. People are out there having the times of their lives and you’re here with us (thanks, by the way). It’s simply not fair, we get it. This fear of missing out (or FOMO) can be crippling and it doesn’t just apply to social settings. It applies, as so many topics do, to SEO as well. And if you’re not careful, FOMO can kill your SEO.
I suspect I need to elaborate. Let’s say you are a highly-respected and sought after divorce attorney looking to build a new website; one that will speak directly to those in your area in need of the expert services you provide and set you apart from your regional competitors. You hire a web design agency with SEO experience and collaboratively get to work on a content plan and design that effectively paints you as the finest divorce attorney in town. With a killer SEO strategy in place, you’re suddenly ranking for “divorce lawyer + [your city name]”.
Leads come pouring in left and right, your phone is ringing off the hook, and all’s right in the world.
But then…FOMO.
If you’re seeing this much success by targeting one market, you wonder, why not expand your site and do the same thing for, say, those in need of a personal injury lawyer? Yeah, it’s not your MAIN focus, but you are experienced in that practice area too, so what’s it gonna hurt, right?
So call up your web design agency, write them another check, and go all in on “personal injury lawyer + [your city name]” as well. And just like that, you and your FOMO killed your Search Engine Optimization.
SEO… Dead. On. Arrival.
Because you were so preoccupied with making your website appeal to a wider audience, you basically split it’s SEO power in half. You’re now sitting on a website that is 50 percent targeted at people needing divorce attorneys and 50 percent targeted toward people needing personal injury lawyers.
Your site is diluted.
It’s weaker.
Remember, Google has one very simple goal, to provide the most relevant results for the searcher’s query. Now, in the eyes of Google, your watered down site is no longer a perfect match for “divorce attorney [city name]” but rather just an okay match for “divorce attorney [city name]” and “personal injury attorney [city name]”. Sure, you might still see some organic traffic for those with the patience and time to find you, but your chances of appearing on the first page, let alone the top spots, for either? Slim to none.
When it comes to planning out the perfect SEO strategy for your website, accept the fact that you’re not going to be everything to everyone. That’s not a knock on your business or your work ethic. It’s simply how things work in terms of SEO.
Don’t try to be 50 percent relevant to two audiences or 20 percent relevant to five audiences. Your site needs to be 100 percent relevant to your niche audience, ESPECIALLY if you are a small business.
Being 100 percent relevant to your niche isn’t only a best practice for SEO, it’s a best practice to avoid market confusion with all of your digital marketing. Know who your audience is, what they want, and how you can best deliver it. By losing that focus, you’re jeopardizing the inherent power of your website.
Don’t let a fear of missing out determine the fate of your site or the future of your business.