A Lesson in Beginning
Quick Summary
- What this covers: a-lesson-in-beginning
- Who it's for: executives, CMOs, and business leaders evaluating SEO investment
- Key takeaway: Read the first section for the core framework, then use the specific tactics that match your situation.
I am writing this because I was inspired to begin.
Now, what's so special about starting, you might ask?
To start, to begin, is to observe the canvas before the painting, tune into the silence before composing, to reach that deep part within yourself that says, "Hey let's do this thing, that'd be fun."
Now, I'm particularly good at starting things, this has never been an issue for me. The problems arrive with follow-through and proper utilization of time. These are not special to me, or anyone really.
But, I've been noticing a trend among my peers when it comes to starting a project, taking on a dream, or simply attempting to create the reality suited for your entity.
No one like starting: it requires attention, focus, and inertia.
Inertia is the an object's willingness to stay in one place, or continue it's momentum.
We've all heard this in one form or another.
Now, here's the something that's overlooked by many of us, still within our youth (and foolishly thinking 'time is on our side')
Life is a continual process of 'starts'. But it will slip you by. Don't wait, don't watch.
Get off your ass and do the damn thing.
Humans LOVE to get in their own way, some of us are better than others at creating excuses / reasons why our dreams are not important enough to begin.
This is a problem.
"I can't do __, I won't make money"
"That seems too hard, I don't know where to begin"
"I really want to, but there's not enough time.
Bullshit.
All of it.
A simple remedy for standing in your own way is to pretend as though someone else told you, you weren't good enough. Would you take that?
Bet you'd fight them tooth and nail to prove yourself. But why is it that we can't prove ourselves TO ourselves?
Perhaps that is the true beginning. Discerning the difference between divine inspiration and LAZINESS.
I'll share a brief story that happened to me yesterday, which brought along this entire point:
I was working with a new partner on an all-inclusive dropshipping service, as their copywriter.
We start chatting about Google Ads for a sister-company that I'm currently employed under.
I mention that I don't want to handle that shit because I have no experience.
Dude says to me, "Don't be a pussy. Learn that shit. You're going to pass on FREE experience?"
That's all that I needed to hear.
It's the entire reason I've stayed at this job so long — to gain relevant experience for my current projects.
And now that I've "learned enough", I almost fell into the trap of complacency.
Comfort, in any form, is the enemy.
You need to stay on your toes, devising the next solution.
Ascertain the parts you need to create the reality you want for your life.
But it all begins: when you Be-G-In.
Unlock your Inner-G (ENERGY)
When SEO Isn't Your Priority
Defer SEO investment if:
- Your product-market fit isn't validated yet. SEO compounds over months. If you're still iterating on what you sell and who you sell it to, those months of SEO work will target the wrong audience. Nail the positioning first.
- You're in a winner-take-all paid acquisition market. Some verticals (insurance, legal, finance) have organic results pushed below the fold by ads. If your competitors all buy their traffic and organic results barely show, paid channels may be the pragmatic choice until you can invest in long-term organic.
- Your sales cycle is shorter than SEO's payback period. If you need revenue in 30 days, SEO won't deliver. Run paid campaigns for immediate pipeline, then layer SEO as a compounding channel once cash flow supports the timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I evaluate whether our SEO investment is working?
Track three metrics quarterly: organic traffic trend (is it growing?), organic revenue attribution (what revenue came from organic search?), and market share of search (what percentage of relevant searches do you appear in vs competitors?). Avoid vanity metrics like keyword count or domain authority — they correlate loosely with business outcomes. A good SEO program shows compounding organic revenue growth over 6-12 month windows.
How long does SEO take to show results?
Technical fixes (crawl errors, speed improvements) can impact rankings within 2-8 weeks. Content investments take 3-6 months to gain traction and 6-12 months to compound. Competitive keywords in established markets may take 12-18 months. The timeline depends on your starting position, competitive landscape, and investment level. Budget for 6 months before expecting material ROI.
Should we hire in-house or use an agency for SEO?
In-house makes sense when SEO is a core growth channel (>20% of revenue), you need daily execution speed, and you have enough work to justify a full-time hire ($80-150K+ fully loaded). Agency makes sense for strategic guidance, specialized audits, or when SEO volume doesn't justify headcount. Many companies benefit from a hybrid: in-house execution with agency-level strategy oversight.