As more and more companies and law firms are realizing the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and all that Internet Marketing offers, the misconception of the time and effort it takes sometimes creates unrealistic expectations. An investment in SEO requires a level of commitment to be successful. It's easy in today's competitive marketplace with tight advertising budgets to look at a balance sheet and determine SEO to be ineffective when first starting an SEO campaign. Having a better understanding of the process and what it takes to beat the competition helps website owners realize that commitment is key to being successful.

SEO requires a commitment to all the various strategies in internet marketing. Expect a return on your investment but allow sufficient time for results. The time it takes depends widely on your market, the competition of your market, and the tactics your competitors have been using. If you're coming into the game today and your competitor has been implementing SEO for years, expect some time to get results.

Pay close attention to your SEO reports. It is important to base decisions on data. Always review your reports and web analytics data to be in sync with the progress of your SEO campaign. Internet marketing specialists will review these reports on a constant basis to help guide and adjust their strategies and work toward your success online. By understand the data in the reports, you should see an increase in your web presence and be able to determine its value.

There is nothing worse than an SEO campaign just gaining momentum when a call or email comes in requesting to pause or cancel services, just after a few months. Someone has looked at the budget, the SEO expense, and realizes that only a limited number of leads or cases have been generated during those first few months. Depending on the battle you are up against, it can take months to years to generate enough content and linking to convert traffic to leads and cases. A successful SEO campaign can last 2, 5, even 10 or more years.