As someone with years of experience running SEO campaigns, I’ve seen the long-term impact of search engine optimization firsthand. One of the most interesting insights I’ve gained is how SEO delivers results even after you stop actively working on it. There’s a misconception that if you stop SEO, all progress will vanish. However, when SEO is done right, it can continue benefiting your site for years. A perfect example of this is a client in the tree removal and arborist industry, where we stopped SEO over two years ago, yet the site continues to thrive.
Sustained Inquiries After Stopping SEO
The numbers for this client are impressive. During the 12-month SEO campaign, we generated 3,570 inquiries. After halting SEO, we expected the inquiries to drop significantly, but that wasn’t the case. In 2024, more than two years later, the inquiries are still coming in:
- September 2024: 157 inquiries
- August 2024: 121 inquiries
- July 2024: 118 inquiries
Even without active SEO, the site generates over 100 inquiries per month, a testament to the lasting power of SEO when it’s done right.
SEO as an Ownership Strategy vs. Ads as a Rental Strategy
I frequently tell clients that SEO is an ownership strategy, while Google Ads or Facebook Ads are more like renting. With ads, the minute you stop paying, the leads stop. But SEO is more like buying a house. Once you’ve invested in building a strong SEO foundation, you own it. It works even if you’re not constantly putting money into it.
For this client, we ran a comprehensive SEO campaign for 12 months. We built backlinks, created optimized content, and improved the site’s structure. Because the client was located in a non-major city, we saw results faster than we typically would in more competitive markets like Melbourne or Sydney. The client’s business grew so much that we had to dial down their Google Ads because they received too many leads. At one point, their main problem was recruitment, so we created a jobs section on their site and ran recruitment-focused ads. But even after we stopped active SEO, the site’s organic inquiries kept coming in.
The Importance of Building a Strong SEO Foundation
A key takeaway from this campaign is the importance of building a strong SEO foundation. The campaign is now four years old, and even though we stopped active SEO two years ago, the core structure we built remains intact and continues to deliver results. We created service pages for each offering, from stump removal to tree trimming, and produced over 100 long-form blogs on relevant topics. These blogs were internally linked to service pages, helping Google understand the site’s hierarchy and improving the overall SEO.
One of the most interesting things about this campaign was how it survived the Google Helpful Content Update. We saw a dip in blog traffic when this algorithm update rolled out. Initially, I considered rewriting the blog content, but I noticed that while blog traffic decreased, inquiries increased. This showed us that the service pages—the pages that mattered most—were still ranking well. Google eventually rolled back some aspects of the update, and our traffic quadrupled to an all-time high.
SEO Results Don’t Disappear Overnight
There’s a common myth in digital marketing that stopping SEO will make your site’s rankings and traffic disappear overnight. That’s not true if you’ve built a solid foundation. Over time, your site’s rankings might drop as competitors continue their SEO efforts. Still, the decline won’t be immediate, especially if your site has a robust backlink profile, high-quality content, and a well-structured internal linking system.
Even though we stopped SEO work for this client, the site is still ranking and generating inquiries. While it’s true that without ongoing SEO, rankings might eventually decline, our strong foundation has kept the site performing well for years.
How We Structured the SEO Campaign
When we first took on this client, their website received zero inquiries from Google. They had no local rankings, and their Google Maps listing wasn’t optimized. Our initial step was creating a Google Ads landing page to generate leads while we worked on their SEO. Over the next year, we built service pages for their offerings, like stump removal and tree trimming, and created geo pages to capture local traffic.
The content we produced was a major factor in the site’s success. We didn’t just focus on the service pages; we built over 100 long-form blog posts, each thoroughly researched and designed to provide value to users. These blogs covered “when to remove a tree stump” and “how to care for trees in different seasons.” We also structured the content into content silos, internally linking the blogs to the service pages to build authority and trust with Google.
In addition to on-page SEO, we focused on building high-quality backlinks. Other reputable sites linked to our client’s blog posts and service pages further established the site’s credibility in Google’s eyes. This holistic approach helped the site rank higher and continued to generate inquiries long after the active SEO campaign ended.
Learning from Google’s Algorithm Updates
This campaign has also been a valuable learning experience. SEO is not a one-time effort—it’s about understanding how search engines evolve and adapting to those changes. When Google released its Helpful Content Update, we saw an initial decline in blog traffic, but I decided not to make any immediate changes. Instead, we focused on monitoring how the update impacted the site’s performance. We discovered that the pages that truly mattered—the service pages—were still ranking well, and after a few months, traffic increased beyond its previous peak.
Building a solid SEO foundation requires the ability to weather algorithm changes. Because of the work we did upfront, this client’s site was able to adapt to the changes and emerge stronger.
Wrapping Up
This case study highlights the power of SEO as a long-term investment. Doing SEO right builds a digital asset that delivers results long after you stop active optimization. In this case, even though we halted SEO efforts two years ago, the site continues to generate inquiries and rank well in search results. This proves that SEO is not just about getting short-term wins; it’s about building a foundation lasting for years.
While competitors may eventually catch up if they continue their SEO efforts, a well-optimized site with strong backlinks, high-quality content, and a solid internal structure will keep you ahead for a long time. SEO may take time to deliver results, but it’s worth the investment.
