Websites are a lot like gardens. You have to tend to them regularly, and you have to be responsible with what you put into them. If you show them the least bit of negligence, you will see it shrivel up and die…in Google. Also, just like gardens, if you give them too much attention, you will likely drown them. In other words, treat your website with the same care you would any living thing you are responsible for.

Here are some ideas for keeping your website as relevant as possible, without completely overdoing it:

• Don’t overdo your backlinking. You don’t want to call too much attention to yourself, and the surest way to do that is to point too many backlinks to your site too soon. The surest way to tank your website in Google’s results are to add several dozen (or more) links in a very short amount of time. They’ll red flag that quickly, and your site will suffer because of it.
• Do get your site into local directories. This is especially true for those companies that service local clients (i.e. chimney sweeps, plumbers, contractors, etc.). This is the surest path to legitimacy in Google’s eyes.
• Don’t buy backlinks. No matter how unlikely it is to happen, if Google discovers this, they’ll de-index your website. Plus, why buy something that can be gotten for free. There are plenty of free places to put your backlinks.
• Do add fresh, relevant content to your website. This is precisely why blogs are so important. They add new content (if you update them) on a regular basis to your website, and give you an opportunity to display your expertise to your potential client base.

Websites are important because that is how people are finding businesses. The yellow pages are a thing of the past that will not be coming back. You don’t need a website that has all the bells and whistles, but you do need one that lets your potential customers learn about you.