Search Engine Optimization – 2026
Is Ongoing SEO Worth It?
Table of contents
- Ongoing SEO is a service the client pays a monthly fee for
- Ongoing SEO vs traditional SEO
- But do you really need to constantly track Google’s algorithm updates?
- Will my site drop out of search results without ongoing SEO?
- Toipumo gained visibility for seven (7) years with a one-off optimization
- Read more about project-based SEO
Table of contents: Introduction
Ongoing SEO is a service the client pays a monthly fee for
But is ongoing SEO really worth it?
To answer that question, first compare what a one-off SEO project includes versus ongoing SEO services:
A one-off SEO project includes
- Keyword research
- An SEO plan
- Technical fixes
- Content fixes on the site
- A report on the results
Ongoing SEO includes
- Everything a one-off project covers
- Continuous creation of new content
- A monthly invoice
Put simply, I argue that most clients don’t need ongoing SEO. A one-off SEO project that fixes the biggest issues and gets the site visible is enough for many.
Ongoing SEO vs traditional SEO
| Ongoing search engine optimization | Traditional search engine optimization |
|---|---|
| Ongoing billing | One-time invoice for the project |
| Long-term expense, hard to budget | Clear one-off cost, easy to forecast |
| Vague timeline and outcome | Clear start and finish, concrete goal |
| A long client relationship that’s hard to end | No long-term commitment |
But do you really need to constantly track Google’s algorithm updates?
Google rolls out algorithm updates several times a year. Usually their impact is minimal IF your site’s content is already high quality.
Algorithm updates are meant to deliver better search results for each user query.
If your website’s content is high-quality, original and well-aligned with the search term, you don’t need to worry about algorithm updates.
If your site’s content is poor, copied, or generated by AI, you could be at risk.
Below is what happened to my AI-generated websites in 2024.
Google’s Spam update nearly wiped those sites from search visibility.
Be cautious if someone tries to sell you ongoing SEO that relies on AI-generated content.
From experience: generating a thousand articles takes about 15 minutes, they show up briefly in Google results — and then they drop out.
Will my site drop out of search results without ongoing SEO?
Your site won’t fall out of search results just because you stop paying for ongoing SEO.
Google’s first page shows the ten links most relevant to the query.
If your site reaches the first page and later falls off, the most likely causes are:
- The search term has heavy competition and another site published better content than yours (rare)
- Your site suddenly developed a major issue, like much slower load times (common)
- Your site is receiving fewer backlinks than before (uncommon)
Any of these issues can be fixed with a new project if needed.
There’s no reason to pay for continuous SEO just to guard against these scenarios.
Toipumo gained visibility for seven (7) years with a one-off optimization
In 2017 I did a €500 one-off SEO project for Toipumo. The site has ranked at the top of Google ever since.
Toipumo is an addiction rehabilitation center. I created a new subpage for them, optimized for the keyword "päihdekuntoutus".
That page quickly climbed to the top positions in Google and has stayed there since.
All this from a one-off project. Not ongoing SEO.
Read more about project-based SEO
What my SEO work includes, what it costs, and more.
Need help?
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