Every year, new SEO tactics emerge. Most fade quickly. A few become standard practice. But underneath all the churn, a small set of principles has remained constant since I started in 1999.
This playbook focuses exclusively on those evergreen fundamentals—the things that have always worked and will continue to work regardless of how search evolves.
Evergreen SEO isn't about ignoring new developments. It's about building on a foundation that doesn't shift. Master the fundamentals, and adapting to changes becomes easy.
The Evergreen Plays
For every search you want to rank for, ask: "Are we genuinely the best answer to this question?" If yes, ranking becomes much easier. If no, either become the best answer or target different searches.
Timeframe: Ongoing
Reviews, mentions, links, citations—all forms of other people vouching for your business. You can't fake these at scale, and you can't shortcut them. The only path is earning them through good work.
Timeframe: Compounds over years
Your name, address, phone, hours, services—keep them correct everywhere. This has never stopped mattering and never will.
Timeframe: Check quarterly
Every piece of content, every page, every interaction—optimize for the human first, search engines second. Search engines are trying to reward good user experiences. Give them what they want.
Timeframe: Every decision
Content that helps people. Services that solve problems. Information that answers questions. Value that would exist even if search engines didn't.
Timeframe: Ongoing
Fast loading, mobile-friendly, crawlable, secure. The specific requirements evolve, but the principle of technical excellence doesn't.
Timeframe: Audit annually
Do good work. Ask for reviews. Get mentioned in local media. Join community organizations. Build a reputation that exists independently of search.
Timeframe: Continuous
What This Means in Practice
For Your Google Business Profile
- Keep information accurate and complete
- Respond to every review
- Post regularly with genuine updates
- Add photos that show your real business
For Your Website
- Answer the questions customers actually ask
- Make it easy to find what people need
- Keep it fast and mobile-friendly
- Update content when things change
For Your Reputation
- Ask every customer for feedback
- Address problems before they become reviews
- Engage with your community
- Build relationships that generate natural mentions
The Anti-Playbook: What to Avoid
Equally important is what NOT to do:
- Don't chase tricks. If it feels like gaming the system, it is—and it will stop working.
- Don't buy links. It's against guidelines and increasingly easy to detect.
- Don't stuff keywords. Write for humans.
- Don't create thin content. If it doesn't help users, it won't help rankings.
- Don't ignore mobile. Most searches are mobile now.
- Don't neglect reviews. They matter for rankings and conversions.
The Compound Effect
The power of evergreen SEO is compounding. Each review adds to your reputation. Each piece of quality content builds your authority. Each satisfied customer might refer another.
Businesses that chase tactics start over with every algorithm update. Businesses that master fundamentals build on everything they've done before.
The businesses I've seen thrive over 25 years all have one thing in common: they focused on being genuinely good, and let search engines figure out how to reward them.
This playbook isn't exciting. It doesn't have secrets or shortcuts. But it works—and it keeps working, year after year, update after update.
That's the point.