What Italian stereotypes can teach us about SEO – and why in Q4, those who can slow down win?

Do you know how long the famous Italian Bolognese ragù sauce should be cooked for? Most people think that about 20-30 minutes is enough. In fact, Italians cook their signature dish for 3 to 4 hours. Only then do all the ingredients blend well, creating a unique flavor.

It’s the same with SEO. Rushing is never a good idea, and making decisions “on a hunch” without in-depth analysis can do more harm than good. Remember that it’s better to carry out a well-prepared process from A to Z than to throw random ingredients into the proverbial pot, and that results sometimes take time.

Fare una bella figura is one of the key concepts in Italian culture. It means making a good impression, showing yourself in the best light, and behaving with class. When Italians say this proverb, they refer not only to appearance, but also to good manners, style, and manner of speaking.

In SEO, first impressions also matter. Google forms an opinion about your website during its initial visits, which can be difficult to change later. That is why it is so important to optimize the basic elements of your website from the moment it goes live:

• Take care of your home page – it is often the first point of contact between Google and your website’s users.
• Optimize the meta title on all subpages. In the code, this is one of the first elements Google sees, and it is vital for SEO.
• Expert and unique content, combined with clear graphics and intuitive navigation, is a must-have!

For Italians, family comes first – this is an example of a stereotype that actually has a lot to do with the truth! Italians are much more likely than other nations to live in multigenerational homes and are very attached to their loved ones, especially their parents.

Your website structure should also be like a family if you want to achieve good SEO results. What does this mean? Each page should be logically linked to the others – the home page should contain links to the most important categories or services, and similarly, category pages should link to products, etc. You need to make sure that there are no orphan pages on your website, i.e., pages that are not linked to by any other internal links on the site. In such cases, Google bots have complicated access to such pages and may not index them, and you will lose traffic.

Remember: your website must be linked by a mutual support system, like a real Italian famiglia!

My favorite Italian saying: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” All endeavors that ultimately become great and impressive require time and effort, sometimes over many months or even years. Just as the greatness of Rome is built over many months of hard work, visibility in the world of Search takes many months, not overnight. If you want to be successful, be prepared for long-term efforts. Why?

If you prepare your website well from a technical standpoint and publish optimized content, you may achieve good results at first. However, if you leave your website at that point, you will not gain incoming links or mentions on the web, and if you do not publish new content, your competition will simply surpass you. A strong start is not enough – you need long and well-planned work.

This Italian wisdom refers to the Italian mentality, which they are often criticized for. The Italian siesta, known as “riposo,” is sometimes associated with laziness, but in reality, it is a responsible and balanced approach to life. Italians know that sometimes you have to slow down to be more effective.

When you hear the word “Italian,” you immediately picture a man gesturing vividly as he brilliantly conveys his thoughts. The famous Italian gestures should remind us that good communication is key. Italians use gestures to reinforce their message, leaving no doubt about what they want to say and how they feel at that moment.

1. Haste makes waste – before you start, plan your strategy and check where you are starting from and what challenges you may encounter.
2. First impressions matter. Make sure your website is well optimized from the moment it goes live.
3. Mutual support is essential, also when it comes to internal linking. Plan the structure of your website so that it forms a system of interconnected vessels.
4. SEO activities take time and systematic work to be effective.
5. Avoid shortcuts. Take breaks to analyze and reflect, and focus on delivering quality in your activities. It always pays off!
6. Ensure consistency in your communication and a clear message for both Google and users.