When it comes to search engine optimization and rankings, there are a million different techniques and tips. Link building, article writing, on page optimization and the like are all valuable tools. When I read this quote by the famous sculptor though, it struck me as a very astute insight that is often overlooked in madness of the SEO world.

I suppose I should be a little concerned that I have become so obsessed with the almighty search engines that they are the first thing I think of when I read or see just about anything anymore! But that aside, I believe that patience is a powerful asset in web promotion.

When you first launch a new website, you are scrambling to find new ways of racing up the results pages. Rightfully so, after all what good is your awesome website if no one ever visits?

Here's the thing. You can implement all the SEO strategies imaginable, and still be stuck at the bottom of the search pages. I know there are exceptions, but it is a strong possibility.

This is where the virtue of patience is critical. One huge factor in the value Google or Yahoo or any other search factor uses in determining the importance of your website is age. It's not a pleasant fact for those of us who have recently gotten into the internet game, but it is a fact, nonetheless.

It may not seem fair. It can be extremely frustrating, but you have to look at through the eyes of the searcher. Think about this in terms of the offline world. If you have to have surgery, who are you more likely to trust, an established doctor who has specialized in their field for 20 years or a first year resident? I'm asking for your honest gut reaction here. It may very well be that the first year resident is in all actuality the better surgeon, but most of us will trust experience above all.

So what do you do? Simply put, you keep doing exactly what you're doing (assuming you are keeping up with all of the tried and true methods of SEO). Just always keep in the back of your mind that though your efforts might seem futile in the short term, having a bit of patience might just be the best SEO action of all!