By now, you’ve probably heard that the Chicago Cubs are finally back at the top of the baseball world. After one of the most storied streaks of futility in professional sports history, the Cubs were finally able to change their luck.

In the business world, we don’t typically suspect a curse as the reason for our plans falling short. However, running a sports team is big business, so there are plenty of lessons to take away when the “Lovable Losers” can finally call themselves champions.

So what exactly can your SEO team gather from the Cubs’ run to the title? We think these three lessons are a good place to start:

Patience Is the Answer

When the Cubs hired general manager Theo Epstein to be their franchise architect in 2011, he brought a five-year rebuilding plan to the table. Five years later, the Windy City had a title.

To be done right, SEO requires patience; try starting with a six-month plan and don’t rush it. Optimize your digital content and work to earn natural links back to your site over time. Google is smart enough to recognize patterns, and when you put in the work, your patience will be rewarded for the use of proper techniques.

Avoid Scapegoats

Back in 2003, the Cubs were on the verge of the championship series but blew a late three-run lead. Most people remember a fan named Steve Bartman interrupting a play, but what they forget was the Cubs giving up eight runs in that inning, then losing again the next day.

If your traffic is down or your goals aren’t met, don’t jump to conclusions. Instead of pointing fingers, check your SEM campaigns, industry trends, and crawl errors. You will maximize your efforts by getting to the real root of the problem, then working to solve it!

Keep an Eye on the Future

You can rest assured that waiting another 108 years to get back to the top of the mountain is not Chicago’s plan. Often times, however, the hardest part of maintaining success is maintaining the drive that got you there.

Meeting your initial goals is a great feeling, but it can’t stop there. The Cubs are loaded with youth, talent, and money to spend, but that alone won’t guarantee a return to October baseball.

Similarly, your company can’t rest on its laurels without the big picture in mind. The road to success starts with preparing for your next steps before your current goals are accomplished.

These principles may sound simple, but are overlooked by businesses every single day. Before you find yourself on the wrong end of your own losing streak, reevaluate your processes and set a winning tone for your SEO strategy.