Exploring the Value of Ongoing SEO Services for Your Business
For a complete comprehension of SEO, it's essential to firstly grasp the concept of Digital Marketing and the part that SEO plays within it. Digital marketing emerged as a formidable challenge to traditional marketing streams such as television and print media. We've seen giants like Amazon thrive while companies like Sears and Toys R Us crumbled. News outlets experienced a seismic shift with platforms like YouTube and Google gaining popularity over traditional newspapers and magazines. The term "Facebook" became more prevalent than scrapbooking. When was the last time you used a phonebook? This illustrates how digital marketing has become crucial for every business owner, because your online presence often serves as your first impression.
Despite not holding the title for the greatest internet achievement, Amazon stands as one of the most recognizable examples. It's the 7th largest retailer with no physical storefronts and holds the 7th largest market capitalization, even surpassing Walmart...and they're just getting started.
The most invaluable channels within digital marketing include search marketing, social media, display advertising, and email marketing. In fact, by 2017 digital marketing budgets had overtaken spending on TV advertising. However, search engines remain at the forefront of these channels.
Search engines currently generate roughly 200 billion searches per month (source: SEO.com). In 2019 alone, search engine users in the US numbered over 236 million people. A whopping 66% of marketers highlight increasing their organic online presence as their top priority. Furthermore, local businesses also benefit hugely with around 72% of mobile phone users visiting a physical store after searching for it online. Despite social media only generating an average of 3% traffic to websites, search engines continue to drive the majority of online-based sales and also lead visits to websites.
From this we can deduce that (1) digital marketing has surpassed TV and other channels in importance and (2) search engines now dominate digital marketing sales. This clearly illustrates how crucial search engine marketing is within any marketing strategy. The two key types of search engine marketing are sponsored search (PPC), and organic search. SEO proves more cost-effective than PPC and tends to yield a higher ROI when correctly implemented.
So, when you pose the question "Is it worth paying for monthly SEO services?", consider what your business may lose out on if the search engines don't list you. It's an effective method of driving business growth, with search-based traffic ranking second only after referrals. Search engines present your website to those who are actively looking for the products/services you offer exactly when they need them. Investing in SEO makes perfect sense as a marketing strategy considering the millions of daily searches for a myriad of items, indicating a high potential sales ratio.
The question then arises: Why not just perform a single effort at SEO rather than adopt a long-term strategy? The answer is that SEO isn't a sprint; it's more akin to running a marathon. Websites don't leap from 1000th position on Google to 1st overnight; it takes time to build trust with search engines. Google has publicly stated that they update their search algorithm over 500 times per year and consider over 200 "signals" when deciding which site ranks higher. Due to the ever-changing nature of these algorithms, maintaining an ongoing effort towards SEO is essential. While one company might be able to afford a single SEO project, their competitors likely won't stop at just one either. Carrying out just one-off SEO projects can put your business at risk because SEO is a serious aspect of marketing that you can't afford to neglect. If your business has previously attempted and failed at SEO, it doesn't mean it's time to give up.
That being said, not all SEO companies are made equal. Some are unscrupulous and take advantage of their customers, while others might simply lack competency. The theory behind SEO is solid, but finding the right company to implement it can be challenging. Take your time when seeking out an SEO company; look for one with a proven track record. Don't rush into decisions based on persuasive sales pitches; instead ensure the company is competent, trustworthy, and reasonably priced.