Is SEO worth it? Let’s frame the question this way: Is a number-one ranking on Google worth it? In short, yes. However, as a business owner, you must ask yourself whether investing in SEO is worthwhile in the long run. It’s natural for entrepreneurs to weigh their options and make educated decisions.
We asked our SEO experts to craft a well-rounded answer to help you better understand the nature of search engine optimization, including the associated costs and possible outcomes.
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Is SEO Really Worth It?
So, is search engine optimization worth it? To start, perform a quick Google search of your most popular services or products. Is your brand and website the first thing that pops out after hitting enter, or are you having trouble finding it? If the answer is yes, then this isn’t a good sign.
If you can’t find your site on Google, how can you effectively reach your potential customers Studies show that 91.5% of users never look at the second page of search results, and around 30% click solely on the first result.
So, is SEO worth the money? This example appears to suggest that it is, highlighting that if you aren’t optimizing for search engines, you are handing potential business away to your competitors who are.
Compelling Cases: Are SEO Companies Worth It?
What can teaming up with an SEO company bring you in the long run? Below, we’ve gathered a few case studies from our partner agencies to show how powerful SEO can be in the right hands.
WebFX
WebFX helped their client, Kampground of America, with their SEO efforts, resulting in real-world and digital revenue improvements. The client saw a 150% increase in organic traffic and a 160% surge in new-user traffic. Organic conversion rates rose by 15%, organic transactions grew by 198%, and organic revenue saw a staggering 260% increase.
Searchbloom
Searchbloom helped Chicago-based plastic surgeons get back on the digital map after years of declining website relevancy and authority. After implementing a three-tiered approach, the agency revamped the website, leading to a 3200% increase in keyword rankings in the top three positions over a year-long period.
Digital Silk
Digital Silk helped Kenoa Health generate more B2B leads. Thanks to the agency’s comprehensive approach, which goes beyond SEO, the company enjoyed a 42% improvement in organic search, coupled with a dramatic improvement in discoverability and user engagement.
The Positive Impact of SEO: Are SEO Services Worth It?
SEO has been one of the fundamentals of digital marketing for decades. From straightforward content and link optimization, SEO has become an intricate strategy affected by user experience, design, development, and user engagement.
Earlier, we provided a list of percentages, which may not hold significant meaning for some business owners. Therefore, let’s take a look at the multifaceted benefits of SEO that every business can harness through long-term investment.
SEO Boosts Brand Awareness
Search engine optimization isn’t just about appearing on the first page of Google. It’s an overarching strategy that helps a business increase the awareness of its brand, services, and products. It’s a great marketing tool that helps you build digital momentum and generate traffic for extended periods. Ranking high in search results proves that your organization is reliable and worthy of doing business with.
Marketing momentum means that your SEO achievements are long-lasting. While paid advertising can bring you faster results and a sudden traffic spike, the different types of SEO work at a slower pace but create more leverage as they evolve. In other words, your SEO strategy will generate leads even after you’ve cut down your budget.
Attracting Qualified Traffic
Suppose you optimize your blogs and site content with the right keywords. In that case, your website will not only be visible to the general market but also to a qualified audience already familiar with your industry or the type of products you market. These people are seeking more information on a particular subject. By positioning yourself as an authoritative and knowledgeable figure in your niche, you can build credibility among your target audience, thereby enhancing average traffic figures and even conversions.
Opportunities for Nurturing Relationships with Consumers
Creating optimized content isn’t just a simple SEO benefit that aims to increase clicks. SEO-friendly content also allows your business to connect with potential buyers at various stages of the buyer’s journey, from the research phases to making a purchase. Good SEO will enable you to nurture your relationship with them, helping cross every stage of the sales funnel with ease.
Drive Sales and Leads
Naturally, businesses wouldn’t invest in SEO if it didn’t lead to any improvements in their bottom line. SEO is an excellent tool for generating highly qualified leads and driving business sales. Ultimately, every benefit of search engine optimization leads to this point. For instance, a well-optimized product page with a user-friendly web design, a well-laced call-to-action, and the right product description can be reason enough to click “buy.”
Common Misconceptions: Is SEO Worth the Money?
Many business owners may question the value of search engine optimization. They may be hesitant due to the following misconceptions they have about these strategies.
“SEO Is Overly Expensive”
Like all digital marketing services, SEO comes at a cost. Outsourcing SEO services can cost from $150 to $15,000, depending on many factors. Conversely, when opting for in-house services, you must hire or contract new talent to manage your campaigns.
SEO will cost you no matter how you look at it, but if you do it right, the return on your investment can be substantial. It is believed that for every dollar you invest in optimization, you get two dollars in return. Data suggests that in some instances, it can be even better: In the case of eCommerce, SEO may yield returns on investment ranging from 700% to 900%.
“It Takes Forever to See Results”
Unlike PPC, SEO isn’t a hundred-yard dash, yielding instant returns. On average, even a stellar SEO strategy will take around three to six months to deliver solid returns. Still, the main advantage is that SEO will keep working for you 24/7 once it starts, without needing consistent funding to drive profit.
Published SEO content won’t drive traffic for just a day or two after publication. However, if optimized correctly, it can continue to do so for years to come.
“It’s Cheating”
Cheating in this context refers to black-hat SEO tactics like mindless keyword stuffing, misspelled keywords, and paid-for backlinking. Fortunately, these cheap tactics no longer work, and most reputable agencies and experts don’t rely on them anymore. The consequences, like being de-indexed, can damage a brand’s online reputation, reducing trust and impacting the bottom line.
“It Requires Too Much”
It can be confirmed that even the best SEO strategy needs several previously addressed aspects to work right. This may include taking a closer look at your web design, development, and content writing prowess. It’s only natural that SEO is getting increasingly complex as technology advances, but hiring a full-service digital marketing agency can help you get your website ready for a total digital overhaul.
SEO Worth Takeaways
You’ve probably heard that content is king in the digital and marketing world. However, your content is only as valuable as it is visible. In other words, you may have the best products and services in your industry, but if your website gets lost in the bottomless ocean of the internet, chances are, your magnificence will go unnoticed.
In that sense, SEO isn’t just worth it; it’s a necessary long-term investment in modern marketing.
Is SEO Worth It? FAQs
Is it necessary to do SEO?
SEO is still a paramount digital strategy because search engines aren’t perfect. Improper link structures may lead to search engines not crawling and indexing your website. Coding irregularities or errors may also block search engines from accessing your site, leaving you out of the rankings altogether.
Is SEO still relevant in 2024?
SEO is still a wise investment to attract new business and raise brand awareness. Even though more time-consuming and less intuitive than paid advertising, it’s still an excellent long-term investment that can help you neuter your existing marketing accomplishments and relationships with your customers.
Think about it like this: would you invest in something that will drive traffic to your site organically or in other strategies requiring you to constantly pay for every visit?
Will SEO be relevant in the future?
For the last few decades, SEO has managed to withstand every algorithm update Google and other search engines threw at it. That said, SEO experts will probably adjust to the new challenges posed by the latest tech, such as AI, voice optimization, UX advancements, and ever-changing regulatory and privacy concerns.
