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The cost of SEO: Here's why you should invest in SEO

Posted on
June 13, 2024
Tania Devi
Executive Director
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For the average business, the idea of investing in SEO is more powerful than you might think. Providing a practical, effective, and organic way to enhance the visibility of your business, SEO should be anything but an afterthought for companies looking to grow online. So when it comes to tight marketing budgets and allocating funds where you can, why should SEO be at the top of your digital marketing list?

Read on to find out more about why SEO is essential for your business, rather than an extra. We’ve covered all you need to know to understand how powerful SEO can be – when it’s carried out by the right people. For increased sales, enhanced click-through rates, and better visibility than ever before, SEO is the place to start.

What is SEO?

The first step to understanding the importance of SEO is knowing what this type of digital marketing means. SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, encompasses a range of different techniques and skills designed to work with search engines. These methods help your business fall in line with the required algorithms and get on the good side of search giants like Google. By investing in the optimization of your business and website, your brand is far more likely to be seen by all the right people.

SEO provides a practical and organic way to invest in your business. Paid-for clicks through PPC and paid advertising are valuable for companies; there’s no denying that. But for the customers you’re trying to reach, SEO provides a way to get in touch with them that isn’t overtly selling to them. For your audience, appearing genuine should be one of your top concerns.

SEO provides more truthful, sincere, and trustworthy visibility to your business – helping to build customer trust and establish a relationship with potential buyers.

Why is investing in SEO important?

SEO is so crucial to businesses because it sets you apart from your competition. If other companies in your field or niche aren’t investing in SEO, then it instantly places you ahead of them when it comes to those essential search rankings. With millions of searches taking place every minute, shoppers' attention spans are shorter than ever. Reaching the top three results on a page with SEO can mean a substantial difference in the visibility and accessibility of your business to the customers you’d like to target.

Of course, SEO isn’t just important because it works with Google’s bots and algorithms. A well-designed and properly executed SEO-friendly website also holds plenty of value to your customers. Meeting modern optimization standards means creating content that’s relevant to your audience, valuable to them, and enhances their experience of your business. Investing in SEO doesn’t just get your business seen – it also enhances your appearance and authority in the eyes of your customer base.

As a long-term investment for your business, SEO doesn’t have the up-front ‘buzz’ or instant results as PPC advertising, or even social media promotions. But it sets your company up for success in the long-term, ensuring that customers come to you time and time again even when those paid promotions have run out. PPC is all about direct, instant conversions – but SEO is vastly more successful and cost-effective over time than paid advertising could be. For sales and promotions, paid advertising is the way to go – but for customer loyalty, long-term visibility, and industry leadership, SEO is the place to start.

How to justify the cost of an SEO investment

While SEO can seem like a high up-front cost, when you consider the long-term benefits of investing in optimization, the price tag attached to professional SEO services seems far less prohibitive. While, as mentioned above, PPC and other paid advertising provide an instant boost in customers, SEO plays the long game. That means the benefits continue for months or even years following the first implementation, helping you grow your customer base organically and naturally.

As a more sustainable form of digital marketing, the cost of SEO is outweighed entirely by the benefits. While you won’t receive the same influx of customers, you’re more likely to develop long relationships with customers, as well as repeat visits. Effective optimization helps to place your business as an expert and leader in your field. By repeatedly achieving those top rankings, you’re providing to your audience that you’re a long-standing, professional company that they can trust.

Budgets for digital marketing can change and wane depending on the current status of your business, especially for smaller companies. But investing in SEO can mean your current budget doesn’t affect the long-term success of your business. Professional, well-executed SEO can ensure your business is visible, accessible, and valuable to your customers for years to come. SEO isn’t just beneficial in terms of getting the right people to see your business. In essence, it’s also financially beneficial, encouraging repeat custom and making your business appear more qualified and professional in the eyes of potential consumers.

Investing in the right SEO agency

So, how can you invest in SEO as effectively as possible? Working with professionals is the ideal choice for the majority of businesses, providing all the expertise needed to maximize your optimization results. An SEO consultancy supports businesses to achieve far better results for your money than you could accomplish in-house. As a long-term, practical model, investing in quality SEO services isn’t just about the immediate benefits to your business – it’s also about the long-term effectiveness, relevance, and compliance of your business.

It may be tempting to attempt SEO for yourself, especially if you’re a small business. But it’s just as easy to fall foul of the Google algorithm with poorly handled SEO as it is to succeed with the best methodology. Keyword stuffing, content with no value, and less-than-effective link building can all lead to your website losing its footing in the search rankings, instead of reaching that higher ground. With a professional service, you’re in good hands – for SEO that lasts, is sustainable and does all it needs to.

If you’re considering implementing effective SEO for your business, then getting in touch with Segment SEO should be your number one choice. We support many companies to achieve incredible optimization results across a broad spectrum of markets and industries. Contact us today to find out more about how our expertise could benefit your business.

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