For those organizations who have been considering diving into the world of digital marketing, as opposed to traditional marketing, figuring out where to start can be a challenge. The best way to be successful when launching a new marketing campaign in the digital space, however, is to create a foundation for all future digital marketing strategies.
The best way to go about this is by utilizing search engine optimization strategies (SEO) first, so that future marketing campaigns have a better chance of success. Learn the key benefits and downsides of using SEO to be aware of.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
First and foremost, it’s important to look at what exactly search engine optimization is. In short, SEO refers to a set of practices that have the common goal of increasing the number of organic visitors to a website who are likely to take action on that site in a way that drives profitability to the business.
Companies based in a number of different fields can take advantage of this, with even search engine optimization law firms, as an example, being able to overpower competition through unique strategies.
How Does Search Engine Optimization Work?
Understanding what SEO refers to is one thing but understanding how it works is something else entirely. Once a website has been built for a business, it has simply just become one of the 1.13 billion websites on the Internet as of today. However, 82% of these websites are inactive, meaning potential customers need to sift through millions upon millions of useless sites.
Search engine optimization helps rank your website higher on search engines so that relevant customers are guided to your website faster, thus increasing the likelihood of turning that prospective customer into a paying customer.
SEO strategies such as developing a relevant blog, structuring a website to be readable and easy to digest, and adding accreditations and backlinks to your website are some of the most prominent strategies for accomplishing this goal.
5 Key Benefits of SEO
Before diving into the world of search engine optimization, it’s important for a person to look at some of the key benefits associated with an SEO strategy. In particular, there are five main benefits to keep at the top of mind:
1. The ability to reach more customers
First and foremost, developing an effective SEO strategy allows a business to reach more potential customers who are interested in their product or service. The first page of Google captures 71% of website clicks which is why developing an SEO strategy is so important. By getting on the first page, or even the second page, your site will be exposed to the majority of visitors.
2. The ability to establish your brand as a subject matter expert
Building out a blog on your website is a quick way to become a subject matter expert in a field, as readers will continue to turn towards your page in the future. This will result in them speaking with others about the credibility of your site and brand in general.
3. The ability to build more trust with potential customers
Building off of the former point, website visitors will begin to trust your brand more through reading your blog and reviewing the accreditations you have posted on your website. This trust will help increase the chance that a prospective customer becomes a customer.
4. The ability to publish new content
Having a blog on your website is unique in that it allows you to establish yourself as an expert in your field while also giving your company creative freedom. Different topics can be posted on your blog, but using it to educate readers about why your brand and products may be the best is a great benefit.
5. The ability to drive organic traffic to a site
Finally, driving more traffic to a website is one thing, but it means nothing if that traffic does nothing on your site. SEO helps drive organic traffic to a website that is more likely to interact with the site, whether that is clicking an ad or purchasing something from your company.
5 Key Downsides of SEO
While there are some key benefits to using an SEO strategy, there are also some prominent downsides that companies should consider before launching their strategy:
1. The cost associated with implementing SEO
Getting an SEO strategy in place will not be easy and will certainly come with unforeseen costs. These costs could include ongoing website maintenance, the cost for website plugins, and more IT expenditures in general.
2. The fact that you are not an SEO specialist
Unless your company is in the marketing space already, it’s more than likely that you are not an SEO expert. This means that there will be bumps in the road during implementation. Even if you hire an SEO expert to help with the process, there will be a cost associated with this that you may not want to pay.
3. The ongoing time commitment
Building out an SEO strategy is not done overnight and there will be a serious time commitment required. This time commitment may not be something a business can afford depending on their industry, which is important to keep in mind.
4. The lack of profit when just starting
Naturally, building out your SEO strategy will not result in instant profits overnight, but this is something that all companies are not aware of. It will take time before the return on investment comes which may cause some companies to give up too early on the strategy.
5. The results are never guaranteed
As with any marketing strategy, there are never guaranteed results from SEO. This means that you may not succeed in your efforts which can be frustrating, especially if there was a large investment put into the process.
The Bottom Line
Developing an effective SEO strategy is no easy feat and will certainly require a lot of effort, especially considering that your business may not be in the marketing space currently. However, by taking the time to learn everything there is to know about SEO and preparing for the potential downsides, a business can set themselves up for success in the future.
