Is SEO Optimization Worth it?

If you or your business has an online presence, then you are likely familiar with SEO—search engine optimization. The thing about SEO is that it requires a large time and effort commitment in order to achieve optimization.  This predicament brings up the question, “should I focus more on PPC and other traffic-driving sources, rather than organic SEO?” Let’s explore whether or not search engine optimization is truly worth it.

Is SEO Optimization Practical for Small Businesses?

Search engine optimization is not only practical, but it is crucial for small businesses. Businesses without an online presence on search engines such as Google or Bing have a prominent competitive disadvantage. Unfortunately, when small businesses are forced to reduce spending, marketing budgets are commonly the first sectors to take a hit. This tends to peg SEO as less important than other business functions. Let’s compare SEO and PPC, delving into when SEO optimization is worth it and when it’s not.

SEO vs. PPC

A business with a successful online presence will incorporate both search engine optimization, and pay per click advertising. Organic search results have much larger click-through rates than PPC services such as Google AdWords; research has proven this. Why is this the case? The strongest argument is that search engine users have been slowly coming to the realization that organic results provide higher value. The most obvious difference between these digital marketing areas is obviously cost. Every click you receive from a PPC campaign affects your budget. Organic SEO does not cost a dime to produce on its own! Creating high-quality content merely costs time. SEO services such as Yoast, Yext, and SEMrush can be expensive; however, most digital marketing consulting agencies have access to these tools and allocate their benefits to clients for immensely lower costs. Keep in mind, that PPC advertising should not be ignored, as it can generate leads and conversions if done effectively.

When SEO Optimization IS Worth it

• When you’re generating relevant traffic. If you generate large amounts of traffic, but few conversions, there is a problem. Targeting specific niches through keywords and other elements is crucial for generating leads and conversions.
• When you’re creating high-quality content. The benefits of this practice are nearly endless. Google favorably ranks high-quality posts and their corresponding website. Trust and credibility are built through valuable content creation and distribution, as well.
• When you’re using specific keywords. To attract relevant traffic, your keywords must reflect the offered product or service with close attention to detail. Most digital marketing agencies have expertise in keyword analysis and reporting.
• When you’re keeping pace with search engine algorithm updates. Google updates such as the Panda and Penguin updates have the potential to completely derail credible websites from the ranking tracks. If you have the ability to adapt to algorithm changes quickly, you can gain the upper hand on competitors when such events occur.
• When you’re willing to work or enlist help.
• When you have access to competitive SEO tools such as Ahrefs SEO Analysis, Majestic SEO Reporting, and other useful digital marketing instruments.

When SEO Optimization ISN’T Worth it

• When you’re looking for a quick traffic boost and can’t dedicate time and effort to long-term optimization.
• When you’re repeatably manufacturing low-quality content. Churning out 300-word blogs over and over is not an effective SEO practice. Search engines frown upon duplicate content, keyword stuffing, cloaking, and substandard guest blogs.

SEO Optimization is Important

Over 70% of search engine browsers scroll past Google ads in favor of organic results; primarily because people trust organic results to a further extent. Furthermore, search engine users are most likely to click on the top results on the search engine results page. (including advertisement results) Your website must be effectively optimized for SEO in order to appear at the top of SERPS. Hence, organic search traffic undoubtedly requires effective search engine optimization.

If you are trying to rank #1 for an uber-specific key phrase on Google, don’t give up—on average, the #1 position on Google results has a click-through rate of over 25%. This absurdly high CTR can become a treasure trove of leads and conversions if your website’s SEO is nurtured effectively. Last but not least, the traffic received from organic search results will commonly be of a higher quality than paid advertising. While paid ads allow micro-targeting, negative keyword identification can only do so much—you will often find yourself paying high prices for searches that have nothing to do with your product or service offering. Organic search results do not financially penalize site-owners for accidental clicks.

SunCity Advising Specializes in SEO Optimization

When it comes to SEO, the SunCity team focuses on technical frameworks, competitor research, keyword optimization, content creation and curation, channel integration, user-experience, and continuous improvement. SunCity has worked with small, medium, and large businesses to fulfill client SEO optimization needs. The agency also has expertise in lead generation, PPC, social media, web design, and more. A healthy balance of all of these digital marketing areas can help your business compete and win against industry competitors. Visit our website to obtain a free listing scan and SEO report card, or simply contact us with any questions.