Search engine optimization (SEO) can be worth it for many businesses and websites. SEO describes the practice of enhancing a website’s content and structure to improve its position in search engine results pages (SERPs) for targeted keywords and phrases. By optimizing your website for search engines such as Google & Bing, you can increase your visibility to potential customers who are searching for products or services similar to what you offer.
Table of Contents
- What Are the Benefits of Search Engine Optimization?
- How Do I know if SEO is Working?
- How Much Does SEO Cost?
- When is SEO Not Worth It?
What Are the Benefits of Search Engine Optimization?
I wrote another blog on why SEO is important that is more fleshed out. As a summary, SEO can provide a variety of benefits including:
- Increased website traffic: At its core, SEO is about improving the visibility of your website in search engine results pages, which can lead to increased website traffic.
- Better user experience: By optimizing your website for search engines, you also improve the user experience for your visitors. This can lead to higher engagement, longer time on site, and increased conversion rates.
- Long-term results: Unlike paid advertising, SEO is a long-term strategy that can continue to provide benefits over time.
- Competitive advantage: Investing in SEO can lead to outranking competition who has not put in the same effort.
SEO Stats
What better way to determine if search engine visibility is worth it than to look at the stats?
- BrightEdge found that 53.3% of web traffic comes from organic search
- According to BackLinko, the #1 result in Google Organic Search has an average click-through-rate of 27.6%.
- The same study found that only 0.63% of people searching on Google click a result on the second page.
- As of 2023, Google uses over 200 ranking factors to determine organic results
- 49% of respondents to a survey by SearchEngineJournal reported that organic search brings the highest return on investment
How Do I Know if SEO is Working?
To know if SEO is working, you can track and measure the performance of your website using various metrics. Some key performance indicators to determine if your SEO efforts are effective include organic traffic, keyword rankings, and organic conversions.
Organic Traffic
Organic traffic refers to visitors who find your website through organic search results. By tracking organic traffic, you can see if your website is receiving more traffic from search engines as a result of your SEO efforts. Many SEO agencies will provide a report monthly, quarterly, or yearly showing growth of organic traffic compared to a previous period.
Keyword Rankings
Keyword rankings refers to the position of your website in search results for specific keywords. By tracking your keyword rankings, you can see if your website is ranking higher in search results as a result of your SEO efforts. The more keywords you have ranking at the top of search results, the more opportunity exists for users to find your website.
Organic Conversions
Organic conversions are important because they indicate that your website is providing value to visitors and that your SEO efforts are leading to meaningful interactions with your website. By tracking organic conversions, you can see if your SEO efforts are effectively driving conversions and adjust your strategy as needed to improve performance.
How Much Does SEO Cost?
SEO pricing can fluctuate based on various factors such as the size of the website, industry competition, project scope, and SEO services required. Typically, SEO costs between a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month. Some SEO agencies or consultants may charge a one-time fee for an SEO audit or initial optimization work, while others may offer ongoing SEO services through a monthly retainer.
According to Ahrefs, here are some stats regarding the price of SEO services:
- A retainer is used by 78.2% of SEO professionals
- A monthly retainer between $501-$1000 is most commonly used
- An hourly rate of $75-$100 is the most popular pricing
- A one time rate of $2501-$5000 is most common for one time projects
- Agencies and consultants generally charge significantly more than freelancers
It’s important to note that SEO is a long-term investment and results may take several months to appear. As such, it’s important to work with a reputable SEO agency or consultant that can provide transparent pricing and reporting to ensure that you’re getting the most value for your investment.
When is SEO Not Worth It?
Even though I am an SEO specialist, I do not blindly recommend it to everyone. SEO can be beneficial for many businesses and websites, but there are some cases where SEO may not be the best fit or provide significant benefits.
If you are focused on short-term results, such as immediate sales, then SEO may not be the best strategy for you. SEO is a long-term game that requires time and investment to see results. In this case, I would recommend digital marketing strategies such as Google Ads or social media marketing.
Another instance where SEO may not be worth it is if you have a terrible website. A website that is poorly designed, has slow loading times, or has poor user experience will face challenges when it comes to ranking in search results, regardless of SEO efforts. Focusing on a website redesign will make a future SEO strategy easier and help drive organic traffic to convert.
Is Search Engine Optimization Worth It For You? Let’s Talk.
Not sure if SEO is worth it for your business or website? Contact me today for a free consultation and learn how my SEO or other digital marketing services can help you achieve your goals.
