Many business owners and marketing directors have an overwhelming understanding of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). They have a constant desire to learn more and more about Google algorithm updates and the latest tools….. said no-one ever.
Hold on. At this point, some of you might be thinking; “What the heck is Search Engine Optimization?” If this is you, take a moment, hold out your hand, and then slap it moderately, but firmly. This is something you should already know about, but better later than never. SEO is the skill of increasing a web-page’s rankings for relevant search terms. Basically, if you’re a baker, you want your web-page to show up when someone searches “bakery near me” or something similar. SEO is what makes that possible. The more relevant your website is, and the more aligned it is with Google’s algorithm, the higher you rank in someone’s search results.
While search engines are by far the most common outlet for people to find products, services, or information, SEO is still something that is greatly neglected by businesses. Google processes over 40,000 search requests every second, and over 3.5 billion each day. Needless to say, they are keeping busy. With so many searches being performed, how can any business NOT be focusing on where they rank in Google searches? If you aren’t focusing on SEO then you’re missing out on a TON of business.
Below are the common objections we hear from people who aren’t focusing on SEO right now. Which one is you?
It’s Too Expensive
SEO isn’t cheap, i’ll give you that. It’s a skill that takes a lot of work and constant studying since the algorithm that determines the results changes nearly every month. As you can see in this article from Search Engine Watch, SEO retainers can cost anywhere from $750 – $5,000 a month. If you are considered a small business going after a local market, you can expect to be on the lower half of that scale.
If you’re holding out for someone to do your SEO for cheap then you’re going to get some unpleasant results. SEOs that charge suspiciously low fees are almost guaranteed to be using unethical tactics that will result in a penalty by Google. The cost of maintaining a proper SEO campaign with an experienced firm or individual will return your investment ten-fold.
I Don’t Understand It
That’s okay! I don’t understand exactly how my flatscreen TV works, but you can rest assured that I will be watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones when I get home tonight. You don’t have to understand how something works to benefit from it, you just need to understand the rewards.
With that being said, it is always a good idea to at least know the basics of the outlets your marketing dollars are being used for. We encourage all of our clients to learn as much as they are comfortable about the services they are receiving, and even offer training sessions to be sure they are in the loop with what we are doing and the strategies behind it all. If you’d like to learn more, Moz provides a great article on the basics of SEO here.
The Last Person Who Did My SEO Sucked
Hey, I get it. You had a bad experience with someone, and now you’re skeptical. That’s totally understandable. Last year, I got a haircut and the lady did a hack job on my head that made it look like I stopped halfway through my own Britney Spears meltdown of 2007. But did I swear off getting my hair cut again? Absolutely not. I found someone else who had more experience and got it done right. That’s exactly what you need to do.
The right SEO will ask a lot of questions about your business and goals. They will need to if they want to provide the best results. They won’t promise you quick results because they know there is no “secret sauce” to getting to the top, but only organic efforts that result in natural growth. At Proximo Marketing, we do a deep dive into our client’s goals, form a comprehensive strategy, and are very forward with our clients about our expectations and goals for our campaigns. What you don’t want is someone that just tells you what you want to hear. You can learn more about what to look for in an SEO firm here.
It Takes Too Long
It does take time. People like instant results and can get impatient when they are paying for something they aren’t seeing the benefit of. Just expect the results to start showing somewhere between 3-6 months after starting. You can learn more about how long SEO results should take here. It’s something that you want done correctly and within the search engine’s rules. The people who promise instant results are tricking the search engines in some way and you will be penalized harshly in the long run. Slow and steady wins the race.
Those are the main objections, but of course there are more. Investing in SEO is something that may be new to you, but future you will be giving you a high five for taking the leap. It’s 2017 and all of your competitors are focusing on it and reaping the rewards of business that could be yours, so it’s time to jump on the bandwagon and get it done better.
From a Millennial to You, Take the Risk