As the head of a brand’s marketing efforts, CMOs expend a lot of time and money on search engine optimization (SEO). It’s an important consideration for all online brands, but if you’ve been wrapped up in social media marketing, Google Ads, and other paid marketing efforts, you may have overlooked some key aspects of SEO.
It is Multi-Faceted
Running an SEO campaign is not as simple as paying a writer to create a few dozen articles or purchasing links on high-authority sites. There are many elements, which is why big companies usually turn to experienced consultants and teams who can create a multi-pronged strategy that includes:
- Technical SEO: Covers aspects relating to development and design, all of which are geared toward improving user experience. It includes mobile optimization, page speed, and streamlined navigation.
- Off-Page SEO: This element of SEO is all about showing Google that you are a respected brand connected to high-authority websites. It includes backlinking and building a strong presence away from the brand’s website.
- On-Page SEO: This is where those blogs and keywords come in, with a clear focus on relevance and originality.
It Offers a Low Cost Per Acquisition
SEO is not cheap. There are SEO consultants, writers, editors, and designers—you need a team of professionals creating quality content. There are certainly cheaper ways of getting all that done, but it’s still a fairly big expense that could take a chunk of your marketing budget.
However, once the content has been indexed and starts climbing the rankings, you should see a significant increase in traffic. Assuming you’re creating relevant content, all of that traffic will be targeted and has a high chance of converting.
You’re not paying for each impression or click—just put the content out there, hold those high rankings, and everything else will come naturally.
It Protects a Brand’s Reputation
SEO can shape a customer’s perception of your brand.
In addition to ranking highly for product categories and types, you should also be pushing out content that increases brand name exposure. That way, if someone searches for your brand or products, they’re more likely to see content that you specifically created or curated for them.
That could mean positive reviews on user review sites where you have some kind of control (claimed profiles, review responses, dealing with complaints) or testimonials and other content on your own site.
One of the first things that customers will do when they discover your site is Google you and check your reputation. With a good SEO strategy, you can control what they see.
It Takes Time to Get Results
You want instant results from your marketing campaigns. It’s only natural. Whether it was a success or not, those results will tell you if you need to make changes, try something new, or keep going.
It’s not that easy with SEO, though.
It takes a long time to plan and implement a good SEO strategy and even longer to see results. It could be months before you start climbing the rankings and experience any worthwhile increase in traffic.
Stay patient and keep working. The results will come in time.
It’s Not a One-and-Done Strategy
An SEO strategy is not something you create, implement, and then leave.
Once you fix the technical aspects of your site, run keyword reports, plan your content, and then create everything, you still need to make regular tweaks. Good content should be accurate and up to date—don’t leave dated content on your site. If you’re adding new guides, they should be linked internally from other pages. And then you have the backlinks, which establish authority and industry relevance.
Optimal Strategies are Constantly Changing
Another reason SEO needs regular maintenance is that the Google algorithm is constantly changing. What works today may not work tomorrow—you could be flying high at the top of the rankings, only for a single update to decimate your hard work.
The good news is that Google is steadily moving toward a system that rewards the best content, so as long as you’re focusing on great content written with users in mind, you’ll be good. The bad news is that it doesn’t really know what good content looks like, so it relies on a series of metrics that aren’t always easy to manipulate.
That’s why the big brands spend so much money on SEO, and it’s why SEO consultants are in high demand after major algorithm updates.
It Can Assist with Other Marketing Efforts
Your organic rankings won’t improve just because you’ve pumped a small fortune into Google Ads. However, your SEO strategy can increase engagement and potentially help with conversions.
Technical SEO creates a better user experience while content keeps your users engaged and informed. Product descriptions don’t just boost your ranking, they also tell your customers what they need to know before they make a purchasing decision.
As noted above, SEO is largely geared toward enhancing the user experience, and when you get that right, you should see an improvement in conversions across your site.
There are Many Metrics to Track
Increased traffic is obviously one of the main goals of an SEO campaign, but if you’re targeting the wrong people, you could get all the traffic and none of the sales.
It’s better to target 100 relevant customers that are ready and willing to buy your products than 10,000 general visitors who have no interest in it.
So, while you should track visitor numbers, it’s more important to focus on metrics such as conversion rate and average order value, as these will have a bigger impact on your bottom line.
Summary: Hire an Expert for Your SEO Strategy
SEO is important, but it’s not easy, it’s not guaranteed, and it’s not cheap. With the right plan and a skilled SEO expert on your side, however, it can be a cost-effective way to promote your brand and sell more products.
Contact us today to learn more about the SEO services that we provide. We can work with businesses of all sizes and help you push your business up the rankings.
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