The Business Case for Search Engine Optimization
February 2nd, 2009
In the current economic times, many franchisors and business owners are looking at what they can do to increase traffic, sales and lead generating in a very concrete and cost effective way. One of the options is to look at the combination of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Optimization (SMO).
There are a number of common reasons to invest in Search Engine Optimization in order to increase lead generation:
- Cost: the costs of SEO are very low compared to traditional marketing (print, radio, television) per lead generated.
- Measurability: SEO results are very easy to measure and modify and test different theories and then see the results.
- ROI: Return on Investment can be calculated very quickly – if you know how much it is worth to you to obtain one new prospect, the payoff for SEO can be seen rapidly.
- Lead Quality: SEO is ‘pull marketing’ – the quality of leads is very high because the leads you do generate are people who are searching for what you are offering, so they are likely to be solid leads. Unlike traditional push marketing that goes out to everyone who sees it, pull marketing attracts prospects who already have the intent to purchase, so if your offering meets their need and you gain their confidence, the sale is likely to complete very quickly.
- Payoff over Time: SEO has a long payoff period – it continues to generate results over the long term (and, in fact, as you add more content over time, the results get stronger). This is also called Passive Business Development.
- Branding: SEO is helpful in building both your brand and your credibility/authority. Many people these days do a web search as the first ‘check-up’ on companies they are considering doing business with – the results they find will have a potentially strong effect on their eventual decision. As much as possible, you want their first impression to be the one that you want, that speaks to your brand benefits and values.
- Competitive Edge: Good SEO can put you far ahead of your competitors. Although most people are aware that they should be doing some form of SEO, so many are still not doing it, or not doing it well, that there is lots of opportunity to gain a competitive advantage and be seen to stand out.
Share