Assessing the Value of Regular SEO Services for Local Businesses
Firstly, to grasp the concept of SEO, one must understand Digital Marketing overall and how SEO fits within it. The advent of digital marketing revolutionized traditional methods such as TV and print advertising. As brick and mortar giants like Sears and Toys R Us fell, online platforms like Amazon flourished. Instead of reading newspapers or magazines, people turned to YouTube and Google. The change was so drastic that nowadays, people "Facebook" more than they physically scrapbook. With this shift in behavior, your online presence has become significantly more important than print advertising.
Amazon may not be the pinnacle of online advancements but it certainly stands as a key player. It is now the 7th largest retailer despite not having a physical storefront. Its market capitalization has surpassed that of Walmart...and it's just getting started.
The most impactful digital marketing channels are search marketing, social media, and display advertising with email marketing playing a significant role as well. In 2017, spending on digital marketing surpassed money spent on TV advertising. Among all these mediums, search engines stand as the most important channel in digital marketing.
According to SEO.com, around 200 billion searches are conducted each month using search engines. By 2019 they predict that over 236 million people in the USA will be utilizing search engines for their needs. Notably, 66% of marketers prioritize increasing their organic presence online while 72% of users searching for local stores on their mobile devices end up visiting those stores. Social media only accounts for about 3% of website traffic on average while search engines drive most sales online and lead to significant web traffic.
Given these points, we can establish that (1) digital marketing is more important than traditional mediums like TV and (2) search engines are the driving force behind online sales. This makes search engine marketing vital to any marketing strategy. Sponsored search (PPC) and organic search are the two types of search engine marketing with SEO being a more cost-effective and high ROI method when done right.
Therefore, when considering "Is it worth paying for monthly SEO services?" you must understand what's at stake if your business isn't indexed by these major search engines. It's a valuable way of driving business given that only referrals surpass search-based traffic in effectiveness. Search engines expose your website to individuals who are actively seeking the goods/services you provide at the time they need them. Investing in SEO is simply a logical strategy given that millions of people conduct searches for numerous items every day resulting in numerous potential leads.
But why isn't a one-time SEO effort sufficient rather than an ongoing strategy? The thing is, SEO isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. Websites don't jump from ranking #1000 on Google to #1 overnight. Gaining trust from these engines takes time, especially considering Google updates its algorithm over 500 times yearly and takes into account over 200 "signals" when ranking websites. Given how frequently changes occur within these systems, continued SEO efforts are crucial to maintain decent rankings. Things have dramatically changed since three years ago, and while one company might not be able to maintain an ongoing SEO project, their competitors might be doing so which could affect their ranking negatively.
Despite all this, many SEO companies fail to deliver what they promise either due to incompetence or malicious intent towards customers. While the theory of SEO holds great potential for businesses, its practical application through many service providers leaves much to be desired. Therefore, take your time selecting a competent, honest, and affordable SEO service provider. Don't be swayed by eloquent sales pitches but instead verify their track record and capability.