Golden Retriever Lacey in tall grass

ROI of SEO

Golden Retriever Lacey in tall grass

ROI of SEO

/ SEO / By

Golden Retriever Lacey in tall grass

Definition of SEO

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the practice of improving your position and brand visibility on search engine response pages (SERPs) in order to increase the likelihood of either organic traffic to your website or a future conversion.

Why SEO Improves Revenue and Return on Investment:

  • SEO’s goal is to 1. appear for more search queries and 2. to appear higher in search results thus improving Click through rate.
  • Higher Click through rate means more clicks to your site.
  • More clicks to your site means more traffic.
  • More traffic improves goal conversions.
  • More goal conversions means more revenue.

So what’s the ROI Formula?

(Average Lifetime Revenue Value of a New Customer –  *”Cost of Me”) ÷ *”Cost of Me” = ROI

(*cost of me includes SEO software, support from agency programmers, multiple checks and balances from account managers, and client reporting, but let’s be honest, I’m the real draw here.)

What are some key SEO performance indicators?

  • SERP position
    • KW position ranking – Where do you appear on search engine results in relation to your competition? 
  • Google Analytics
    • Organic Traffic
      • This is what SEO is all about.  More people on your website.
    • Local SEO Traffic (Google My Business).
    • Conversions
      • Did they Call? Did they fill out a form? Did you get their email Address?
    • Engagement
      • How many pages did they look at?  How long were they on your site?
    • Exit pages
      • Do you have a high bounce rate? Or, did they only exit after seeing a contact page?
    • Visitor Quality
      • Bounce rate, duration and pages per visit can be loaded metrics. Conversion rate is everything.  
  • Domain/Page Authority
    • Another metric that is an indicator and should only be used as a competitive measurement or self improvement gauge.
  • Referral traffic through links built for SEO.
    • External links are not just for web crawlers, your link building efforts can reap real benefits if the referrals are well placed.
  • Call Tracking.
    • We at Whiteboard love to track calls, no, we’re not stalking you, we are building a 1 to 1 relationship between a conversion and our client customer lists, this way we can confidently attribute a call to the correct marketing channel.  
  • Brand Recognition
    • Impressions on Search Engines are viewed even when they are not clicked.  Build reach and frequency by putting your name in front of searchers as frequently as possible.

Why SEO has a high rate of return compared to other media:

  • SEO lasts longer than other media.
    • Yes, SEO does begin to deteriorate as soon as you stop making improvements, however, it does not shut off at a moment’s notice like other media such as PPC, TV, or radio.
  • Organic search is often times the primary source of traffic.
    • Unless you have a considerable budget, there is a good chance that your organic traffic is going to be both your primary source of users as well as conversions.
  • SEO can be cheaper than other paid search strategies.
    • Remember, you are only paying for me!  With PPC there is always a cost per click, with SEO there is position and as long as the keyword has significant search volume, your average cost per click should be relatively low.
  • SEO Is Quantifiable.
    • See above for your KPI’s.  If your agency can’t quantify your SEO, give me a call.
  • SEO offers credibility and trust to your audience.
    • Organic search results account for 70% of clicks even though Ads appear above them on results pages.
  • SEO can help your users move down the marketing Funnel by pre-qualifying them.
    • Pre-qualified users are closer to the bottom of the funnel.  SEO is far superior to media like display ads in this respect.
  • You can get more customers and more traffic with local SEO.
    • What a great opportunity to both mention the importance of Google My Business and demonstrate how internal linking can help SEO. Check out this blog article on Google my Business.
  • Speed of technology/innovation/keeping up.
    • Don’t stop doing SEO, the moment you do, your competition closes the gap and may outrank you.

Still Doubtful That You Need SEO?  Check Out The Stats.

  • 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
  • 85% of people never scroll past the first page of search engines.
  • 70%-80% of people ignore paid search results, choosing to only click on organic listings.
  • And even more stats from Search Engine Journal here.

Does your business need an SEO company in Columbus?? Yes, because if you are not improving but your competition is, they will surpass you sooner or later.  As your competition moves ahead of you in search results, your new customer count, new revenue and ROI will begin to fall. Every company with a website needs SEO.  Don’t know where to start? Click here to start a conversation.   

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