Funding your SEO Strategy: Investing in the Future of your Business

While passion remains integral to small business success, it can also be a debilitating factor when it comes to making clear and concise decisions. Your individual experiences and fundamental beliefs as a business owner can alter the course of your thinking over time, meaning that you make decisions based on your subjective opinion rather than commercial common sense.

When it comes to funding an SEO (search engine optimization) strategy, for example, you may be guided by any previous experience that you have had with the technique. This is a flawed philosophy, however, as one failed attempt to boost a businesses search engine ranking does not render the entire concept as ineffective. In fact, there are several benefits to using SEO, and if applied correctly it can deliver significant financial returns for your business.

Why you Should Invest in a Purposeful SEO Strategy

Before you consider your firms annual budget, it is worth addressing the benefits of a purposeful SEO strategy and its potential to boost bottom line profit. For example -

• The Changing face of SEO and Internet Marketing: The attitude of some business owners is to implement an in-house SEO strategy, as this saves them money while still enabling them to compete in their marketplace. SEO and Internet marketing are evolutionary concepts, however, which means that they are liable to change according to industry parameters, technological advancements and changing consumer behaviour. In order to ensure that your SEO strategy adapts to these changes and achieves its aims, it is wise to invest in a reputable service provider who has an in-depth knowledge of the art.

• Consumer Behaviour and the Online Revolution: SEO is a technique used to enhance a businesses online visibility, as marketers look to increase website traffic and sales conversion rates. It has become increasingly important as the online revolution has gathered momentum, with a growing number of consumers now sourcing, referencing and purchasing products remotely. The emergence of m-commerce has had a similar impact, as customers now have an additional medium through which to access online goods and make a purchase. Not only does this underline the importance of SEO as an online marketing tool, but it also allows you to accurately measure any return that you make on your investment.

• The Difference Between Organic and Black Hat SEO:  As with any practice that gains in popularity, SEO has become vulnerable to the machinations of unqualified individuals who are looking to make significant sums of money. This has led to the development of low cost, black hat SEO techniques which have gradually been undermined by Google and similar search engines. Organic SEO now represents the only way for a business to successfully establish a strong online presence, and this requires sustained and significant investment. With businesses that utilise black hat techniques now being punished, it is even more important that owners make a full commitment to organic SEO.