Is search engine optimization effective?
The Internet is a breeding ground for “get rich quick” schemes. This is especially true in SEO. If you’ve been in business, you’ve no doubt received (possibly quite frequently) a plethora of guaranteed bargain offers. Because of all the blatantly false advertising, SEO seems to get a bad rap. It is discarded, but should it be?
What is SEO?
In our search for the truth about SEO, we must first understand what it is before we can determine its effectiveness. SEO or search engine optimization is a branch of online marketing that deals with getting your site to appear in search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) for specific search terms. For example, if you sell birds in your store, you might want customers to see your name when they type “talking parrot” into Google. To get featured, you’ll want to use search engine optimization.
Some points of order! (This is important)
Now that we understand what SEO is, let’s take a look at some common phrases you’ll hear from bad SEO marketers (RUN!). We can guarantee you a number one spot on Google! This is impossible. First, as you can see in this year’s latest PANDA update on Google, the rules can change. Second, your search results are a representation of how important and how similar your site is to the search terms compared to your competition.
If your competition has a better SEO program and is considered more important, it will rank above you. We can guarantee you X results per month! (sales, hits, etc.) See above! Again, sales (conversions) are the result of not only targeted traffic to your site, but also qualified traffic (i.e. customers ready to buy your specific product).
They must also find what they are looking for (ie your site is optimized). Now I guarantee you something! The person making that claim is most likely a sales rep with little or no SEO experience. They are also most likely looking at your site for the first time as they make their umpteenth cold call of the day. Sensing a pattern? Run away from companies that guarantee things.
Does SEO ever work?
OF COURSE! A well-executed SEO program can and does generate millions of dollars per month for quite a few companies, such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc. When you need to find directions to a new restaurant, reviews, want to buy a new device, etc. where do you turn? Google! All the others too. If your business appears on page one for important and relevant search terms, you’ll see new visitors. Assuming your website and content are targeted correctly, this will lead to new sales.
Track your results
Your new campaign is now up and running. Congratulations! How effective is it? Usually when I ask this question about past marketing, I get a glassy look of confusion. To be truly effective, any marketing program must be backed by detailed metrics and analytics. Nothing will be perfect from the start and a good marketer will modify the SEO campaign as the months go by to ensure effectiveness. It will also provide a detailed analytics report beyond that I made these links this month.
Patience is a virtue
One of the most frequently asked questions in any search engine optimization campaign is when can I expect results. Unfortunately, many business owners are under the mistaken impression that they can double their money in a month with SEO. This is sadly false. A well-executed search engine optimization campaign can take up to 3 months to get up and running and see concrete results. It will probably take 6-12 months to see dramatic increases in sales.
Keep in mind that these are estimates largely determined by the amount of money spent on the SEO campaign and the stiffness of the competition. (ie if you want to rank in the top 3 for the online store (about 945,000,000 results) in 6 months with $100 per month in the campaign, it won’t happen). To summarize, a search engine optimization program can be vital to your business. However, for that to happen, it must be well-functioning, well-maintained, and analyzed.