How to Get the Best ROI on SEO
Search engine optimisation, or SEO in short, refers to the optimisation of a website or web content with the aim of improving its ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). It should be noted, however, that SEO is distinct from the concept of search engine advertising (SEA), which is an online marketing strategy based on paid advertising through search engine platforms like Google and Bing. Instead, SEO is centred around improving organic search traffic.
Essentially, the goal of most SEO efforts is to ensure that content ranks as high up on relevant SERPs as possible. Achieving this will increase the chances that a search engine user will click that specific link and visit the website or access the content in question. Put simply, the higher up a link appears, the more likely it is to be clicked.
With that being said, investing in search engine optimisation is not guaranteed to produce an intended outcome. For this to occur, the best strategies need to be adopted. In this article, we will explore how to get the best return on investment for SEO so that you can generate relevant website traffic and achieve marketing objectives.
Understanding the Value of SEO
First, it is worth taking the time to understand the value of search engine optimisation as a concept. The purpose of an SEO strategy is to increase the amount of organic traffic generated. Organic traffic refers to website traffic that comes from search engines but not from clicks on paid search engine advertisements.
Many search engine users are automatically suspicious of paid advertisements and prioritise organic search results instead. SEO provides an excellent way to try to capture visitors from this user base. In most cases, search engine visitors do not consider organic search results to be the result of a marketing campaign, and in some cases, they are not, but SEO techniques can be used to boost placement and project a sense of credibility and authority.
Perhaps the value of SEO can be best demonstrated through statistics. According to research from Search Engine Land, organic search traffic accounts for 53.3 per cent of website visits on average, while paid search accounts for just 15 per cent of all website visits. Among B2B companies, the figure for organic search is even higher, ranging around 64.1 per cent.
In other words, for the average website, more than half of all visits originate from search engines, and users are much more likely to visit a website through an organic link than through a search engine advertisement. This fact helps highlight the true value of regularly adding SEO content and prioritising the issue of SERP placement.
Adopting a Strategic Approach
While search engine optimisation can be highly effective for generating an increase in traffic, it is important to try and attract relevant traffic. After all, an eCommerce business wants to attract visitors who are willing to convert or make a purchase, while a blog about IT security will want to attract readers who are interested in the subject.
A good starting point is to carry out keyword research, focusing on search strings that your target audience is most likely to use. These keywords can then be intelligently placed within headings, written content, image alt tags, and more. Thus, the best way to approach your SEO strategy is by focusing on some core questions.
1. Are your expectations clear?
You cannot achieve your SEO objectives if you are not clear on what those objectives are. What are you expecting from your SEO strategy? Are you looking to increase website conversions? Do you want to boost online sales or newsletter sign-ups? When possible, marketing departments should try to set goals that are SMART, meaning specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
2. What is the risk vs the reward?
Next, you need to try to think of SEO in terms of risk vs reward. The main risk with an SEO strategy is that you invest in the creation of search engine optimised content and do not end up seeing the results you hoped to achieve. There may also be risks associated with frequently adding new content, especially if the content is opinionated or controversial. However, the potential reward for adopting an SEO strategy is a significant uptick in website visitors, leads and conversions. The addition of fresh content can also help keep visitors coming back more regularly, especially if new content adheres to a clear schedule.
3. What steps do you need to take?
SEO strategies require a number of steps to be followed, including conducting an analysis of current website performance metrics, carrying out keyword research, and creating or outsourcing content creation to a third party, such as the authors available at Textbroker. It may also be necessary to acquire the right SEO tools – such as software that can track performance data – and create an SEO content schedule so that you know when to publish new search-optimised website content or blog posts.
4. How do you decide on a budget?
Although SEO is different from paid search engine advertising, you will still need to assign a budget to it. After all, the creation of SEO content will cost money, as will finding the expertise necessary. By using the Textbroker platform, it is quick and easy to find affordable help from the Textbroker team, enabling the outsourcing of content creation to experienced writers who have a track record of success. Marketing teams need to consider the various costs involved and assign an appropriate budget. In addition to the extent of your SEO ambitions, this budget should be based on the finances available to you, as well as the costs associated with acquiring expert assistance.
How to Measure Your SEO Success
To some extent, measuring your SEO success will depend on what you are actually looking to achieve. Being clear on precisely what are your objectives and targets will make it much easier to generate a good ROI, too.
With that being said, many of the most common performance metrics can be accessed through tools like Google Analytics. This service will allow you to monitor website traffic, identify your conversion rate, view external websites linking to your content, track sources referring visitors to you, and much more. It will even allow you to see the percentage of leads that result in sales. Of course, not all metrics will be relevant to your aims, so you will need to take the time to pinpoint the metrics that matter the most.
More broadly, Web FX offers a basic ROI formula, which is as follows:
(Gain from Investment – Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment
Using this formula, it can become easier to understand the success or failure of your SEO strategy in purely numerical terms. From there, you can make necessary adjustments or start to plan ways to boost this ROI further.
Your Partner for SEO Content Creation
Search engine optimisation is one of the most effective ways to generate increased website traffic and ensure that as much of that traffic as possible is of high value. And for SEO investment to produce the intended outcomes and generate a high ROI, the right strategies need to be adopted. Given the topics covered in this article, it is clear that generating a solid return on investment is usually best achieved by seeking out expert help and outsourcing SEO content creation to experienced writers.
Happily, Textbroker provides access to not only a pool of talented writers with significant SEO experience under their belts, but also the knowledge to help you plan for the best ROI on your content investment. This is why over 80,000 customers worldwide choose us as their partner in producing high-quality SEO content that engages, entertains and informs.
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