Most likely, if you have a website for your business, you probably have been pitched by a host of companies about the benefits of Search Engine Optimization. And, as someone who has been actively practicing organic search engine optimization since 1996, I am probably just as qualified as anyone else in the search engine marketing industry to tell you about the benefits of search engine optimization. Organic or natural search engine optimization is the art of optimizing your existing website so that it’s more search engine friendly and optimizing your off-site website marketing plan so that your website is found in the search engine results for keywords that people search for that are related to your business.
But search engine optimization should do a lot more than just help you “get found” in the search engine results. It’s about optimizing your website marketing plan so that your website delivers ROI. You probably have invested a lot of money into your website already, including web design and website development. Do you really need to invest even more money into search engine optimization? After all, hiring a great search engine optimization company can be expensive. So how exactly does search engine optimization add value to a website? Let’s look at some specific examples that prove that investing in search engine optimization is, in fact, a great investment.
Let’s take, for example, Gun Barrel Ranch. This western decor and western furniture company hand crafts their own merchandise right here in the United States, in Texas. They have had a website for a while now, and I’ve recently been working on their website’s search engine optimization. They invested in a few good website directory listings such as the Yahoo! Directory and a few others, and have been working on getting more on-topic links to their website. Previously, before they optimized their website, they were getting a few hundred visitors every month, mainly from their own business cards, trade shows that they attend on a regular basis, and a few very expensive, strategically-placed, full-page ads in some offline publications. Now, after my search engine optimization, they’re enjoying hundreds of visitors every day, and now they sell plenty of cowhide ottomans, enough to keep their craftsmen very busy. So, for Gun Barrel Ranch, search engine optimization has paid off tremendously. Their investment in search engine optimization has paid for itself within one month. Where they previously were not found at all in the search engine results, they have a lot of great search engine rankings, and are even talking about expanding their product line further.
Hiring a Search Engine Optimization consultant or SEO firm is very affordable. What if Gun Barrel Ranch wanted to go directly to Google, and show up in Google’s search engine results. What if they paid for their visitors? For pay per click through the Google AdWords program, the average cost per click (CPC) is $1.76 per click for “cowhide ottoman” and $2.71 per click (per visitor) for “cowhide ottomans”. Even if Gun Barrel Ranch wanted to spend only $1.00 per visitor to their website, they would easily spend over $1400 per month just to receive targeted traffic to their website for one product:
Average Monthly Search Stats – cowhide ottoman
Average Monthly Searches: 1,220
Average Cost Per Click: $1.76 USD
Average Monthly Search Stats – cowhide ottomans
Average Monthly Searches: 258
Average Cost Per Click: $2.71 USD
And this is only one keyword phrase, one particular product that Gun Barrel Ranch sells. What about the other products? Currently, this small ecommerce business has about 50 products total and is relatively small. When you compare the cost of Google AdWords to the cost of hiring a search engine optimization professional, search engine optimization is still a bargain.
Let’s take a look at another example. What is the value of a website that does not take advantage of search engine optimization versus the value of a website that has taken advantage of search engine optimization? Let’s take a look at a news website. A news website doesn’t necessarily “sell” something. But, a news website needs visitors, people who are interested in reading the news that they are reporting. A news website may get its news indexed by the search engines, but if they’re not taking advantage of search engine optimization best practices (like making sure that their news articles’ titles are in the “title tag” of the page), they are going to lose out on a lot of potential “free traffic” and visitors that organic search engine optimization is going to bring to the site.
There are literally hundreds of other news websites out there that report the news online. But, what makes one particular news website always show up in the search engine results for many of the most popular news stories reported every day? Search engine optimization can literally mean hundreds of thousands of additional visitors every day, which could then translate into a lot more potential ad revenue for a news website.
Like I mentioned in regards to Gun Barrel Ranch and “cowhide ottomans”, there is a cost for a news website to acquire traffic to its articles. Certainly, one option would be for the news website to actually purchase related traffic. Why not add a new Pay Per Click (PPC) advertisement via Google Adwords, bidding on a few related keywords, for every article that they add to the website? Certainly that’s one way to acquire traffic. Yet another would be organic search engine optimization. Making sure that the news website’s articles (the content) is optimized properly and that they appear in the news search engines (such as Google News) is key. And taking it one step further by integrating the news articles (or submitting them) to the social media websites would help, as well.
So, whether or not your website is selling something (like Gun Barrel Ranch), or whether or not you give out “free information” such as a news website, if you follow search engine optimization best practices or hire someone like myself who does, search engine optimization really does add value to a website: and that value is the traffic, the additional on-topic targeted visitors that your website will receive. Without it then you’re really not going to see any ROI from the money you just spent on great web design.
Increased Visibility and Targeted Traffic
One of the primary benefits of search engine optimization (SEO) is its ability to increase the visibility of your website. When done correctly, SEO ensures that your site appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords related to your industry. This increased visibility can drive a significant amount of targeted traffic to your website—people who are actively searching for the products or services you offer. Unlike traditional advertising, where you push your message out to a broad audience, SEO pulls in potential customers who are already in a buying mindset. This means higher-quality traffic that is more likely to convert into leads or sales.
Beyond simply ranking for your main keywords, SEO can also help you capture long-tail keyword traffic. Long-tail keywords are specific, longer phrases that typically have lower search volumes but higher intent. For example, someone searching for “best organic coffee shop in downtown Seattle” is likely further along in the decision-making process than someone who just searches for “coffee shop.” Optimizing for these long-tail phrases allows you to reach niche audiences and drive even more qualified traffic to your site, which can be invaluable for your business.
Improved User Experience (UX)
SEO isn’t just about optimizing your site for search engines; it’s also about optimizing the user experience. Google and other search engines place a high value on websites that offer a great user experience—meaning fast load times, mobile responsiveness, intuitive navigation, and high-quality content. By focusing on these elements as part of your SEO strategy, you create a website that not only ranks better but also serves your visitors more effectively. A site that is easy to navigate and provides users with the information they need is more likely to convert traffic into paying customers.
Investing in UX-driven SEO also reduces your bounce rate, a metric that indicates how many users leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can hurt your SEO performance, signaling to search engines that your site may not be providing value. By improving the user experience, you can encourage visitors to spend more time on your site, explore multiple pages, and ultimately take the desired action—whether it’s making a purchase, filling out a contact form, or signing up for a newsletter.
Building Trust and Credibility
Ranking high in organic search results does more than just drive traffic; it also builds trust and credibility for your brand. Most users trust Google and other search engines to deliver the most relevant and authoritative results, so when your website ranks at the top, it benefits from that trust. This perceived authority can make potential customers feel more confident in choosing your business over competitors, especially when they see your website ranking for multiple keywords related to your industry.
Moreover, a well-optimized site tends to attract backlinks—other websites linking to your content. These backlinks serve as “votes of confidence” in the eyes of search engines, signaling that your site is a reliable source of information. The more high-quality backlinks you earn, the more authority your website builds, further enhancing your visibility and credibility.
Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy
Unlike paid advertising, where you pay for each click or impression, the traffic generated by SEO is essentially free after the initial investment in optimization. While SEO requires time and resources to implement, its long-term benefits far outweigh the costs. Once your website achieves strong rankings, it can continue to attract traffic for months or even years without additional investment. In contrast, with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, your traffic stops the moment you stop paying for ads.
Additionally, SEO provides a higher return on investment (ROI) compared to many other forms of digital marketing. Because SEO targets users who are actively searching for what you offer, the likelihood of converting them into customers is much higher. Plus, with the ability to track and measure every aspect of your SEO campaign—keyword rankings, traffic, conversions—you can easily determine the effectiveness of your efforts and make adjustments to improve performance over time.
Competitive Advantage
In today’s digital marketplace, SEO is no longer a luxury but a necessity. If your competitors are investing in SEO and you are not, you are likely missing out on valuable traffic and customers. On the flip side, if you implement a strong SEO strategy, you can gain a competitive advantage by outranking competitors in search results. This can lead to increased brand awareness, more website visitors, and ultimately, a larger share of the market.
For local businesses, local SEO offers a powerful way to compete in geographically targeted searches. By optimizing your website and Google My Business profile for local keywords, you can ensure your business appears in local search results and on Google Maps. This is particularly important for businesses that rely on foot traffic or serve a specific geographic area. For example, if you own a bakery in New York City, ranking at the top of search results for “best bakery in NYC” could lead to a significant boost in both online and in-store traffic.
Adapting to Changing Search Algorithms
Search engines, especially Google, are constantly evolving their algorithms to improve the quality of search results. These algorithm updates can have a significant impact on your website’s ranking if you’re not keeping up with best practices. By investing in ongoing SEO, you ensure that your website remains optimized and compliant with the latest algorithm changes.
An SEO strategy that includes regular audits, monitoring, and adjustments will help your website adapt to these changes. This proactive approach not only protects your site from potential ranking drops but also positions it to take advantage of new opportunities as search engines prioritize different ranking factors. For instance, as mobile-first indexing and voice search continue to grow, websites that optimize for these trends will have a better chance of securing top rankings in the future.
Enhanced Data and Analytics
SEO also provides you with valuable insights into your audience’s behavior. Tools like Google Analytics allow you to track a wide range of metrics, from the number of visitors to the time they spend on each page and the keywords they use to find your site. This data can be used to refine your SEO strategy, improve your content, and make more informed marketing decisions.
For example, if you notice that a particular blog post is driving a significant amount of traffic, you can create similar content to attract even more visitors. Or, if a certain keyword is leading to high bounce rates, it may be worth revisiting the content on that page to ensure it aligns with what users are searching for. This kind of data-driven decision-making helps you maximize the value of your website and continuously improve its performance.
By tapping into these analytics, SEO becomes more than just a traffic driver; it becomes a critical tool for understanding your audience and optimizing your overall marketing efforts. This added layer of intelligence enables you to make strategic decisions that improve both your website and your broader business operations.