Do SEO services work and are they worth your time and investment? We’ll examine the role that SEO services play in growing your online presence in 2020.
Search engine optimisation services are the action of increasing a website’s search engine rankings to enhance online visibility, implemented by digital marketing specialists. While there are literally thousands of articles out there preaching the benefits of SEO, the question on everyone’s lips seems to be: do SEO services work for everyone?
SEO is an industry that receives a pretty bad rap. For those that know little about search engine optimisation, the term ‘SEO’ can seem a little bit evasive and somewhat vague. Despite SEO being an essential part of how users find businesses, this general mistrust comes down to spammy companies engaging in unethical tactics and tainting the perception of SEO.
In 2020, digital marketing is critical to the success of any business – big or small. And so, many business owners and marketing managers are stuck wondering if SEO services are genuinely worth it. This article will break down why SEO matters, how SEO works, and how SEO can effectively provide a wealth of opportunity for businesses.
How Do SEO Services Work?
Search engine optimisation services rely on many tried and true methods to enhance the online presence of a website. SEO is the practice of optimising a website for various on-page and off-page factors to get it noticed by both users and search engines. In terms of service, SEO is relevant for businesses who want to improve where they rank in Google, and how they are visible to users and search engines.
Search engines determine the ranking and visibility of websites using a highly sophisticated algorithm. There are over 200 factors that influence which website will present for which queries, and which order they will present in. While the exact ranking algorithm is not entirely known, SEO consultants are experts that study that factors influencing rankings and use their knowledge to implement optimisation practices into a website.
SEO services involve four primary activities:
- Creating content
- building high-quality links
- Optimising a website’s on-page and off-page signals
- Analysing results, updates, and algorithm shifts, and adjusting accordingly
These are the main activities that are considered crucial to the success of SEO. There is so much more that goes into SEO services that it can be tough to know where to start without making the average non-SEO’s eyes glaze over. It’s not that SEO itself is dull, it’s just that there are over 200 factors that go into how a website is ranked – SEO is essentially the analysis of these factors, how they can relevantly be implemented into a website and tracking the progress of these optimisation practices.
SEO services for a business are a long-term marketing effort that aims to not only improve search engine rankings and increase organic traffic but find ways for search engines to trust the website. Every business is different, and therefore require different strategies, tactics, and services that will be modified depending on what is best for the site. SEO services work by identifying a business’ strongest opportunities, where their leads are hiding, and implementing optimisation to attract those leads to the website.
Are SEO Services Worth It?
In short, yes. Let us explain why:
When you make a search query online, how often are you clicking through to the second page to find your answer? According to the latest search statistics, 75% of users will not scroll past the first page on Google. As a business, having your business ranking on page one of search results means 75% of the users searching your relevant keywords will see your website.
Given the importance of having your website easily accessible to users and visible in search engine results, SEO services work to improve the organic search visibility of a business. The more people that can come across your website online, the more potential leads you will funnel into your business. SEO services focus entirely on where your opportunities lie and how to rank your business for the most relevant keywords.
SEO focuses on finding the users that are organically looking for your services and putting your business directly in their line of vision naturally. Unlike PPC advertising mediums such as Google Adwords and Facebook Marketing, SEO services are a long-term solution for companies who value the sustainability and scalability of their business. Unlike pay-per-click advertising, SEO services work for your business around the clock.
The content on your site, technical aspects, and on-page signals need to appeal to both users and search engines. If you want to get ahead of your competitors and your business to visible in the search engine result pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords, you need to start taking SEO seriously.
Do SEO Services Work for Everyone?
The effectiveness of SEO depends on the services you engage with. A reputable SEO agency in Sydney will work with a business on a long-term campaign that will continue to provide benefits for months after the campaign has concluded.
SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies because it targets an audience who are actively looking for your products and services. The inbound nature of SEO helps businesses save money as opposed to outbound marketing strategies. Given SEO focuses on users who are actively searching for your business services, the increased traffic resulting from SEO is much more lucrative than other marketing strategies.
SEO is very effective when the agency uses the current best practices per search engine webmaster guidelines. When an SEO expert takes the time to develop relevant and white hat strategies, search engines will take note and reward the website in the SERPs. However, when someone used outdated and black hat SEO practices, the efforts are not nearly as effective.
Engaging with a white hat SEO company will provide long-lasting, sustainable, and effective results. SEO is a very effective marketing solution to enhance search visibility, increase organic traffic, and attain high-converting customers. SEO sustainability is evident in the fact that the ROI is much higher with SEO than other marketing efforts. With time, quality SEO will see a business experience ROI easily overtaking initial investment.
Should You Pay for SEO Services?
If you are serious about utilising legitimate SEO services, then yes. SEO is an industry that has received a bad; however, in 2020, it’s a non-negotiable for online visibility and business growth. So much so that Google has even appointed an entire video series to explain the importance of search and increase awareness in SEO called ‘Search for Beginners’.
As such, SEO is a legitimate service that requires both strategy and adaptability. Like any industry, experts who are genuinely invested in helping other businesses will not work for free. SEO is an asset to your marketing efforts and your company – you wouldn’t expect other business consultants to work for free, so you shouldn’t expect SEO to come at little or no cost.
Not all SEO companies are created equal. There is no average price guide for SEO consultants to follow – the price should reflect how much work is required to achieve the desired results. SEO is worth paying for when you’re working with a reputable, legitimate, and trustworthy company. So yes, when engaging with the right company, effective SEO is a valuable investment and is worth paying for.
Effective SEO Services
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the quality and result of your SEO campaign is entirely dependent on the contractor or company that you work with. Do SEO Services work irrespective of the company that you choose? No. The trick is to work with a company that provides effective SEO services. This discrepancy between legitimate SEO experts and spammy companies is the major pitfall in the industry of search, and the very reason there is so much mistrust surrounding online marketing services.
With the right agency or consultant, SEO services are the most cost-effective way to scale your business. However, they require patience and trust. Effective SEO services will provide a website with thorough audits, progress analysis, content management plans, and monthly reports.
When you pay for SEO, you’re paying for an expert to keep on top of all the latest trends, implement them into your website, and adjust accordingly. The cost of working with an SEO consultant can be daunting, so it’s essential to consider the potential revenue growth that effective SEO can provide over time.
While the digital marketing landscape has shifted dramatically over the past few years, SEO remains a critical marketing strategy. There are many benefits to an effective SEO strategy, including increased traffic, ROI, enhanced user experience, brand awareness, and increased visibility.
Effective SEO will also foster a long-term partnership between your business and your consultant, as effective SEO is a long-term game. SEO isn’t set and forget; it requires constant work and upkeep. The higher your site ranks in search engine results, the more of a target you become for your competitors.
Safari Digital are a team of dedicated SEO professionals the help small to medium-sized businesses improve the quantity and quality of leads that businesses receive through organic traffic. In a world of smoke and mirrors, we are an honest and transparent SEO agency committed to helping others enhance their digital presence.
