I have heard digital marketers say that Search Engine Optimization is “free” traffic. I want to help set the record straight by letting you know that SEO is not “free.” Budgets are still needed to write content and have a SEO consultant work on a website.
There have been multiple times in my career that I needed to create a compelling argument for more budget for an SEO campaign. These types of recommendations are often challenged, yet thousands of dollars for PPC can be spent without blinking an eye. Some marketers would say it’s easier to see the ROI on ad spend compared to the SEO campaigns and initiatives that we are also running.
There are a three reasons that SEO specialists struggle to get the budgets they want compared to their digital advertising counterparts including:
Now is the time to learn how to showcase the importance of SEO and fight for the budget that it needs to make your website successful from an organic standpoint. Below are some top tips for getting the SEO budget that you want and need to show success.
SEO is a long-term strategy
The first step to getting the budget you request is educating your team and decision makers that SEO is a long-term strategy. Of course, there are SEO tactics that you can complete, but SEO takes time to work when done correctly.
By providing education and information, you are able to build trust from the start and setting realistic expectations for all parties involved.
The competitive nature of your industry will also determine how much SEO budget you will need. A competitive industry should expect to pay more money to be aggressive to gain more visibility. Competitive industries usually take a longer time to penetrate from an SEO standpoint and will need a more advanced strategy to succeed.
Most seasoned SEO specialists can provide an estimate on when a website will see an organic benefit, especially when prioritizing tactics. State that from the list of prioritized SEO tactics, you can estimated that the website will begin to see organic performance improvements within a couple weeks to months.
Proving ROI for SEO campaigns
This might be the most important reason you are not getting the budget you are requesting. SEO can be hard to attribute success to if you don’t plan for it. Tracking and monitoring your analytics is crucial to success. Often, SEO teams will report on the wrong metrics like sessions, bounce rate and keyword rankings. Those vanity metrics are important to track but not necessarily to the most essential metrics to share with an executive. Instead, focus on showing how many conversions were generated through organic sessions.
Then, it’s important to come to a consensus on what those conversions normally net for ROI. That way you can show an estimate on revenue from the organic campaigns. ead of monetary value.
SEO teams can also leverage information about what the company is investing in PPC efforts to create a budget and SEO strategy to rank for those keywords organically, potentially saving the company money. Then, that money that is saved can be reallocated to other paid efforts or additional SEO campaigns.
The potential SEO risks of negative tactics from previous SEO consultants
Most marketers are aware of the negative or blackhat SEO tactics from the past (and present). The real issue with these tactics is once discovered, it can be difficult to reverse the impact. More often than not, webmasters who have been hit with a SEO penalty can be reluctant to work with other SEO vendors. Additionally, there a multiple websites online that are willing to charge a low amount of money while providing guarantees that are meaningless. Blackhat tactics and terrible guarantees shine a bad light on the search industry.
When searching for a potential agency or partner for SEO, be sure that they are not implementing blackhat SEO tactics as they can have a long-term impact.
Time to get your SEO budget
SEO is a tried-and-true, cornerstone tactic of successful digital marketing programs. If you’re struggling to get the budget you need, the tips above can help you secure a SEO budget that will help you meet your marketing goals.
If you’re on the hunt for an agency to help you meet your organic search goals, take a look at our Search Engine Optimization services to see if we are a fit for your needs.
