When it comes to digital marketing, SEO (or search engine optimization) continues to be a key strategy to creating impact and maintaining a presence online. Whether you’re an established business trying to boost your rankings or a small company trying to generate leads, SEO strategies are designed to bolster these digital goals.
Because the importance is so tied in with business growth, many are looking towards SEO agencies to help them with this task. An SEO agency is a professional service that not only helps businesses improve their ranking on search engines, through tasks such as optimising a website for relevant keywords and phrases, publishing relevant ads and optimising their website for SEO; but also increases the online visibility of a business through platforms like social media, and design effective funnels to convert qualified traffic on websites from leads into sales.
Because the service is relatively new, having picked up in the new millenia, there are some who are still uncertain of the benefits of hiring an SEO agency. There are many reasons why, and here are the top ten:
Expertise: SEO is a complex field with constantly changing algorithms and best practices. Google, as a leading search engine that dominates over 90% of the market, is always tweaking their perimetres to suggest the most relevant results to users. To stay up-to-date on the latest trends requires a team of experts – something a company may not have access to – and their freshest techniques can help a business stay ahead of the curve. Also, there are many facets to SEO skills, including keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, and link building, which can’t be fulfilled by an individual, and a team will be able to tackle each of those fields as they evolve.
Time: SEO requires a significant amount of time and effort to be effective. There is considerable research required before arriving at strategies, followed by implementation, observation and evaluation after. An SEO agency can take these tasks off a business’s plate, allowing its own staff to focus on other important tasks while reaping the benefits of SEO. This can also be collaborative. For example, an agency can work with a business’s marketing team to help create blog posts that are optimised with targeted keywords to bolster a certain campaign.
Strategic planning: SEO is not a singular template strategy. SEO agencies help businesses arrive at a comprehensive, long-term SEO strategy that takes into account the specific goals and needs of the business. This can include identifying target keywords, creating a content calendar, or implementing tactics like guest blogging and social media marketing. For example, if a business is looking to increase online sales, an agency can help it identify opportunities to optimise product pages if they are poorly designed, or implement tactics like remarketing to target potential customers if they have an existing large inactive pool.
Measurable results: Besides the plan and implementation, analysis is just as important an enabler to SEO success. A good SEO agency will provide regular reports and analytics to help a business track the progress of its SEO efforts and measure the return on investment. Some of these metrics include organic traffic, search engine rankings, and conversion rates. Understanding this analysis can help steer a business towards those SEO strategies that are working best for them.
Cost-effective: Hiring an SEO agency can be more cost-effective than trying to handle SEO in-house. An agency provides economies of scale by using tools and resources that might be cost-prohibitive for a small business to purchase on its own, or free larger ones up from time-intensive training and experimentation.
Increased traffic: An optimised website will rank higher in search engine results, which leads to increased organic traffic and more potential customers. However, optimisation is as much art as it is science, and will require adjusting a complex network of factors to arrive at its most effective self. But once you have arrived at the formula, you can enjoy a reliable stream of attention. It can also help with steering a business’s focus. For example, if a business’s website ranks on the first page of Google for a popular keyword like “best coffee shops,” it will likely see an increase in traffic from people searching for a good venue rather than perhaps an extensive menu for those who search “buffet cafe”.
Greater visibility: Higher search engine rankings means greater visibility for a business, helping it stand out in a crowded online marketplace. This can be especially important for small businesses or those in competitive industries. The key is in balancing between effective keywords and differentiation, and an SEO agency can help distil that for them.
Improved user experience: SEO involves optimising a website for not just search engines but users as well. By improving the user experience, a business can increase the likelihood of visitors becoming customers. Other than creating effective marketing funnels online, other tasks can include things like making the site mobile-friendly, optimising for fast loading times, and creating easy-to-navigate content. What is good for the user, is good for the search engine.
Greater credibility: A well-optimised website can help a business establish credibility and trust with potential customers. Having clear and accurate information, displaying customer reviews and testimonials, and even having a professional design goes a long way. An SEO agency can help with these aspects, such as procuring customer reviews and testimonials for display on the website, or managing and maintaining integrity and accuracy for business info, especially during campaign or holiday seasons.
Long-term results: SEO efforts can have a long-lasting impact, as opposed to more short-term tactics like paid advertising. By implementing a strong and sustained strategy, a business can continuously benefit from increased traffic and visibility over the long term. Some will also see an exponential effect as greater visibility and usage also contributes to ranking, and when combined with updated strategies from an SEO agency, one can further boost the expanding online presence.
In conclusion, hiring an SEO agency can provide a wide range of benefits for businesses looking to improve their online presence. The expertise and strategic planning adds to analysis and measurable results, and is more cost-effective – and some might say even pay for itself over time. Just remember to hire a reputable SEO agency that doesn’t adopt black hat SEO tricks, and do your research to choose a reputable partner. Feel free to ask for references and case studies, and when the fit is right, share your specific goals and needs so they can provide a customised solution for your business.
Still a little lost on building that first website or optimising it for SEO? Let the consultants at Weave guide you through similar best practices and achieve the results you are looking for.
