Search engine optimization is the process of really making your communication efforts online efficient and working the right way to help you produce targeted inbound traffic to your website. ROI would be measured on how many sales you can generate that is directly related to your SEO effort right? What if your product stinks?
Seriously, what if your website is horrible and your product or service is sub par? Are you going to blame your search engine marketing efforts on the fact that nobody wanted to buy anything on your website? SEO is a long term investment that requires everything to be top notch for it to work in it’s optimal state. It is not like a paid ad where at some point that paid ad comes down and nobody sees it anymore. The efforts that you put out every month just compound on top of each other. Eventually they all start to grow in power and you really start to see them move around in search results. SEO is not just about ranking anymore. You have to have the whole package shining like a diamond. Your website needs to be smooth and inviting if you want sales to happen. If you have not put any effort into your website converting than how do you expect a website visitor to convert into a lead, phone call or sale? You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. Check out David Harry’s article on Search Engine Journal about SEO ROI. He gives it to your pretty straight as well.
Before you blame your search engine optimization efforts not working look at these areas of your business first:
Conversion Metrics
Is the layout of your website optimal for converting traffic? Have you actually had someone look at it that knows what they are doing? You need certain elements to be visible on your website before you can start sending website traffic there. If you where selling your home and you have an open house wouldn’t you clean it up first? Same principals apply to your website.
Products
Do you have products that people just don’t want? If you have the same product line that Walmart and Target carry what is different about yours? or you are offering something in a market that has rather large competitors? you might want to re-think your products or services first. Don’t be in denial, admit to yourself if your products or services need some revamping to stand out. It could save you a lot of money down the road.
Pricing & Promotions
If you have an ecommerce website take a look at the pricing structure of your products. Do you offer any sort of promotion on your website? you should have some coupon codes floating around along with ways people can acquire some sort of discounts. It takes a lot in today’s market for someone to pull out their credit card and purchase something on any website. Give them a reason to want to do it on yours.
SEO is much more than just ranking a web page and sitting back and waiting for the phone to start ringing. It takes a solid multi pronged online marketing approach to really get things going. It takes a nice clean informative website that is able to lead a visitor down the path they need to go down. It’s one big package.
