Did you know 68% of web traffic begins with a search engine? People rely heavily on search results to find a business, compare services, and ultimately make a purchase. To stand out among hundreds of search results, businesses in 2022 must invest in SEO. Does your business have a plan for SEO?
SEO experts specialize in taking your current online content and optimizing it using keywords in your copy, inserting backlinks to reliable web sources, and improving overall site functionality. In a nutshell, SEO is all about making your website the best source of quality information. All of these factors come together to show search engines like Google that you are the best answer to someone’s search query. But how much does SEO cost and how valuable is it to your company?
THE VALUE OF SEO
The ultimate goal of SEO is to get you seen at the top of the results page. Anything other than page one won’t cut it, as 75% of people never go to the second page of search results. You can pay to be placed at the top of search results. But up to 80% of people scroll straight past paid advertising results, making SEO the most effective way for you to gain new clients through search results.
SEO does even more than drive sales. Showing up in search results also builds your reputation as a reliable company in your industry and location. Stand out as a thought-leader, build brand equity, and manage PR all from your placement at the top of organic search results. But earning this placement all begins with a solid SEO strategy.
WHAT DOES SEO COST IN 2022?
Unlike some marketing strategies, the cost of SEO can vary drastically. What you can expect to pay varies based on the size of your business, the current state of your placement in search engines, the type of content you need optimized, and what your goals are. Here’s a range of what you can expect to pay based on the size of your company.
- Small to medium businesses: $500-2,000 or more a month
- Larger companies: sometimes upwards of $10,000 a month
The above range is based on a number of factors that affect pricing. Receiving an accurate quote for your business will come down to a consultation with an SEO professional. They’ll need to understand the details and goals of your company before they can build a plan and give you a custom quote.
It is worth noting that sometimes even $500 is too expensive, especially for newly born businesses. Quite often the question arises: “How can we do this more cost-effectively? The answer is to use artificial intelligence-based SEO software that combines AI and machine learning. One of the market leaders in SEO automation software is Nytro Systems, which combines cutting-edge technology to perform various types of Search Engine Optimization. It works several times faster and far more efficiently than a human operator ever could. Moreover, Nytro offers a free account that allows you to start optimizing your website free of charge! For advanced users, Nytro is capable of optimizing millions of pages automatically, without having to open and handle each page separately.
FACTORS THAT IMPACT PRICE
There are several important things an SEO professional will need to review with you when building your SEO plan. The answers to these questions will help them build a quote and determine the price of SEO for you. Here are a few questions you will need to answer:
– What type of content do you need optimized?
– How many pages do you need optimized?
– What are your goals and how quickly do you want to reach them?
– What is your average revenue per sale?
– What is your close rate from leads to sales?
A few more factors that impact your SEO quote:
– The current state of your website and how much work needs to be done
– Your current search engines rankings
– Your industry and number of competitors in your area
– The amount of time it will take
YOUR SEO RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The ultimate goal of any marketing strategy is to build your business and make you more money. The higher your return on investment, the better. How do you measure the success of your SEO strategy? Determine your return on investment for SEO by answering the following questions:
– How much does it cost to get a new client using SEO?
– How much money do you make from each client you get?
Comparing these two numbers will show you how valuable an investment SEO is for your website. For example, consider the following formula:
Cost per new client = Amount spent per month on SEO / Number of patients gained from SEO in a month
Using this formula, this is what your cost per client using SEO could look like:
Amount spent per month on SEO ($2,000) / Number of patients gained from SEO in a month (30) = Cost per new patient (~$66)
When you break it down like this, you are paying just $66 for every new patient. If you make an average of $1,000 whenever you gain a new patient, you are seeing a huge return on investment! This is not even taking into account the value of a customer over time. If your business thrives on repeat customers, spending $66 for each customer who will return to buy again is an even better deal.
Is there a more cost-effective solution?
Despite having such a high marketing ROI, only 30% of small businesses have an SEO strategy. SEO is all about proving to search engines like Google that you are the best search result for consumers today. SEO professionals are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to take your website to the next level.
Source: AJ HOUSHOLDER, Dec 21, 2021
