Tackling Objections to SEO and Challenging Misconceptions

Today I’ll be investigating why many companies decide SEO is not a priority and why this decision could be a big mistake in their marketing .

Budget

Since working in SEO, I’ve discovered that many have companies decided not to invest in SEO because they see it as a cost they can do without, but these companies need to see SEO as a necessary investment rather than an extra cost. SME’s are often apprehensive about investing heavily in SEO, however as a marketing channel it has been proven to deliver the best ROI when compared to traditional forms of marketing, and in addition, the results of SEO are very easy to measure.

Competition

Even though you’re a small business doesn’t mean that SEO is just for bigger, and more international companies, or that it isn’t important, because there’s plenty of opportunity for SME’s to benefit from improved search engine results.  This is often when SME’s object, thinking that there’s no way they can compete with the big retailers and even if they could, they could only supply to the local area. But the lesson here is: don’t be afraid to let your business grow-work with what you have got. It may be true that for the foreseeable future you can only deliver to certain areas, but imagine the possibilities if you were performing for search terms relevant to your business in the local area.

These are all fairly valid points from a business perspective but not from an SEO perspective as it is actually much more effective to use geo targeted key phrases.

This means that you are performing for relevant key phrases in your area but this traffic has much more intent. Yes, you are a small business, so you’re unlikely to out perform big high street chains, but if you're a retailer specialising in boutique fashion in Edinburgh, then you can compete for specific terms relevant to your business.

Google’s main objective is to provide the most relevant search results for the user’s query as quickly as possible. By linking your business with platforms such as Google Places, you will therefore benefit from high quality traffic. In addition, the probability of localised searches converting into sales is far greater than users searching for generic terms these searches have much more intent. Which means that the opportunity for local businesses is actually very promising.

Online Sales?

Lastly, I’ve also found that many SME’s decide not to invest in SEO as they don't sell their products online - often small businesses set up websites to advertise their business, but don't have the ability to accept orders online, however your website can still be a great asset to the business if you use it correctly. By investing in SEO even as a small business and performing locally you increase your brand awareness and will generate new leads. These new leads will be particularly helpful for companies with high cost per sale, investment in SEO can have a massive effect on your bottom line.

Don’t throw up objections to SEO merely because you’re a small fish in a big pond, because if you ignore SEO, then the likelihood is that you will stay a small fish in a pond that is only going to get bigger.