Popular search engine optimization ( SEO ) companies will
have you believe that SEO is ideal for every business, and every website out
there. This is simply not true. While search engine traffic is undoubtedly the
highest quality and most precisely targeted traffic you can get, an SEO
campaign may not be suitable for every website.
Here is what we mean: if your website is in a highly
competitive, mainstream market, requires lots of new visitors every day, and
has low profit margins, then you are going to have a hard time getting SEO to
work for you. Why? Let us explain:
In a competitive market, there are going to be lots of other
webmasters that are also trying to get their sites to the top for the same
keywords that you are attempting to rank for. More competitive keywords equals
a more difficult and expensive SEO campaign. Secondly, if your products lack a
high volume of repeat sales, then you will require a constant flow of new
visitors, and there is usually a limited amount of search engine traffic
available - SEO doesn't often produce a super high volume of traffic. For this
reason, low profit margins are going to make it tough for you to generate
significant revenue. Lower revenue, and an expensive SEO campaign equal a poor
return on investment.
This is an extreme example, but it should illustrate why SEO
isn't right for everyone. In a case like the above, local advertising and
offline PR events could be a better option.
Who is SEO suited for then? Usually businesses that have a
high profit margin on their products, high potential for repeat sales, and high
priced products in a niche market. Broad markets can work well, but only if
there is a significant budget to put into the SEO campaign.
If you require specific and personalized advice of whether
or not SEO is right for your business, then contact a professional SEO agency
directly. Most reputable agencies will provide you with a free, no obligation
SEO consultation.
