Search Engine Optimization Eblog

Several reports I've come across lately have reinforced what today's online marketers already felt to be true: when the economy slows down, look for those marketing activities that will bring in a higher return with less cash outlay.

Enter search engine optimization. If you're not already optimizing your site and every page on it, there's no better time to start.

Why is SEO a good choice in a recession?

1. SEO costs less per qualified visitor than pay-per-click ads and it adds long-term value to your site.

2. Professional optimization can start showing the effects of traffic within a few months.

3. Optimization for the search engines can benefit desired on-site actions by your site visitors. Research shows that when consumers encounter the search terms they used to find your site actually used in the copy on your site, it helps them to feel more at ease about remaining on your site and can even increase conversion rates.

4. SEO is the most cost-effective way of establishing your company as an authority (or maintaining that status). It has been documented that people automatically attribute more trust and authoritative status to those with web sites that display high in the search results. Organic search results are perceived by users to be better indicators than the paid or sponsored ads which may also appear on the page.

5. SEO lets you focus on helping people find you when you they want your products/services, rather than force feeding it to them through advertising. In today's online environment, it pays more to be "findable" naturally than to plaster your ads everywhere, which is also more expensive.

I'm sure there are more reasons, but that's the gist of why SEO becomes a priority during an economic downturn or recession.

See how SEO Advantage is helping companies market strong even when the economy isn't at its best with graphic design, copywriting, and specialized SEO services.

As consumers check out their options on Google, the position of your listing can influence how they perceive your brand. Enquiro recently conducted a study with Google to test brand perceptions of Honda according to where it fell within the first search engine results page.

A few key points were discovered when Honda appeared in the top organic spot and top sponsored ad simultaneously.

a) Brand recall more than doubled versus appearing in top sponsored spot only.

b) This also resulted in a 16% greater brand association for Honda when participants were asked what brands came to mind when they thought of fuel-efficient cars.

c) Brands that did not appear in the results experienced a 42% lower brand association than Honda.

Key takeaway: By appearing in both top spots on Google's results pages, a company not only gains points but also edges out competitors in the consumer's mind.

Similar studies have long been conducted to test the effects of print advertising on brand recall and association, demonstrating that companies both advertising in a magazine and also enjoying a mention in an article in the same issue enjoyed magnified recall and favorable impressions among readers. It only make sense to see the same happen online, as humans often seek the fastest way to evaluate their choices and create that "shortlist" of options.

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I ended up on a local personal trainer's web site last night. She had a great story and I was intrigued by what she offered, even though I hadn't started out searching for a personal trainer. (Doesn't that happen all the time - you start out researching something and end up reading about completely unrelated topics as you go where the Web takes you!)

Well, I didn't take the step to "find out more" even though I'm probably at a stage in my life where I could use some help with setting up an exercise routine. Do you know why? Because she didn't ask me to.

Her site was nicely written with no typos or grammatical mistakes. But it was evident it was not prepared by someone who understood copywriting best practices, and therefore didn't understand how to guide her online readers to take action.

Incorporating some guidance for your readers can be as simple as interlinking site pages from your copy. When you mention a service area in your copy, for example, link to the page with details on that service so someone can click through to learn more at that exact point if they want. After all, who remembers at the bottom of a page what it was they wanted to know more about? You're putting the burden on your reader if you're expecting them to figure it out from your navigation menu only.

This also brings up another point - what options are you giving your readers at the bottom of your pages? This is a prime opportunity to point them towards taking the next step and contacting you or digging deeper to find out more about certain topics. Don't leave them hanging, guide them toward taking action!