When you’re putting together a marketing strategy, you need to consider all the different tools available. Search engine optimization is considered one of the staples of a digital strategy. It will help your website gain more traffic, which in turn generates more leads for your business. With that being said, there are some cons to go along with the pros. Below, you’ll see all the main advantages and disadvantages of SEO:
Pro: Increase web traffic
Yes, this is a key positive to come from search engine optimization. By increasing your search engine presence, you will be able to drive more traffic to your website. The higher up in the results you appear, the more chance there is of gaining traffic. Plus, this will be targeted web traffic as your site will appear in searches relevant to your business. Therefore, most people landing on your site will already be somewhat interested in what you have to offer.
Con: The results aren’t instant
It can sometimes take a while before you see the results of an SEO strategy. So, if you need an injection of marketing before a big event in a few days, this might not be the best method to focus on. SEO is mainly good in the long term, slowly helping you rise the rankings and create a steady stream of traffic to your site. For quick promotions, you’re better off investing in ads.
Pro: Improve your reputation
When users see websites in search engines, they automatically think of them in certain ways. For instance, the top few sites will instantly be synonymous with authority. Users think that these businesses must be legitimate and professional as Google has put them in the top spots. Similarly, if your website isn’t even on the first page, your reputation goes down the pan. So, a huge advantage of SEO is that it helps you build an authoritative presence within your industry, cultivating an impressive reputation.
Con: SEO can be expensive
Another downside of SEO is that it can be quite expensive to get everything set up. Most businesses will need to find quality SEO services to put everything in order. A lot of investment is required as you have to tweak so many different things. For example, some companies may need to completely redesign their websites! The flip side of this is that you will eventually start seeing a return on this investment. However, there will be a period where you’ve spent a lot of money and don’t see an awful lot in return.
Pro: SEO can help you stand out from the crowd
Search engine optimization can literally help your business stand out from others. By improving your search engine ranking, you can jump ahead of many rival companies in your industry. If your business is the first one people see, you could take a fair share of customers away from your rivals. Especially if they don’t have a good SEO strategy or aren’t even on the first web page.
Con: SEO can be confusing
If you think back to the previous con about SEO being expensive, part of that is down to the fact it is so confusing. There are so many little and big elements that come together to impact an SEO strategy. You have things like keyword research and placement, title tags, meta descriptions, content, bounce rate, link building – the list goes on and on! This is why so many companies seek out quality SEO services – it’s the easiest option. Still, the general complexity can be irritating as you often have no idea what’s going on.
Pro: Lead people straight to your premises
SEO is a much broader landscape than people realize. There’s local SEO, which can help you lead people directly to your business premises. With local SEO, you can make your business appear on a map, detailing information about where you’re located, when you open, etc. For businesses that rely on foot traffic, this is absolutely amazing.
Con: So much competition
Perhaps the biggest downside of SEO is that so much is out of your control. The sheer amount of competition in search engines means that you’re battling against thousands of different companies in each search. You have to focus on your SEO strategy, but a lot also depends on the strategies of others. If someone has a better approach than you, they will rank highly. Trying to battle against all the competition is definitely the biggest struggle.
Despite having a reasonable list of cons, SEO is still very beneficial for businesses of all sizes. The key is to understand exactly what you’re going, then build your strategy around a set of goals and targets. This will help you enjoy all the benefits of SEO.
