If you’re reading this, chances are you own or run a business in the United Kingdom. You’re also probably wondering whether SEO can help your business grow.
SEO is one of the most effective digital marketing tools available, and it can be used to great effect regardless of the size or nature of your business.
But keep in mind that SEO will not benefit every UK business in the same way.
You know that to stay ahead of the competition, you need to make sure your website is visible to your target audience, and getting targeted traffic from search engines like Google.
That’s of course where SEO comes in.
Is SEO worth it for my UK business?
Let’s consider some reasons why SEO could be a priority for your UK business.
First, SEO can help you reach new customers. If your website is ranking high for relevant keywords, that means people who are searching for the products and services you sell are more likely to find your website and become customers.
Second, SEO can help you build trust and credibility with potential customers. When people see that your website is appearing in the top results for their keyword searches, and then they engage with your high-quality website content, they’ll be more likely to trust that you’re a credible source of information or products/services.
And trust is essential when it comes to winning new customers.
Third, SEO can help you improve your overall website traffic.
Even if you don’t win the top spot in the search results, appearing on the first page can still result in increased traffic to your website. And more traffic means more opportunities to convert visitors into customers.
Fourth, SEO can give you an edge over your competitors. If two businesses are selling similar products or services, the one with the higher ranking website is more likely to get contacted first, especially if your content is strong. There won’t be just one search phrase that potential buyers are typing in, but the more you get in front of your buyer, the better chance you have to get the sale, or at least the first phone call, email, or shop/showrooom visit.
Finally, SEO can help you improve your bottom line. A higher ranking website means more traffic and more leads, which ultimately leads to increased sales and revenue for your business. And who doesn’t want that?
So if you want to stay ahead of the competition, SEO should be considered.
Before you invest money in SEO, make sure it’s the right decision for your business by considering these factors:
What are the benefits of SEO?
There are many benefits to SEO, but we’ll focus on the three most important ones here.
1. Increased Traffic
One of the main benefits of SEO is increased traffic. When your website ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), it means that more people will see your website. And, as we all know, more of the right traffic = more business.
2. Greater Brand Visibility
SEO also helps to increase brand visibility. When your website appears at the top of the search engine results for your target keywords, it means that more people will see your company name and be exposed to your products or services.
3. Improved ROI
Finally, another key benefit of SEO is improved ROI. This means that you get more bang for your buck, as you’re spending less money to achieve better results.
What are the disadvantages of SEO?
Whilst SEO can have a lot of benefits for businesses, there are also a few disadvantages to consider.
1. It Can be Costly
One of the main disadvantages of SEO is that it can be costly. In order to achieve good results, you need to invest time and money into your SEO campaign, and this can be a big investment for some businesses.
2. It Takes Time
Another disadvantage of SEO is that it takes time. You won’t see results overnight, and you need to be patient in order to see the benefits. This can be a challenge for some business owners who are looking for quick results.
3. It’s not Guaranteed
Finally, it’s important to note that SEO is not guaranteed. There are no guarantees that your website will rank higher in SERPs, or that you will get more traffic or better ROI. This is something to keep in mind before you decide to invest in SEO.
How does someone typically find the products and services that you sell?
Do people search on Google for the products and services that you sell? Or are they more likely to find your business, products or services on TikTok, Facebook or Instagram? Or by word-of-mouth?
If your customers search Google for products/servcies you sell, SEO is a very sensible investment to consider. That doesn’t mean you need to hire an SEO agency, more about that later.
SEO is also beneficial for most businesses in creating brand awareness, but some other industries may be better off focusing on social media platforms as an initial means of customer awareness.
What is the age of your business?
New businesses are essentially non-existent on the Internet, so it can be hard to make an impact on Google.
Older businesses have an advantage because they’ve likely been around longer, have a lot of existing content and links, and may show up in search results more easily without paying for ads.
A newer business will probably need to start with paid ads to boost awareness. They can benefit greatly from SEO, but it can take 1-2 years to see decent results.
What is your budget for marketing?
Depending on how competitive your industry is, SEO can be a great way to get your business in front of people without breaking the bank. You can get fantastic results by creating lots of high-quality content in-house using your current resources.
If your the Google search rsults are compeitive, it will mean you’ll need more resources and budget to compete. But you won’t know until you start creating content.
That being said, SEO does take time to show results so you may not see an immediate return on your investment. But I know many companies who use their website content to help build trust through the sales process, so it can have an immediate impact on your revenue if you use your content marketing/SEO efforts wisely.
If you have a bigger budget, you may want to additionally consider other marketing strategies such as pay-per-click (PPC) ads which can give you a quicker return. If in the future you find your SEO is bringing you decent results, you may be able to reduce your Google Ads spend.
Are you willing to create or spend money on content?
If you are willing to invest resources in creating website content, then you should be considering using SEO to maximise that content. Create blog posts, learning centre articles, video and other types of content that people would get a lot of value from consuming.
Not everyone is willing or able to do SEO, and that’s okay. There are other marketing strategies that can be just as effective.
SEO should also not be your only focus. You need to create a comprehensive marketing strategy that covers all aspects of digital marketing, from SEO and content marketing to social media and PPC.
If you are interested in SEO, you need to have a budget.
SEO doesn’t work if you’re not willing to have a budget for your marketing. There’s always someone who says they’ll do “cheap SEO”, but that’s not usually in your best interest. If you want to do it right, you need to have a budget for it.
SEO is also a long-term strategy. It’s not something you can do for a couple of months and then stop. It’s an ongoing process that requires ongoing effort.
That being said, SEO can be a great choice for your business if you’re willing to make the investment and you’re in it for the long haul. It can help you increase your traffic, leads, and sales.
If you’re not sure if SEO is right for your business, take a look at your goals. If you want to increase your traffic and sales, then SEO can definitely help you. But if you’re just looking to rank for a few keywords, then SEO might not be the best choice.
There are a lot of factors that go into SEO, so it’s important to do your research before you make a decision. But if you’re willing to invest the time and money, then SEO can be a great choice for your
Time is a huge consideration when it comes to SEO, and success doesn’t happen overnight.
It can take 3-6 months to see okay improvements, IF you’re doing the right work. These can’t be delivered overnight. But it takes much longer to get the SEO momentum that will change a business, that’s more like 18+ months, but it could be longer if your strategy is poor, your implementation is poor, or if your space is extra competitive.
If the business is facing time pressure, your marketing budget could be spent on paid ads that can start benefiting within 24 hours or so. But then of course, the paid ads need to be run by someone who knows what they’re doing, as they don’t always work if you keyword targeting is poor, your ads are poor, and/or your landing pages are poor.
It’s essential not to forget your current, trusting customers when working to gain new ones.
By selling to your current customers again, you have the potential to make more money than if you only focus on attracting and selling to new customers. In many cases.
SEO can be a great choice for businesses that want to increase their traffic, visibility, and ROI. However, it’s important to consider the time and money investment required, as well as the fact that there are no guarantees of success.
If you’re not sure if SEO is right for your business, take a look at your goals and make a decision based on that.
SEO is a long-term game and it can take months or even years to see results. If you’re looking for a quick fix, then SEO is not the right choice for you.
Be sure to consider all of the above before making a decision on whether or not to invest in SEO for your business.