Wondering if SEO is worth your time and money?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew exactly how your SEO initiatives improved your business?

You can explore the best way to invest in the future by having a solid understanding of how your search investments will affect performance and your bottom line.

On May 25, I moderated a webinar led by Wayne Cichanski, VP of Search and Site Experience at iQuanti.

He showed the business benefits that can be discovered from certain SEO activities, giving you the power to see the true value of your investment.

Here is a summary of the webinar.

To access the full presentation, complete the form.

Does investing in SEO work?

Absolutely.

However, when it comes to deciding where to invest, businesses generally prefer paid search over SEO.

Why is it tilted?

Most people still have misconceptions about each path.

Let’s get rid of the misconceptions, now.

Demystifying Expectations Of SEO Vs. Paid Search

Myth #1: You Should Only Invest In Either Paid or Organic Search.

Mali.

Here is the truth:

• You should be doing both; the goal is to occupy the total space of the digital shelf.
• The sum of paid and organic combined is more significant than any single channel.

Myth #2: Paid Search Provides a Lower Overall CPA.

Mali.

Here is the truth:

• If your organic search performs well, the CPA can reach $ 25 – $ 65, instead of the typical CPA of $ 300 – $ 400.

[Discover More False SEO Myths] Instantly access the webinar →

Now that you know how important it is to invest in organic search in addition to paid search, let’s address some of your concerns.

SEO Investment Concerns: Is It Possible to Predict Success?

You may be thinking, “How do I know that SEO will work? Is it possible to predict the visible success of organic search?”

The answer is yes – you can predict your SEO results.

One way you can calculate revenue impact is by using data from actual search analytics.

From there, you can determine what your annual traffic will be, based on keyword volume.

Then, you can calculate your known potential leads and percentage of sales to see your predicted ROI.

iQuanti, 2022

[Discover KPIs That Prove SEO Investments Are Working] Instantly access the webinar →

Now that you understand how SEO investments drive more traffic to your website, let’s talk about how content fits into the SEO investment picture.

Content and SEO: Understanding the ROI Breakdown Of Investing

Content is king, but what kind of content do you need to write?

How does this suit SEO?

Long story short, content comes up in search engines.

• What should you write?
• When should you write it?
• What is the expectation and role of each type of content?

[Find Out How Much Content You Should Produce] Instantly access the webinar →

When you publish a piece of content, make sure it is published:

• For the user to read.
• To match a step in the user’s journey.

Make sure the content includes a primary and secondary CTA that allows someone to climb up or down the funnel as they need.

Still confused? Take a hint from the old saying: fish where fish are.

Considerations For Calculating Expected Content ROI

Not all content is equal, as is the ROI that comes with it.

There are several factors to consider when setting an expected ROI:

• Content role.
• Effort in labor.
• Cost to rank.
• Traffic.
• Conversion.

Factor 1: Role Of Your Content

Each piece of content has a different function, and each function affects ROI differently.

The role of content can be considered from different perspectives:

• Getting.
• Support.
• Related.
• Brand.
• Leadership of thought.
• Off-Page.

[Find Out How Each Type Affects ROI] Instantly access the webinar →

Factor 2: The Effort To Make

Each type of content has different steps, which may require more or less work.

Here’s what Cichanski’s team looks at when producing high-quality content:

iQuanti, May 2022

Factor 3: The Cost of Content Ranking

Making content without rank is like putting up a giant billboard in the middle of the island and complaining that no one has seen it.

If you do not have a strong enough and reliable signal, Google will not rank high on your website.

Your go-to-market strategy needs to include the costs of ranking your content and the cost of increasing your authority.

[Learn About The Other Two Factors] Instantly access the webinar →

Authority and SEO: Why and How to Invest

Intertwined with each of the above factors is the need to invest in authority.

Your site’s authority helps Google understand what position your content will rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).

There is positive authority and there is negative authority.

iQuanti, May 2022

You want to reduce negative signals and raise positive signals.

Technical SEO: Where to Invest

In addition to content, Google looks for technical factors that prove a site’s value.

Investing in these key technical factors that affect your ranking is important:

• Page speed.
• Informational.
• Transactional.
• Utilitarian.
• Hygiene issues.

[What Do These Factors Mean?] Instantly access the webinar →

KPIs to consider:

• Increased page performance.
• Reducing mistakes.
• Faster page speed.

As you make technical improvements, all of your pages can increase in rank – thus increasing ROI.

[Slides] Demystifying SEO Investments: Expert Advice On What CMOs Can Expect

Here is the presentation:

Demystifying SEO Investments: Expert Advice On What CMOs Can Expect from Search Engine Journal

Join Us For Our Next Webinar!

Local SEO: Top 6 Ways To Get Higher Quality Reviews

Worried about the online reputation of your local business? Learn how to stay competitive and win customers before they even enter your store on June 8, 2 pm ET.

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Photo Credits

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal