SEO for Organic Search Isn’t as “Free” as People Think
In the marketing world, I’ve regularly run across professionals who have an aversion to Google Ads because they cost money. The argument goes,
“Why would you pay to show up in search results when you can do SEO for free?”
If Time is Money, SEO Represents a Significant Investment
Modern SEO requires that considerable effort goes into content creation. Along with a website specifically built for SEO, best practices dictate publishing blog posts twice per week that fit the following:
- Focus on a keyword of value to your brand
- Are an average of 2,300 words
- Contain video, photos, charts or infographics
- Feature a call to action (CTA) at the end
Unless your time is worth nothing, SEO is not free.
Is SEO Cheaper than Google Ads?
Depending on the level of search competition for your keywords, the investment into SEO might be more or less expensive than advertising on Google. Check out this chart comparing the 100-click cost for different CPC values.
If you can spend $7.00 to get 100 clicks from potential customers through to your website, then SEO is likely more expensive than advertising. However, if it requires $1,500 to get those same 100 customers, an investment in SEO might save some marketing budget.
Want to know if SEO is right for your small business marketing? Contact us for a free consultation.
