With the widespread use of the internet, companies are now conducting their marketing activities online. One crucial aspect of web marketing is SEO, but why is it so highly regarded?

In this article, we will delve into the reasons why investing in SEO is essential and discuss the associated costs in detail.

Reasons to Invest in SEO

SEO is indispensable for driving web traffic, but what exactly makes it so important? Let us explore the reasons why investing in SEO is crucial.

Expansion of Site Traffic

SEO involves strategies aimed at achieving higher rankings for specific keywords searched by users on search engines like Google and Yahoo!. Being ranked higher in search results makes it more likely for users to click on your website, leading to an increase in in-site traffic. With more traffic, there are more opportunities to engage with users, ultimately leading to increased sales.

Acquiring High-Quality Leads

In search engines, pages related to specific keywords searched by users are displayed. As a result, it means that users with some potential will access the site.

Instead of approaching based on traditional sales methods like using lists, you can target potential customers and approach them.

For example, users who search for ‘SEO company’ are assumed to be interested in SEO services. Since it is not an approach from scratch with zero interest, the conversion rate is also higher.

Reduction in Advertising Costs

Compared to flyers, TV commercials, and web advertisements, SEO strategies incur lower costs. In fact, SEO strategies can be started without significant expenses apart from labor costs.

By strengthening customer acquisition without spending much, it also contributes to reducing advertising costs. However, without appearing in top rankings, it is challenging to expect customer acquisition power similar to advertisements.

In contrast, once advertising has stopped, its customer acquisition power decreases. However, with SEO, maintaining top rankings can contribute to long-term customer acquisition.

Branding

Appearing in top rankings through SEO significantly contributes to the branding of one’s own company. Not only does it increase access to the site, but it also increases the opportunity for users to see it, leading to increased awareness.

As one’s own products or services become recognized, there is an expectation of an increase in branded searches, further increasing the number of visits. Additionally, since inflow from branded searches often has a high conversion rate, sales improvement can also be expected.

Branding is a crucial element in marketing, so SEO strategies are essential for expanding brand recognition.

Key Measures for Implementing SEO Strategies

SEO strategies can primarily be divided into four categories. Understanding each of these measures thoroughly is crucial as they significantly impact rankings.

Keyword Selection

Keyword selection is the first step in SEO strategies. Search engines display pages related to the searched keywords in search results.

Therefore, it is essential to estimate the keywords that the target users are searching for and create content based on those keywords.

Additionally, it is important to include the selected keywords in the content’s titles, descriptions, and headings for optimization. To enhance relevance with the user’s searched keywords, including related keywords such as suggestions or co-occurring terms can further improve keyword relevance.

Related Article: Effective Ways to Include and Select SEO Keywords! How to Beat the Competition?

On-Site Optimization

On-site optimization involves optimizing elements within the site such as text, images, tags, and links to make the site more easily evaluated by search engines.

To accurately convey site content to crawlers that rank pages, it’s crucial to optimize the site’s internal structure. Activities like optimizing internal links and creating sitemaps encourage crawler indexing.

Additionally, considerations such as page loading speed and mobile responsiveness, which affect user experience, are also part of on-site optimization. Since losing users after they access the site is undesirable, usability should be a key consideration in site design.

Off-Site Optimization

Unlike on-site optimization, off-site optimization involves activities conducted outside the site. Specifically, this includes acquiring backlinks and citations. Backlinks and citations represent evaluations from other sites, making them significant criteria for Google’s evaluation.

Unlike on-site optimization, off-site optimization involves aspects that are not directly controlled by the company, making it somewhat more challenging. However, it is an indispensable element in SEO strategies.

Although acquiring backlinks is crucial, it’s not just about quantity; quality matters too. Therefore, when acquiring backlinks, it is essential to check the source of the backlinks.

Content Creation

Content creation refers to the process of creating content tailored to target needs using SEO. In content creation, the goal is to consistently produce content to enhance organic traffic.

In content creation, it is crucial to address the information users want to know or the problems they want to solve based on keywords.

Moreover, search engines increasingly prioritize content quality, favoring original content. Therefore, low-quality content that lacks sufficient information or mimics competitors’ content is not valued.

From keyword selection to article structure and ongoing content creation, these are the specific measures involved in content creation.

How to Implement SEO Strategies?

Many may wonder how to actually implement SEO strategies. When implementing SEO strategies, there are two main methods.

-Setting up internally 

-Outsourcing externally

Let us explain each method.

Setting up internally

SEO strategies require long-term and continuous efforts, often demanding technical skills, especially for internal measures.

If there is knowledge and expertise within the company, it is advisable to actively engage in SEO strategies. Particularly for measures like content creation, which require continuous content development, it’s essential to institutionalize efforts across the organization.

Implementing SEO strategies internally can also contribute to cost reduction, such as cutting advertising expenses.

Related Article: The Challenges of In-House SEO [Failed Hiring?] SEO Staff Unable to Do SEO

Outsourcing externally

If there is a lack of SEO knowledge or resources within the company, or if allocating manpower to SEO is not feasible, outsourcing might be a viable option. By outsourcing to SEO professionals, you can implement more accurate and effective SEO strategies.

While outsourcing incurs costs, it can be a solution until internal SEO strategies are established. Additionally, since SEO strategies are not a one-time effort, finding a reliable company allows for long-term management.

Estimated Costs for Investing in SEO Strategies

We have emphasized the importance of investing in SEO strategies, and many may wonder about the actual costs involved. Here, we will explain the estimated costs for investing in SEO strategies when outsourcing, broken down by major services.

External Measures

When outsourcing external measures, the costs generally fall into the following ranges based on the pricing model:

Performance-based: : ¥1-¥1,000,000 or more Monthly fixed: ¥30,000 to ¥150,000 

Prices often depend on the keywords targeted, with costs varying significantly based on the keywords aimed at achieving top rankings. Since Google explicitly prohibits the purchase of backlinks and penalties may occur, it’s crucial to be cautious of unethical practitioners engaging in black hat SEO tactics.

Internal Measures

When outsourcing internal measures, the costs generally fall into the following ranges based on the pricing model:

Performance-based: ¥100,000 to ¥1,000,000 Monthly fixed: –

For internal measures, costs vary significantly depending on the size of the website, but the services offered are relatively consistent across providers. Internal measures alone can significantly improve a site, making it easier to achieve results.

Additionally, due to the specialized knowledge required for internal measures, many companies opt to outsource these tasks externally.

Content Creation

When outsourcing content creation, the costs generally fall into the following ranges based on the pricing model:

Performance-based: Depending on the number of ordered articles Monthly fixed: ¥40,000 to ¥300,000 

Outsourcing content creation allows for the creation of a large volume of content in a short period. It’s recommended for those looking to quickly increase website traffic.

Since content creation involves various tasks such as keyword selection, article structure creation, and writing, it’s essential to confirm the extent of services provided by the outsourcing company.

SEO Consulting

When outsourcing SEO consulting externally, the costs generally fall into the following ranges based on the pricing model:

Performance-based: – Monthly fixed: ¥100,000 to ¥300,000 

With SEO consulting, you can have experts analyze the current state and challenges of your website and entrust them with improvements and issue resolutions. Since they focus on areas where your company may be lacking, the cost may be high, but you can expect significant results.

Additionally, for companies lacking SEO expertise, outsourcing SEO consulting entirely is recommended.

SEO Planning

When outsourcing SEO planning externally, the costs generally fall into the following ranges based on the pricing model:

Performance-based: – Monthly fixed: ¥100,000 to ¥1,000,000 or more 

With SEO planning, experts conduct research, analysis, and planning when launching a new website. It’s recommended for those starting web traffic generation, involving competitor analysis, content planning, and more.

Additionally, you can request SEO planning for website renovations to ensure it is more likely to rank higher.

Return on Investment (ROI) When Outsourcing SEO Strategies

While there is a cost involved in outsourcing SEO strategies, what is the return on investment (ROI)? Here are the key points to consider when discussing the effectiveness of SEO investment.

Results take time to show

SEO strategies require long-term and continuous efforts. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand that it takes time for results to show.

Creating content and getting it indexed by search engines takes time. However, if SEO efforts yield results, you can expect long-term traffic generation, and the created content can accumulate as assets.

It is easy to expect immediate results after investing in SEO, but it is essential to understand that SEO requires a long-term commitment.

If you can rank higher, you can achieve long-term returns

By ranking higher through SEO strategies, you can anticipate long-term traffic and consequently, long-term returns. Achieving a high ranking in search results allows you to automate the process from customer acquisition to conversion.

To automate future traffic generation, it is crucial to invest in SEO strategies. Moreover, if you can outsource SEO while gradually internalizing it, you can perform SEO strategies in the long term while reducing costs further.

Long-term commitment is necessary.

Google’s algorithms are updated annually, and even with solid SEO strategies, there is a possibility of being affected by algorithm updates. Therefore, it’s essential to stay updated with the latest SEO information and update your site and content accordingly.

In summary, SEO requires long-term commitment and investment. Although it may require some initial investment, if you can achieve results, you can obtain returns beyond that.

Summary

With the internet becoming widespread and web traffic becoming mainstream, SEO strategies have become even more crucial. Although it may seem daunting at first, by implementing SEO strategies in the long term and continuously, you can achieve high returns on investment. It’s essential to understand the importance of SEO and start implementing SEO strategies firmly from now on. If implementation internally is challenging, consider outsourcing areas that your company cannot handle on its own to strengthen your traffic generation efforts.

Author Profile

International Web Consultant Paveena Suphawet

A trilingual professional in English, Thai, and Japanese, she has numerous achievements in international SEO. She studied the latest IT technologies at Assumption International University, Thailand, and majored in International Business at the University of Greenwich, UK. Following her tenure at ExxonMobil’s Thai branch, she became a key member of Admano from its establishment.

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