In times of economic uncertainty, it is not uncommon for businesses to cut back on spending. Unfortunately, marketing budgets allocated to improving search engine optimization (SEO) are often some of the first to be slashed, as returns are not seen immediately like they are for pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.
If you think about it, this cost-saving strategy is backward. Eliminating marketing efforts that create brand awareness, as well as driving traffic and revenue, only end up hurting your business in the long run. SEO is a long-term investment that has many advantages you may not be thinking of during an economic downturn. Here are nine key reasons to put your focus on a winning organic search strategy and stay the course during challenging economic times.
1. Increase Visibility Online & Attract High-Quality Traffic
Implementing an SEO strategy with in-depth keyword research and creating optimized pages with helpful content gives you a chance at increasing your visibility in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Many purchases or leads start with a query in a search engine, so make sure you can meet your target audience where they are in their buying journey.
Optimize content for informational, commercial, and transactional intent with long-tail keywords that match search intent. These long-tail queries are specific and drive quality traffic to your site, as consumers know exactly what they want. Higher organic rankings can translate to more impressions, clicks, traffic, and conversions.
During times of economic uncertainty, consumers are more hesitant to purchase, as they have limited spending. Instead, they spend additional time researching products, services, and solutions that fit their needs before making a purchase.
Make sure that you’ve put effort into your SEO strategy so that your site is prominently featured in the SERPs, creating brand awareness and making sure your brand stays top of mind when consumers are ready to purchase.
2. Cost-Effective Marketing with a Strong ROI
The long-term benefits of SEO far outweigh the costs associated with creating optimized content and making technical improvements to your site. Unlike paid Search campaigns that require ongoing budget and stop generating traffic once paused, SEO efforts today can deliver results for months or years.
It’s imperative not to rely solely on PPC, as ad campaigns can drain your budget, especially due to rising cost-per-clicks. Having a consistent investment in SEO will eventually deliver a higher return on investment (ROI) since it will bring in high-quality traffic organically, without ad spend. Allocate your marketing budget in a way that makes sense for your business, but remember that investing in SEO gives your site lasting visibility, long after your PPC budget runs out.
However, cutting off PPC in favor of SEO is also not ideal, as you miss out on gaining quick traffic, leads, and sales. Some SEO efforts may be valuable right away and show ROI, and others take time to see the results. A combination of SEO and PPC covers you well for both short- and long-term success.
3. Rise Above the Competition
Investing in SEO gives you a competitive advantage over other businesses in your industry that may have fallen victim to cutting back on their own SEO efforts. Conversely, if you are neglecting SEO and your competitors are still being discovered in the SERPs, you are missing out and losing valuable sales or leads, as they capture more of the market share.
It’s hard to make up for lost time if your competition has been building its own reputation and brand image.
4. SEO Delivers Long-Term Results
SEO efforts that align with Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines work long after the initial investment. For example, a page you optimized today can continue to drive traffic for months and even years from now. Evergreen SEO practices that follow Google’s guidelines can make a long-term impact without additional investment. The goal is to continuously fine-tune your SEO strategy, determining which pages to optimize so that your website continues to drive traffic and increase conversions.
5. Build Trust and Credibility in Your Industry
When your site is optimized and ranks at the top of the SERPs, your brand is seen as an industry authority and has the ability to gain trust in that competitive space. That’s especially true when searchers see that your products or services have positive reviews that further boost your credibility.
Searchers tend to trust organic SERPs that rank towards the top of page one, over paid ads. Being able to rank organically in this coveted real estate makes you appear as a legitimate, credible brand in the eyes of consumers.
6. Improve UX
Search engines favor sites that are optimized for mobile devices, have fast load times, and have a clear site structure with seamless navigation. These are all technical SEO requirements, and improving core web vitals, site structure, and mobile responsiveness sends a signal to Google that can improve your organic rankings and user experience. A site with a good user experience (UX) helps to keep users engaged once they land on your website, making them more likely to convert. Improved UX also helps reduce bounce rates.
Working with a skilled SEO professional whose expertise is technical SEO can be beneficial to improving your site, as they can provide technical recommendations for your web developers to implement. These technical requirements ultimately lead to better website performance overall, improved UX, and higher conversion rates.
7. SEO Supports All Marketing Channels
SEO aligns with various stages of the buyer’s journey from awareness to decision. Informational blog posts attract early-stage leads, while optimized product category pages and service pages convert high-intent users. A valuable SEO strategy also complements content marketing, PPC campaigns, and social media channels by increasing brand awareness and discoverability.
8. Adapting Your SEO Strategy & Staying Up-to-Date on Algorithm Updates
SEO is always evolving and changing. It has come a long way from its early days when keyword stuffing could land you on page one. When you invest in search engine optimization, you should use up-to-date practices for optimization and technical updates that are in line with Google’s recommendations. Stay on top of the latest algorithm updates, amending your strategies going forward based on what is and is not working.
9. Local SEO Attracts Nearby Customers
Implementing local SEO strategies can change the game for brick-and-mortar businesses. Optimizing your Google Business Profile, adding local citations, and showing up on Google Maps helps you appear in local searches (like “italian restaurants near me” or “running shoes near me”), improve your foot traffic, or increase your overall call volume.
Benefits of Investing in Search Engine Optimization
In today’s digital marketing landscape, building a reputable brand online matters more than ever. This doesn’t happen overnight. When SEO is an afterthought or something that would be nice to have but not included in your budget, you miss out on opportunities that could change the game for your business. Simply put, if you aren’t improving your site with optimal SEO practices, you are falling behind. Consistent, high-quality traffic is not free; it has to be earned with well-optimized content and technical updates that improve your site for SEO.
Why You Shouldn’t Pause SEO During an Economic Downturn
Pausing your SEO efforts can cause more damage in the long run, leading to your company playing catch-up when the economy improves. It’s important to remember that tough times never last forever, and consumer spending will eventually pick back up. Will your site be ready to compete for leads and purchases, or will it be too far behind the competition? Investing in SEO during times of economic downturn sets your business up for future success.
