Stop Kidding Yourself About The Cost Of SEO For Small Business

2024-09-07

For many small businesses, the cost of SEO is often viewed as a burdensome expense. There’s a pervasive notion that search engine optimization is something large companies with deep pockets can afford, while smaller businesses should stick to more traditional or short-term marketing strategies. This mindset, however, is short-sighted and counterproductive. In reality, the cost of not investing in SEO can be far greater than the cost of implementing it.

The Misconception of SEO as an Expense

Many small business owners hesitate to invest in SEO because they perceive it as an expenditure without immediate returns. However, SEO is not just an expense—it’s an investment. As with any investment, it builds value over time. Companies that invest in optimizing their website for search engines can gradually move up in rankings, leading to increased visibility and higher traffic.

This is particularly crucial for businesses that rely on local customers. According to a 2019 survey by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers searched online to find a local business, and 88% of those searches resulted in either a call or a visit within 24 hours . For small businesses, showing up in those search results can make or break their survival.

The Long-Term ROI of SEO

SEO is not about quick wins but about building long-term visibility. Unlike paid channels such as Google Ads, where you stop receiving clicks the moment you stop paying, SEO continues to deliver results long after the initial investment is made. A well-optimized website remains visible for months, even years, as long as it continues to align with search engine algorithms.

Moz, an SEO software company, explains this succinctly with the concept of compounding returns. Once a website gains authority in a particular niche, its ranking for relevant keywords starts improving not just for those specific terms but for related ones as well . In essence, SEO, when done right, keeps paying off with increasing returns over time, making the initial cost pale in comparison to the long-term value it delivers.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

There is a common saying in business that “doing nothing is the most expensive option.” This certainly applies to SEO. Not investing in SEO is akin to opening a shop in a bustling market but refusing to put up a sign or advertise your products. You might be there, but no one knows you exist.

Moreover, the longer a business waits to start optimizing for search engines, the harder it becomes to compete. Competitors who have been working on their SEO for years have already built an edge in the marketplace, accumulating backlinks, content, and domain authority. For a small business trying to catch up, the costs only increase the longer they wait.

Hidden Costs of Bad SEO

In some cases, businesses fall for the lure of cheap SEO services that promise quick results. These services often rely on unethical tactics like keyword stuffing, spammy backlinks, or black-hat SEO techniques, which can lead to penalties from search engines. Once penalized, a business can suffer a significant drop in traffic, which can be devastating.

As anecdotal evidence, consider a local restaurant that unknowingly hired an agency using such tactics. While the restaurant initially saw a boost in rankings, within months, it was penalized by Google, losing nearly all of its organic traffic. The restaurant had to spend thousands of pounds on an SEO recovery plan just to get back to where they started—a scenario that could have been avoided with an upfront investment in quality SEO.

SEO in the Era of Search Evolution

The way search engines function continues to evolve, with AI algorithms like Google’s RankBrain prioritizing content that is not only relevant but also engaging and user-friendly. This requires a multi-faceted SEO strategy, from technical optimization to content marketing and user experience enhancements. As algorithms become more sophisticated, businesses that treat SEO as an afterthought will fall behind.

In a way, SEO is becoming a necessary operational cost, much like utilities or payroll. It’s the cost of doing business in the modern marketplace.

Stop Kidding Yourself About SEO

The idea that SEO is an optional or secondary expense for small businesses is a fallacy. The real cost comes from not investing in SEO. By delaying or avoiding it, businesses not only miss out on potential customers but also fall behind competitors who understand that SEO is an essential long-term investment. It’s time to stop kidding ourselves about the cost of SEO and start seeing it for what it really is: a critical factor for sustainable growth.