Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization is important because the higher you rank in search results, the more website traffic you will get (and for free!). The best part about growing your website visitors through organic traffic is that it is a long-term strategy that gets you consistent leads for a long time. You also won’t have to worry about your content not showing up in social media the way you want because when people find you through search engines you control the entire experience through your website. Focusing on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) also potentially gives you more content for marketing on other channels, and can position you as an industry expert or authority when done right.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is technically free because you do not have to pay to show up in Google Search Results. However, if you want to hire an SEO expert to help you rank higher quicker, educate yourself via an SEO course, or use professional SEO software to do routine tasks and research easier then you will have to pay for these extra resources. Professional SEO software usually ranges from around $75 – $500 / month. SEO courses range from $300 – $9000 depending on the length, format, expertise of the teacher, and additional resources/outcomes. Professional standalone SEO reports usually cost around $800 – $1500. Ongoing SEO consulting or management services tend to cost around $500 – $5000+ depending on the deliverables and expertise of the expert or agency.

Search Engine Optimization is a long-term strategy that shouldn’t be used as a get-rich-quick scheme or to generate a huge amount of leads for a brand new website immediately. Typically any changes that you make on your website to help optimize it for search engines can take 6-10 weeks to be recognized and indexed by Google. Usually, the first year of a new website sees the slowest amount of growth, but a consistent content marketing strategy and blogging program that is backed by keyword research and the ethical, white-hat accumulation of backlinks will help you rank higher quicker. It is extremely hard to rank high in search results for a brand new website if you are unwilling to write related content that is optimized for search engines.

Write valuable content for humans
(content strategy, keyword strategy)

Optimize your content for search engines
(technical strategy)

Improve your content by: Learning from competitors; Listening to customers; Understanding your analytics
(analytics strategy)

Share your content on the internet and gain authority
(backlinks strategy)

The amazing thing about digital marketing is that you can learn most of it through accessible online courses, blogs, podcasts, and other marketing channels for free! The main thing to be aware of is not all free advice is relevant, actually provided by an expert, or true. So try to learn from well-established industry experts, credited courses, or from someone who has an established library of resources, actual experience/proof of expertise, and citations. Here are some of our favorite SEO resources: SEMRush Blog, Moz Blog, Neil Patel Blog, LinkedIn Learning Courses, and of course our Boop Digital SEO blog!