It’s time to start working on your marketing efforts for your business. Have you already started budgeting for SEO?
Your SEO strategy may be the most affordable part of your marketing strategy, but creating a budget for it might seem confusing. We’re here to talk about it.
Read on for a few quick tips for SEO budgeting.
1. Determine Your Needs and Goals
All businesses have specific marketing needs (and that includes SEO needs). When you’re trying to budget for SEO, you need to make a list of needs and goals first, even if you’re outsourcing.
For businesses that are brand-new, you’re going to be starting from scratch. This could mean that you’re able to do it on your own and get good initial results, or it may mean that you’ll need to pay extra to put yourself “on the map” so to speak.
Set measurable goals regarding how many leads you want to acquire in a set amount of time. How many of those leads do you reasonably expect to turn into customers? Do you want to get them all through SEO, or are you also using other strategies (like SEM or social media)?
2. DIY, In-House, or Agency?
You’re going to have to decide who’s going to be working on your SEO.
As we mentioned before, new business owners who are working from the ground up may be able to use DIY SEO, especially if they’re in a less common niche. For DIYers, read “How Does SEO Work?“ here. At some point, however, hiring professionals is going to be essential.
DIY SEO is free (beyond the cost of your website). Hiring an in-house professional is going to be pricey. For large businesses, this is a valid option, but for small businesses that need to save money, it’s less viable.
An SEO agency is a great option for any business owner on a budget. You’ll pay a low price for a wide range of SEO services.
3. Consider Other Marketing Expenses
When you’re budgeting for SEO, you’re fitting it into your overall marketing budget. Consider the other marketing-related expenses before you commit to your new SEO strategy.
How much are you spending on social media? What about influencer or affiliate marketing? Are you using traditional marketing strategies as well?
SEO is important, but don’t let it get in the way of your other marketing strategies.
4. Remember Your ROI
You might think that the cost of SEO (if you’re hiring a professional) is too high. Is SEO worth it?
Remember that your return on investment is going to be high enough to make investing in SEO worthwhile. During your first quarter of SEO strategy implementation, track your progress. You can add or remove money from your budget based on how much your current SEO strategy is increasing your revenue.
Creating a Budget for SEO Is Simple
When you’re creating a budget for SEO, keep these factors in mind. Like all aspects of business budgeting, it’s going to vary depending on your goals, progress, and how much money you have for your business in the first place.
Remember: SEO is crucial, but it shouldn’t break the bank.
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