Proving the value of Search Engine Optimization has become almost an obsession with most companies. So here are a few statistics that can help prove a point, either in favour or against an SEO investment. Also, experts now realise that convincing C-level executives to think of any SEO investment at all entails bandying about a few stats and figures because at the end of the day, it’s all a number game. So here they are:
Of all the SEO campaigns, evidence has it that almost 40 percent of them have healthy returns of around 500 percent. In contrast, only 22 percent of Pay-Per-Click campaigns boast of success
Almost 62 percent users click on links available on the first page itself
When a search is unsuccessful, 80 percent of users refine their keywords to search again
Now if these stats don’t sway things in your favour then read on to discover the other things you can do to prove the value of SEO.
Select the right time frame to measure SEO returns:
It’s smart to take seasonality into account. Depending on how frequently budgeting decisions are made think of a Year Over Year, monthly or quarterly time frame. Another approach to selecting the right framework is to think on the lines of Key Sales Periods. For instance, the hotel industry experiences spikes in enquiries at the weekends and during holidays and vacations. It’s easier to show the correlation between an increase in SEO activities and sales during such peak times. Then apply the following commonly used formula- Revenue- Investment/Investment multiplied by 100
Be smart about customer profiling:
Aggregate data reveals nothing! Even organic keyword reports provide sketchy insights. What really works is segmentation or customer profiling for not all companies are interested in customer outside their region or country. Also not all companies benefit from customers who land on a blog and then move to the product page. Segments that are most useful in terms of calculating ROI include users who’ve filled up forms or made it to the checkout stage, geographic segments or visits to certain sections or your website.
There is enough to show that SEO has value, and value that is immense. While it does not take very much to employ SEO to almost every business, it is only when the benefits start to show that you know just what you have gifted yourself. These measures alone can help prove the value of SEO to those who still remain skeptical about taking the plunge!
