Does Your Business Need SEO Copywriting and Marketing?

You’ve probably heard about search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting and marketing. But it’s confusing, even overwhelming, and you suspect SEO is only appropriate for big businesses, not one that’s small or mid-sized, like yours.

SEO is the process of creating or modifying your website to improve its placement on the major search engines like Google and Bing. When someone searches for a business in your field or a product that you sell, you want to be sure they find you in the top results.

Most people make their selections from page 1 or 2 of the search results, so if your site is on page 6 or worse, you’re unlikely to get that visitor’s attention.

Still not sure if SEO marketing is for you? Then ask yourself the 10 simple questions in the tongue-in-cheek quiz below to know if your company website could benefit from SEO.

1. Do you want to keep your business small?

More than 80% of online consumers start their search for a product or service using a search engine like Google. And 60 million people a day turn to search engines for answers. If you’re a small business that wants to stay small, you should continue to ignore this enormous audience. SEO is not for you.

2. Do you get heaps of leads from referrals and word-of-mouth?

If your current customers are great about referring their friends and telling the world that you exist, then you don’t need additional exposure.  Don’t bother improving your website’s position on search engines. SEO is not for you.

3. Does your corporate website already rank on page one for its main keywords?

If whether by good luck or the skills of your website copywriter, your site already ranks high on the search engines for all of its keywords (the words searchers use when looking for a product or service like yours), then you probably don’t need SEO copywriting or marketing.

4. Do you believe that customers searching online will manage to find you, even though your site ranks well behind your competition’s?

Studies show that 91% of search engine users don’t click past the first page of search results. Do you? Probably not. But if your customers are the exception to the rule, and you’re confident they’ll seek you out even if your site isn’t one of the top 10 for its main keywords, then SEO is not for you.

5. Is your business so old and established that everyone already knows it by name?

If you’re lucky enough to have a company with the brand recognition of say Amazon or General Motors or Nikon, and you are confident people will search for you online by name, then you don’t need SEO.

6. Do you spend so much money advertising in newspapers, the Yellow Pages or on television or radio that you don’t need to be concerned with online visibility?

If traditional media happens to be where your prospects hang out, then you needn’t try to reach them via Internet marketing. SEO marketing is not for you.

7. Do you already buy ads online to ensure top placement on the search engines?

If you’re purchasing pay-per-click ads to appear in search results, you should be aware that studies indicate that 85% of search engine users are more likely to click on organic (natural) search results rather than paid search ads. Still if PPC ads are delivering adequate traffic to your site, and you don’t mind paying for traffic that you could be getting for free, then SEO is not for you.

8. Do you worry that you’ll get flooded with inquiries if your site rises to the top of the search engines?

SEO does bring in traffic. And traffic fills up your e-mail box and makes your phone ring. Fortunately, most of that traffic is targeted. Searchers who find you through Google and Bing are specifically looking for what you offer. They are visitors with a genuine interest in your products or services. However, if the idea of answering inquiries, some of which could be from tire kickers, makes you cringe, then SEO is not for you.

9. Do you believe the Internet is a mere fad and your presence on there is a waste of time and resources?

Only the future will tell if the Internet is a blip or a life-changing force like the Ice Age. If you’ve got your money on blip, then don’t invest in SEO copywriting or marketing. Spend it on your search for the next big thing.

10. Do you feel like you’ve already missed the boat when it comes to Internet marketing and now it’s too late to catch up?

Yes, you are late to the party. Whereas some people might think better late than never, you’ve already adopted a defeatist attitude. Best to just stay with your ship as it slowly sinks while the competition picks up steam and chugs along on its journey to success.

If you’ve answered each of the 10 questions above with a definitive “no,” then you owe it to yourself to investigate what SEO can do for your business. The work you put into SEO copywriting and marketing could bring you greater online visibility in just a few short weeks.

Customers Are Searching for You!

To position your company for the future, the Internet is where you need to be. It’s where your customers are and your competitors too. If you don’t have a quality website that ranks high on the search engines, potential buyers won’t find you.

The online marketplace is crowded. You need to compete aggressively if your business is to succeed. SEO copywriting and marketing can make a significant difference in the quantity and quality of traffic your website receives.

Put your website to work for you. The faster you engage in SEO copywriting and marketing, the sooner you’ll have new customers knocking at your virtual door.

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