Search engine optimization has evolved into being a vital part of marketing over the past decade. Many small businesses, however, still regard SEO practices as something of an afterthought. The fact is that SEO presents a significant opportunity for businesses, and failing to integrate it into a marketing plan is as good as conceding business to your competition. Here are multiple reasons why you should invest in SEO in 2020.

SEO Helps to Deliver a Real ROI

Many businesses try to perform their own SEO, which usually leads to poor results followed by “I told you so.” In reality, however, SEO implemented properly ranks among the more profitable types of marketing there is. It’s important, however, to know that there’s typically an investment required upfront for quality SEO. This investment is either one of time, if you’re doing it on your own, or money if you’re outsourcing to an agency with the right experience to get real results. One of the main benefits of SEO in terms of ROI are the available analytics. You can use the Google search console for tracking data, for example, to ensure you’re making the most out of your investment. 

SEO Means High Traffic Conversion

Let’s say you own a cleaning company. This is the kind of service people only search for when they need it. If your company is listed on the front page of Google, you’re making it easier to be found by potential customers. In other words, leads driven by SEO are prospects who have already shown an interest in buying what you’re selling. This is a small business’s ideal demographic. It means you don’t have to spend time on chasing irrelevant leads, as the intent of the user is clearly shown through their search queries.

Your Competition Does It

Almost all small businesses are making use of SEO today. This means that you are falling behind in the race to finding leads if you aren’t performing SEO. It also means that by adopting a well-thought-out SEO strategy, you have the chance to earn search engine rankings over competing companies that are poorly executing their SEO. This should be a good enough reason in itself for you to start planning out an SEO strategy.

Future-Proofing Your Business

SEO is a dynamic process, so what is effective today may not work tomorrow. SEO principles change when search engines modify their algorithms. The longer your SEO strategy is being implemented, and the more you optimize your website, the better and faster you’ll recognize and respond to these changes. In a decade from now, when SEO is even more important than it is right at present, you’ll be patting yourself on the back because you implemented a solid strategy in 2020. There’s also a positive side effect of these changes in algorithms. Opportunities for a rapid climb in search engine rankings occasionally present themselves. The better SEO strategy you have in place, the more effectively you can pivot and take advantage of these changes.