We all go through tough times. Especially now, with every industry in flux and a constantly evolving definition of what makes an essential product, some businesses are facing the extreme unknown. Making the best decisions for your business when faced with tough times is an incredible challenge.
One of the first things entrepreneurs might consider cutting when budgets are tightening is their marketing budget, and more specifically spending on organic traffic channels, such as SEO. We totally understand the temptation to reduce spending on traffic that may not appear to have an immediate impact on the business in hopes of picking it back up in the future. But there may be some unanticipated costs to flipping off your SEO switch. Here are the top 3 reasons why not to start and top your SEO, even during tough times.
- Loss of Visibility
If you suddenly stop producing content, your customers may wonder what’s happening with your business. The less your existing customer base sees from you, the more likely they are to forget about you. Pair that with temporary or seasonal closures and customers may assume you’re permanently closed.
Instead of cutting off all content production, consider reducing the amount of content you release and spreading it out over a longer period of time. Share important updates about processes and guidelines as you adapt to government regulations, promote new services, or offer encouraging words to connect with your customers. We all understand hard times and this is a great opportunity to share how your business is adjusting and what changes your customers can expect in their experience.
- The Lag
The initial buildup of SEO rankings is slow to start and often has lagging indicators. It takes time to build your authority, to prove to Google that you’re creating relevant and valuable content and keeping your content up-to-date. The same applies when you stop creating content and stop optimizing your website. There will be a lag in impact to your organic traffic, but over time you’ll see a drop in your organic leads which will impact your overall sales.
This slow burn is the biggest reason not to completely shut down your SEO marketing channel. As you see your organic traffic drop off, the lag in recovering or improving your rankings can take longer than anticipated. Because of this lag, SEO shouldn’t be treated like an on or off switch, unlike paid ads which tend to have shorter ROI.
Luckily, that same strategy of updating your content regularly and releasing fewer articles consistently will help you stay visible and maintain your rankings. You’ll also want to keep a close eye on your SEO performance and adjust your efforts accordingly to maximize your smaller budget.
- Becoming Outdated
The algorithm that impacts search rankings is constantly evolving. With major shifts in consumer shopping habits, it’s logical to assume that the SEO algorithms will adapt over time. Continuing to stay up-to-date with your SEO practices will be key to maintaining and building your organic traffic.
Consistently publishing content and optimizing your existing pages to match new industry recommendations will ensure that you’re getting the most out of your SEO marketing budget, even with reduced spending. Leveraging SEO tools to notify you of any errors and inconsistencies in your content is a great way to save time!
While we know that times are tough and you will need to make changes and adapt in order for your business to survive, don’t neglect your SEO. The long-term costs to your visibility and sales leads may be greater than you imagine, and the climb back to the top may be tougher than you anticipated. Instead of starting and stopping your SEO, create a solution that allows you to create content, monitor your performance, and save time and money.
Not sure how to optimize your SEO budget to get the most out of your content? Reach out to our team to discuss our SEO audits and new content packages.
