Why make SEO your recession strategy?

When budgets are tight, it’s harder to take risks. But that’s the brilliance of SEO – it doesn’t rely on luck…

In the world of content, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is always on the to-do list, but few people appreciate the pure magic strong SEO-optimised content could work.  

SEO strategy is often considered a luxury for brands. As it’s not something you can see, as such, it tends to get left by the wayside – that forgotten tick box on the budget sheet, the optional extra that can be easily one-upped by something more flashy. The irony is, that while SEO in itself is invisible, it’s pretty much the only thing that can guarantee you and your brand get seen online.  

As we edge ever closer to a recession, brands need to start thinking seriously about where they put their spend: what is important? What is cost-effective? And, above all, what gets results? 

No-matter who you are, SEO should always be the first thing on your to-do list – especially during a recession. Let me show you why…

1. It’s a science.

When budgets are tight, it’s harder to take risks. But that’s the brilliance of SEO – it doesn’t rely on luck.  

A good SEO strategy relies on a combination of in-depth keyword research, competitor analysis and content gap analysis to identify the terms you should be ranking for. This can then inform the content you create and give you confidence that everything you put out is relevant and useful to your customers, helping you climb up the Google search rankings and attract more organic traffic. 

Of course, there are some indeterminate factors at play. Things like Google updates, for example, always have the power to shift rankings. But remember, Google algorithm changes affect everyone. Think of them as a slight shift in the formula, where all you need to do to get back on top is adjust the gears and trust the science. 

2. It works for everyone.

No matter how big or small your business, a good SEO-led content strategy will help you reach your audience in an understated, organic way, right when they most need you.  

SEO is everyone’s game. It’s about creating and optimising content that speaks to your niche audience. And, by doing it organically through Google search results, you’re not only driving traffic to a particular page (which could be done just as well through PPC advertising), you’re also raising your brand’s digital visibility, search authority and making it easier for new and potential customers to find you.  

To put this in perspective, research by Chitika shows the #1 result in Google gets 34% of the organic traffic, making the top spot worth only a little less than positions #2, #3 and #4 combined. The biggest jump, meanwhile, comes when moving from position #11 to #10 (or from page 2 to page 1), driving 143% more traffic to your page.  

3. It helps you build trust.  

In hard financial times, people want to know they can trust in your products and services. And what better way to demonstrate this level of authority than through Google?  

Google, as a platform, promises to show consumers the most useful and trustworthy pages based on their search. This means, whatever question they type in that search box, the consumer should expect it to be answered in the top three results.  

Now let’s compare this to PPC or social media advertising. What can the consumer expect from this type of outreach? To sum it up: sales. Yes, of course, you can create a campaign that feels honest, that goes for the soft-sell, that has ‘the consumers’ best interests at heart’, but at the end of the day, it’s still coming from you, the brand. Meanwhile, Google acts as a third party, an omniscient presence pointing consumers to the right choice – i.e. the top search results.  

4. It’s the golden key to success.

The bottom line is you should really have been investing in SEO strategy the whole time. Whether the world is going through a recession or experiencing a golden age of affluence, SEO is the secret formula that has the power to make you top dog.  

In today’s digital world, if you’re not online, you’re simply not keeping up with the competition. With new companies popping up every day, you have to be ready to adapt and change with the times, to fight for the top search terms and remain relevant to customers, old and new.  

Like the sound of SEO magic, but don’t know where to start?

In the last three years, we’ve helped 40 clients from global banks to small charities climb the Google search rankings in their field of expertise. Get in touch today and let us help you discover your site’s true potential.