The Enyanga Blog: Fact: SEO is the most cost effective method for generating leads online Skip To Content

Fact: SEO is the most cost effective method for generating leads online

A recent study carried out by e-consultancy and Clash Media, has highlighted the most cost effective methods of generating leads online. Unsurprisingly, SEO, PPC and email marketing ranked amongst the highest in effectiveness.

Highlights from the report’s findings include:

• Natural search (79%), email marketing - in-house lists (75%) and paid search (71%) are the most commonly used online methods for lead generation.

• PPC is getting a bigger proportion of online lead generation budgets (33%), even though natural search is perceived to be better value for money.

• SEO now only gets 15% of the budget compared to 18% last year.

Now anyone who knows me, knows I have been saying this for years; SEO should be attracting budgets on a par with PPC. But this still doesn't seem to be happening. Even when we explain to clients that natural rankings equate for around 70% of clicks comapred to the 30% PPC generates, the penny still doesn't seem to drop that SEO is where the money should go.

This news is great for us web marketing peeps; our advice is finally being backed up. SEO and email are the most effective methods of promoting a brand online, way ahead of PPC and the dreaded banner ad. So with all this research in place, should we expect an influx of SEO business? Well, no...

Lets face it, SEO to the unfamiliar is a hard sell. Your selling a solution, a formula, that you cant see in action for a while, but should procude results. Its like planting a seed; it needs to take time to form some roots before it can grow. Most clients I have dealt with want to see results instantly (its the internet, we should see a growth in 10 minutes). But SEO doesn't work like this. Bear in mind that you can never predict what a search engine will do, so its not like we can guarantee a client that their site will appear high in the results.

My advice for clients who are unconvinced on SEO and are sceptical about its impact, is to try it on a few areas or a few key phrases for your site. Try it and see how it fairs. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. But make sure you get advice from someone that knows what they are doing, as SEO done wrong can be more harmful than helpful.

The sooner you start work on some SEO for your site, the sooner you will see the benefits. Long term effects of SEO can go on for months and months, and continuous improvement helps you stay ahead of the competition. And the more you do, the more you will trust it, believe in it and help it to become a core marketing strategy to your business.

If you are sick of me banging on by now, take one thought only from this post. People searching on a search engine for services/products you provide are pro-actively asking for information. Its not reactive, like a tv ad or billboard. This person is asking for this information. Do you want to be one of the first in line to give it and get the business?

Labels: email marketing, lead generation, natural search, ppc, sem, seo, web marketing