During an economic downturn, SEO is still a fantastic investment in the longevity of your enterprise. In fact, difficult times may make it an even more attractive option: First, its benefits naturally compound over time. That’s something you can’t say about most other marketing channels. From one day to the next, well-managed SEO provides steady, long-term growth and can be the most efficient marketing channel your company has at its disposal.
Second, SEO is a marketing channel with compounding returns that is easily attributable to the investment you’re making. This means that you control what you are putting into your SEO program and you can measure the returns. Other investments you might consider—like growing or revamping your overall brand–are less predictable since brand recognition relies heavily on clients’ and potential clients’ perceptions and feelings. Direct traffic, another oft-used measure of determining a company’s digital impact, can be difficult to attribute to specific actions or strategies. While these are normally sound investments worth considering, they simply do not offer the same control or stability that SEO provides.
The bottom line is that well-managed SEO enables higher capital efficiency—or how much a company spends versus how much revenue they bring in. Organic search is incredibly efficient with a high return on investment.
Search engine optimization often has the lowest customer acquisition cost when compared to other valuable marketing channels. This is a vital business metric to consider when money is tighter for both businesses and consumers as well.
This means that with an established SEO program, your company can affordably identify high-intent leads relative to other marketing channels. Over time, this process decreases customer acquisition costs (CAC) and improves capital efficiency. In other words, you’re spending less to see your revenue grow, which is precisely what investors are looking for in times of economic downturn.
Instead of other marketing channels that cost too much and may fail, SEO provides regular, recurring, and predictable growth at a manageable cost. Investing in SEO during an economic slump and strengthening your organic search results will prepare your company for expansion and increased revenue streams as the economy recovers and stabilizes. Intelligent investments in affordable SEO operations also enable your company to allocate funds elsewhere to help mitigate any hardships endured amidst economic upheavals. Investing in your company’s SEO capabilities is a sound decision in the best of times, and it’s also a smart move in the worst of times. When investors and markets are filled with trepidation, you need an affordable strategy that gives you excellent ROI and gives you control in times when it feels like you have none, and SEO can help.
