SEO and Economic Uncertainty

In times like these with the economy heading in the direction it has been, is there still room in your marketing budget for SEO? Well, it depends how you look at it. I don't believe that right now we can apply the old saying that "it takes money to make money" even though this still may be true. I think during these times of financial uncertainty we need to approach our marketing strategy in general with care. Obviously if your business does not rely heavily on it's web site for generating sales then it would make sense for SEO to be one of the first budgets to be cut. However if your web site generates even one quarter of your revenue does it make sense to put your search engine optimization on hold?

Lets face it, the internet is not going anywhere, and even in times like these it continues to evolve while more primitive forms of advertising become less and less effective. Yet many business owners feel more secure using the old, newspaper or magazine adds, or other less "web friendly" forms of marketing during these difficult times. The fact is your web site has the power to get you through the tough times. People are still searching for products and services with Google, Yahoo!, and MSN in record numbers. Many people ask, how can I afford to keep my budget for SEO when my sales are dropping? The answer is simple. Find new and more creative ways of optimizing your web site. Of course hiring a company has been the easiest method in the past for business owners, where as now maybe reinventing is the way to go.

There are no guarantees in SEO, and likely never will be. What works today, may not tomorrow and thats why there are companies that stay on top it for you allowing you to take care of what you do best, running your business. Patience has always been key with SEO, and if you are looking to find ways to trim your marketing budget, this remains true. Learning search engine optimization is not the same as learning web design. Web design is like building cars for Chevy, whereas SEO is like tuning a Chevy for a NASCAR race. Having said that sometimes the do-it-yourself approach is the way to go when attempting to get more out of less.

One thing you can do is read forums, or blogs to reach people who have experience and explore new ideas of ways to build links, target specific keywords, and find niche markets that have less web sites competing. Talking with SEO companies can help as well. Many offer consultations at more affordable rates than large scale ongoing campaigns. The one thing I would not do is stop your SEO altogether. Not only would this likely have a reverse affect on any previous optimization you have done, it will also take you twice as long in the future to get back on track. If your competitors take their foot of the gas this is even more reason to keep yours firmly pressed to the floor. Take advantage of other slipping web sites and jump in front.

As a business owner myself I have felt the affects the slowed economy and the last thing on my mind is letting up on the SEO of my web site. In fact it's quite the opposite. Now more than ever search engine optimization is keeping thousands of businesses thriving in an otherwise unstable economy.

John Simmonds is a co-founder of Optimize4Engines, providing affordable search engine optimization and seo friendly web site design, specializing in small business.