Optimistic Companies Should be Doing SEO
“Unprecedented”, “challenging”, “uncertain”, and “difficult” are words frequently used to describe calendar year 2020. A year filled with a global pandemic, political unrest, social upheaval, and a hotly contested and divisive election can cause some to lose hope in the future. Perhaps the ripple effect of the coronavirus would lead some to think that the economy is forever altered, and their business will not survive. And for some businesses, sadly, this is true. Restaurants and clubs and entertainment venues are feeling the impact more intensely than many other sectors. This is not the case for all businesses, however.
Some businesses are so unsure of the future that they have suspended their business growth and marketing initiatives. Other, more optimistic firms have not only continued their marketing efforts but have increased them. Does it make sense to increase marketing and growth initiatives during such uncertain times? An investment in company growth is for the future.
It would only make sense to continue or increase these programs if there is a strong likelihood that the business will survive the current turmoil. If the business anticipates surviving and also has the cashflow required to sustain these endeavors, continuing marketing activities will better position the company for the time when the coronavirus is behind us and the economy has recovered. Those companies which have relaxed or completely suspended their marketing efforts will be in a position of trying to catch up with the businesses that stayed the course and took advantage of the current economic climate.
The robust pre-pandemic economy offers a good reason for post-pandemic optimism. The U.S. economy enjoyed spectacular growth prior to the pandemic and for many, there is no reason to think that amid the current gloom, there cannot be a bright future ahead. If a business owner has no optimism about the future, they will not spend anything on marketing since they have no reason to believe that things will improve. This would be true even without a global crisis. Conversely, a business owner who has the vision to see near and long-term profit potential beyond the current events will let that optimism drive their marketing.
A good example to demonstrate this idea is a company’s online presence. A company has a website which hopefully, is generating new leads or sales. If the site is easily found in Google searches when a potential customer is searching for goods and services, then it is highly likely that the website is contributing to the company’s bottom line and growth. How does a site land on Google or Bing’s first search engine result page?
Search engine optimization or “SEO” is a process that works to convince Google to rank one site higher than others for relevant search terms or keywords. Most, if not all the company websites that appear on Google’s first page of search engine results got there neither by accident nor by luck. They got there by using some form of SEO. A company launches its website and then promotes it using SEO. SEO is an ongoing process and can be considered expensive at first, especially when compared to other, more traditional and less expensive marketing techniques. SEO fees might be an easy target for cost-cutting while the lockdowns and quarantines are still in effect. But doing so would result in the website losing whatever ranking gains it had achieved and then the company would need to pay again to work to restore those ranking positions. And there is no guarantee that just because a website was the first page before the crisis struck, that they will regain that rank once SEO efforts are resumed.
During the lockdowns, more and more businesses realized the value of a solid online presence and sought to either launch their first website or re-launch their existing website. The slower business climate afforded some businesses the time they needed to focus on their website without the normal time-critical interruptions. Optimistic business owners took full advantage of these circumstances.
If a company stayed the course throughout the pandemic and continued to promote their website, their position on search engine result pages would have stayed the same or more likely, improved as other companies suspending their efforts would make room at the top.
SEO is for the optimistic business owner. If there is reason to think that things will get better, then SEO is a solid investment in the future of a business. Having a website that nobody can find does not benefit a business. If your business has something to offer new and existing customers during or after the coronavirus pandemic, why not make sure they can find you easily? They will be glad to find your business and your business will be healthier for the new customers. It is a win-win.
Landau Consulting is an SEO and internet marketing company in NJ that for years has been helping small businesses (both inside and outside of New Jersey) establish and improve their online presence. If you are optimistic about the future or just want to speak with someone who is, you can click here. They will provide a free consultation to help you determine if online marketing is a good fit for your business. Don’t have a website or your website needs work or modernizing? No problem, Landau Consulting’s web services can guide you through the process of designing and launching an attractive and compelling website. Let your optimism for the future guide you; let Landau Consulting assist.