Is SEO Worth It in 2023? (Benefits & Costs Included)

Written By

Nick Zviadadze

Nick Zviadadze

Founder at MintSEO

Contents

In a world where every business is fighting for customer attention, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to get a competitive advantage. 

That’s because SEO can help your business rank higher on search engines, improving your brand visibility and driving valuable organic traffic to your website. 

In addition, SEO helps turn new visitors to your website into loyal customers by providing them with a worthy experience and real value.

Without proper SEO, your website might as well be invisible.

So, if you’re wondering if SEO is worth it in 2023, the answer is definitely! Let’s find out exactly why.

Is SEO Worth It?

Yes, SEO is worth it for most businesses and websites in 2023. With the right strategy, help, and tools to execute an SEO campaign, you can optimize your website to increase search engine visibility, increase organic traffic, and attract more customers to your website.

After all, business-to-business (B2B) companies report generating two times more revenue with organic search compared to other marketing channels, according to BrightEdge research. This highlights the importance and potential of SEO.

5 Common SEO Concerns

SEO helps websites gain visibility, improve organic traffic, and generate more revenue, which makes it a no-brainer strategy for most businesses. 

That said, if you don’t have a lot of knowledge on the topic, you may be concerned about certain aspects of SEO as a business owner.

In this section, we go over the most common concerns when it comes to SEO. That way, you can analyze them more thoroughly and see whether investing in SEO makes sense for your business.

#1. I’ve Already Tried SEO and It Doesn’t Work

If you’ve tried SEO in the past without much success, you may think that it doesn’t work – and rightfully so. However, the lack of results is often due to poor SEO execution, outdated strategies, or unrealistic expectations, rather than due to SEO being a scam.

SEO is a complex process, which means that executing an SEO strategy requires lots of knowledge and experience with keyword research, content creation, link building, on-site optimization, technical SEO, and other components.

If you didn’t have the right knowledge and resources or if you couldn’t hire proper SEO experts  to tackle all of these aspects, your past SEO efforts may have failed.

In addition, SEO is constantly evolving and changing because search engines want to provide the best possible user experience. So, something that was considered a great SEO strategy a few years ago may not work in 2023. 

As such, using outdated SEO strategies could be another reason why you didn’t see the desired results with SEO in the past.

Lastly, you may have had unrealistic expectations of what SEO can do. Remember, SEO is not some quick fix that can produce results right away and get your website to rank #1 on Google in the blink of an eye. 

It takes time and continuous effort to ensure the success of your campaign.

#2. SEO Is Too Expensive

Another reason why you may be hesitant to try SEO is because of how expensive it can get. And although it’s true that an SEO campaign can cost your business thousands of dollars each month, this strategy also reaps a lot of financial rewards.

In fact, Search Engine Journal reports that organic search has the highest return on investment (ROI) for 49% of website owners.

That’s because SEO helps you get new customers and grow your business. So, instead of considering it as an expense, you can view it as a long-term investment that’s going to pay off, if done right.

Most business owners understand the importance of SEO, which is why they invest or plan to invest in SEO in the near future. So, if you want your business to stay competitive, you can’t lag behind the competition.

Lastly, SEO has great long-term potential. Investing time and resources in a good SEO strategy can help your business grow to new heights and continue attracting organic traffic for years. 

#3. SEO Takes too Long

If you want to do SEO right, you need to keep in mind that it will take some time. 

But even though the results may not be immediate, SEO can bring significant benefits if you’re patient. 

While some businesses begin to see the effects of their SEO campaign within the first several months, most SEO experts say that brands need at least six to twelve months of SEO efforts to see real results.

Generally speaking, the time it takes to see SEO results depends on the competition in your niche, the keywords you’re targeting, your website’s current state, the quality of your content, and other factors.

So, based on the amount of work required, some websites may see improvements within weeks while for others it may take months. 

One thing you should be careful about is working with agencies that promise quick SEO results. They may be using black hat SEO techniques, which can give you a quick SEO boost. However, using these practices is against search engine guidelines and will likely penalize your website.

So, it’s better for SEO to take time as that means it’s being done the right way.

#4. Google Ads Are Better Than SEO

Google Ads is a paid marketing channel that allows businesses to create and display ads in google search results and websites that participate in Google Display Network. In a nutshell, advertisers can choose keywords they want to target and then their ad will get displayed at the top of search results when a person searches for that keyword.

Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which means that a business pays only when someone clicks on their ads or when the ad is displayed a certain number of times. 

When done correctly, Google Ads is a highly effective marketing tool that can generate traffic and sales quickly. However, organic traffic accounts for 53% of all online traffic, while paid search is only at 15%, according to BridghtEdge. And considering that Google Ads is only one paid advertising strategy, it can’t really compare with the benefits SEO can bring to your business.

It’s important to remember that Google Ads and SEO are not mutually exclusive. In fact, most businesses can benefit from using both approaches to drive more traffic to their website and improve conversions.

#5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Will Make Search Engines Obsolete

One of the biggest concerns about SEO in 2023 is that AI and machine learning technologies are going to minimize the importance of search engines.

In the last several months, we’ve seen the rise of many AI programs, and we have to admit – they are quite impressive. These AIs can provide comprehensive and targeted answers to user queries that often feel superior to what search engines offer.

However, search engines already use AI to provide more relevant search results that match user intent. So, AI is not likely to be able to replace search engines in the foreseeable future. It’s only going to help them become better at their job.

That said, AI is likely to cause some evolution in SEO strategies, so it’s important to follow algorithm changes and adapt your SEO approaches accordingly.

5 Benefits of Doing SEO

As we already mentioned, doing SEO comes with a heap of benefits for your business. 

Here are some of the most noteworthy benefits you should know:

#1. It Increases Brand Awareness

Ranking for high search volume keywords in your niche is like putting a billboard on a busy highway – it gets your brand in front of many people. And when you continuously show up on the first page of Google search results, people begin to notice your brand.

Just think about it – how many times do you click on the second page of Google when searching for something online? Probably not very often. 

Most potential customers are like this. If you’re not at the top of the first page, you barely even exist. Luckily, SEO can help you get on the first page and raise your brand’s visibility and awareness.

So, if you’re trying to build a strong online presence, SEO is one of the best ways to do that.

#2. It Brings In Organic Search Traffic to Your Website

Optimizing your website for search engines helps it to rank higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). And when your website ranks higher on SERPs, it’s much more likely people will click on it, which results in increased organic traffic.

Organic traffic is a cost-effective way for your business to gain new customers because you don’t have to pay anything to attract them to your website. Instead, you get a free influx of visitors who are already searching for products, services, or information in your niche. As a result, these website visitors are more likely to convert into customers, which is why organic traffic is so valuable.

If you want more organic traffic, you need to get good at SEO. Only 0.63% of people click on a result on the second page of Google, so you want to make sure that you are on the first page. In addition, where you show up on the first page matters as well, as the number one result on Google gets 27.6% of all clicks, which is ten times more than the results positioned at the bottom of the page.

#3. Long-term Return On Investment

One of the biggest advantages of SEO is that it provides a long-term return on investment (ROI). Unlike PPC advertising, which requires that you pay to maintain traffic, SEO provides more sustainable results in the long run because it focuses on improving your website, creating quality content, and building a strong online presence.

Any SEO strategy requires continuous maintenance to ensure good search engine rankings and consistent organic traffic to your website. However, that is often more cost-effective than paying for every click or lead that comes with other advertising methods.

According to Gitnux, 57% of marketers report that SEO generates more leads than any other strategy. In addition, they state that SEO has a 14.6% conversion rate, while traditional outbound marketing strategies stand at only 1.7%. 

#4. It Builds Credibility

Websites that consistently rank high on SERPs are viewed as more trustworthy and credible. That’s because people believe that Google and other search engines have put these websites on top for a good reason. 

So, if you get Google to trust your website enough to put it on the first page of SERPs, people are more likely to trust that it’s credible. 

In addition, 53% of shoppers perform online research every time they want to make a purchase. And if they don’t find the information about your brand on Google, they are less likely to see you as trustworthy and buy from you. That’s why you need SEO to develop credibility.

However, establishing authority with search engines isn’t easy. It takes a lot of planning, work, and proper execution to achieve the best results. For example, your SEO strategy is likely to include keyword research, content creation, link building, website optimization, and other methods that help you establish better search engine rankings and credibility.

Google’s E-A-T guidelines outline the best practices for improving your authority on this search engine. By following these guidelines, you demonstrate that your website is a credible source of information and expertise in your niche. This will help improve your search engine rankings and customers’ trust in your brand.

#5. SEO Improves User Experience

Search engines have become better at recognizing content that provides real value to the user. More importantly, they have started to reward that content and rank it higher on SERPs.

You can improve user experience by optimizing your website structure, loading speed, design, and content quality. That way, you’ll create a more user-friendly experience that encourages your website visitors to stay longer, explore more pages, and become customers.

First, ensure your website is fast, responsive, and easy to navigate. Then focus on creating quality content that addresses the search intent of your visitors. The important thing is to use subheadings, lists, and other elements to improve readability. Doing this will help your visitors easily find the information they want.

Lastly, you want to use images, intuitive layouts, visually appealing graphics, and other elements to make your website aesthetically pleasing.

Combining all of these practices will help improve user experience on your website, which means more engagement, loyalty, and revenue for your business.

How Much Does SEO Cost?

The cost of SEO depends on many factors, including:

  • Duration of the SEO campaign
  • Size of your website and the number of pages that need to be optimized
  • Demand for content creation and optimization
  • Technical SEO aspects of your website
  • Need for local SEO services
  • Backlink profile
  • Current search engine standings
  • Niche competitiveness

There are other factors that determine how much your SEO is going to cost, like whether you want to do it yourself or hire an SEO agency or independent consultants. Doing it yourself is the cheapest option, but it requires time and effort to get familiar with the best SEO practices and trends.

Hiring freelancers or an agency is more expensive, but they bring knowledge and experience that can help you get the most out of SEO. Alternatively, you can also start with outside help and then take over once you get the hang of things.

Many businesses pay between $1,000 and $10,000 for SEO each month. However, that number can go higher or lower depending on all the factors we listed above.

How Long Does SEO Take To Give Results?

SEO is a process that takes time and patience. It’s natural that most business owners want immediate results, but that’s not how SEO works. As we already mentioned, the time it takes to see the results of an SEO campaign depends on your niche, the state of your website, your competitors, how well you know your brand, and other factors.

If you’re just starting out, your SEO efforts may take a long time to bear fruit. On the other hand, if you’ve been around for some time and already have a strong online presence, SEO results may come faster.

Most experts agree that you can expect to start seeing results from your SEO campaign within six to twelve months. 

However, depending on the factors we mentioned, it may take quicker or longer for some businesses. For example, competition is one of the biggest factors that impact how quickly SEO gives results.

When you’re in a highly competitive niche, most websites are investing in SEO and trying to rank for high search volume and organic keywords. That’s why it takes longer to see SEO results. On the other hand, if you’re in a less competitive niche, you should see results more quickly. 

It’s important not to get discouraged when your SEO campaign doesn’t produce results right away. Remember, this is a long-term investment, and the benefits of SEO can be enormous. So, be ready to put in the work and the results will follow.

Is Local SEO Worth It?

In today’s digital world, having an online presence is crucial for any brand. However, not all businesses require far-reaching internet exposure. For example, many small businesses with brick-and-mortar locations can benefit more from connecting with customers locally.

That’s where local SEO can help.

Local SEO is a practice of optimizing a brand’s online presence to appear in search queries with local intent. For example, if you’re trying to do local SEO for a dental office in Houston, Texas, you want to appear at the top of search results every time someone searches for “dentists in Houston, Texas” or “dentists near me.”

To do that, you need to optimize your website, include your location in your content, create and optimize your Google My Business profile, and create listings in online directories.

Local SEO is so important because it connects you to potential customers looking for products and services in your area. After all, there are over 8.5 billion Google searches every day, and 46% seek to find information about local businesses. That’s why local SEO is one of the best ways to get qualified leads and increase sales.

So, in short – yes, local SEO is definitely worth it in 2023 if you own a business that relies on local customers.

Conclusion

We hope this article sheds more light on the most common concerns, typical costs, and benefits of SEO.

If you want to start doing SEO in 2023 and wonder if it’s worth it, the answer is yes!

SEO can help you increase your brand awareness, drive more traffic to your website, build credibility, get a good ROI, and more.

Visit our blog to learn more about SEO and how this effective long-term strategy can benefit your business.

Nick Zviadadze

Nick Zviadadze

Founder at MintSEO
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