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Is SEO an Investment or Expense?

Every business is vying for the top spot in the search engine rankings. The competition is fierce. And if you’re in business, you can’t afford to be left behind.

But how do you compete effectively? By creating a solid digital presence.

Everyone is spending on their marketing efforts, such as paid ads, but one marketing strategy is often overlooked – SEO. Now we know what you’re thinking – “But why should I invest in something that takes so long to show results? Well, SEO works on compounding growth. It’s an asset for your business, not just another cost.

 

Why Cutting Back on SEO is a Misstep

When the market is slowing down, particularly in real estate, it’s tempting to trim expenses to protect the bottom line. Often, it’s necessary. But fully stopping your SEO efforts is a mistake.

Sure, there might be short-term cost savings by slashing your SEO efforts. But those savings pale in comparison to the long-term benefits of continued investment in content and SEO.

If you retract your marketing investment in SEO, you’re putting your business at a serious disadvantage. When the market bounces back, you’ll be miles behind your competition.

In real estate, we know that the best opportunities arise when the market is down. While everyone else cuts their marketing budgets for SEO, those who continue investing will stand out. They’ll be capturing potential clients, while others are left wondering what went wrong.

Consider your business’s position in search rankings and “search engine health” as a long-term asset.

Your website is your digital real estate. It demands regular maintenance and updates. The stronger your website, the more robust your investment.

Your website is not just some fancy online brochure; it’s a powerful tool that can generate leads, educate clients, and drive sales. Investing in SEO and optimizing your website ensures that your digital real estate is in prime condition and ready to attract prospects into your marketing funnel.

 

Stay Top of Mind

As we go through an economic slowdown, your sales might slow, but it’s important that your real estate business remains top of mind with cold leads, past clients, and potential clients.

Leveraging effective strategies like value-driven emails, blogs, and social media will boost your SEO and establish your credibility. You want to foster your business’s digital visibility and competitiveness in the long term.

When the market rebounds, you want your website’s presence to be:

1.   Visible in Search Results

When the market rebounds, you want potential clients to find your website easily through relevant searches. When someone searches for relevant keywords or phrases related to your industry, wouldn’t it be amazing if they found your website right at the top of the search results?

Consistent efforts at optimizing your website with relevant keywords and quality content increase its visibility in search engine results. This means more organic traffic and greater exposure for your business.

Winning these positions takes time and investment, but once achieved they act as an asset to your business.

2.   Trusted and Credible

In the highly competitive real estate industry, trust is not earned overnight.

When your website consistently ranks high in search results, it positions you as an authority and a trusted resource within the industry. People want to work with businesses they trust to provide accurate information and deliver on their promises. This trust factor goes a long way toward building strong client relationships, fostering loyalty, winning new clients, and gaining repeat business.

3.   Information Resource About Your Industry

Maintaining a strong presence among leads and past clients provides value beyond just selling properties. By delivering value with accessible informative content on your website helps establish you as a go-to source of information within the industry.

A common shared characteristic of top entrepreneurs and small businesses are those that constantly ask themselves, “How can I provide value to my clients?” and then act on those strategies. Providing free quality information leads to trust.

You’re reading this article, right?

4.   Part of Your Competitive Edge

When you’re in a competitive industry like real estate, every point of difference counts. While others may be cutting back on marketing during economic downturns, investing in content and SEO gives you a competitive edge. While your competitors remain idle or struggle to regain lost ground when the market rebounds, you continue making progress.

Investing in SEO gives you an advantage over competitors who do not prioritize their online presence. This allows you to capture a larger share of online traffic and attract quality leads that convert into clients.

 

SEO: Not an Expense, but an Investment

Companies often make investments with the intention of reaping returns in the future. Whether it’s funding a new project, training staff, or purchasing equipment, the goal is to generate a return over time. Your SEO efforts should be viewed in the same light.

We get it, SEO investment is expensive and difficult to justify when your ROI is not immediate. With Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, conversion is easy to track and often immediate.

Many companies hesitate to invest in SEO because the results are not immediate or easily quantifiable.

Keep in mind, SEO is a long-term strategy, just like real estate, that requires ongoing investment and patience.

The nature of organic search results compounds over time, making it challenging to “see” the direct impact of increased traffic and revenue in the short term. However, the investment in content that facilitates your SEO strategy pays off with long-term rewards.

What many miss is that it’s actually cost-effective because it has a better ROI in the long run, making it a valuable strategy for real estate businesses.

 

The Power of SEO Strategy for Long-Term Success

At its core, SEO is a long-term strategy; it’s about playing the game wisely rather than going for quick wins with paid search campaigns. Sure, paid ads may give you immediate results, and they should be included in your marketing plan. But they come with limitations like budget constraints and bidding wars. What’s more, once you stop spending on advertising, the leads dry up immediately.

On the other hand, SEO is slow and steady yet produces organic results year after year. It just requires patience and consistent effort. And of course, great content.

 

Tracking SEO

Organic traffic and revenue are the main KPIs to measure success. While it may be tricky to calculate precise numbers, even a small improvement makes a big difference over time. Think compounding growth. A 1% improvement daily or weekly compounds. With consistent and strategic plan, you’ll see significant gains in organic traffic over time.

So, why should you invest in SEO? Because it works. Humans are curious beings; we’re always searching for answers, products, and solutions. And the internet is our go-to resource for knowledge. Making sure your business shows up in common searches cannot be overstated.

Entrusting your SEO content strategies to professionals ensures success in your long-term business strategy. Invest in SEO today and partner with Vervex Marketing to secure your future presence online and ensure you remain visible, trusted, and competitive in the ever-changing real estate market.

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