Hi! it's Matthew from Good Brand Partners. We're thrilled to have a special guest on our blog today. Claire Ransom, the Founder and CEO of Aloha Life Digital, is an expert in all things SEO. Claire has kindly agreed to share valuable insights on when to invest in SEO and when it might not be the best move for your business. So, without further ado, I'll let Claire take it from here. Enjoy!

– Matthew
‍

When to invest in SEO (and when not to)

Hi there, my name’s Claire. Matthew and the team at Good Brand Partners have very kindly invited me to take over their blog today, so I’m here to share some info on a subject I know and love (and which sends many people running to the hills): SEO. 

Now before you hit the ‘back’ button having read that, I know SEO can be a really intimidating and confusing subject for a lot of business owners.

I’m going to try and simplify it for you as much as I can, so that you can make useful and informed decisions for your own business. ☺

Before we go any further, it’s important to clarify: what the actual heck *is* SEO?

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. 

If you ‘optimize’ a website for search, that means you’re making changes to your website in order to maximize the chances of your website being discovered by search engines. 

So the first, and most important part, of SEO, is ensuring your website is communicating clearly with Google.

Once Google understands the content on your website (we do this by way the website is structured and the content on the website itself), Google will look at various signals to give your website a ‘rank’ for any given search term.

And if you’ve been alive for more than five minutes, you probably realize that the higher up in the search rankings your business appears, the more customers will see your website link. And the more people are likely to click on a link and visit your website. 

And very often, the more visitors you get to a website, the more money your business can make.

And this is where SEO experts come in. We help businesses not just get found in search, but we make sure your website continues to climb the search engine rankings for terms that are highly relevant and lucrative for their business.

Why is SEO important for your business?

If you want someone to be able to find your business when they’re doing a Google search for your products or services, SEO is something you should be aware of.

Done properly, SEO is a great way to attract clients and customers with high purchase intent. These are people who are already looking to buy your products and services, before they even land on your website.

For many businesses, SEO can be transformational. One recent example is a client of mine, whose business increased by 150% in just six months of us working together, and who went from 3 new leads per month to 3 new leads per day.

When to invest in SEO?

The truth is, SEO is typically something that businesses only start to invest in once they already have a degree of traction from within their network.

And there are certain types of businesses that get better results from search. 

SEO is only as valuable as a website’s ability to convert people. So having excellent branding in place is a huge advantage. As is a great user experience.

Here are some examples of when SEO might be a great next move for you to consider for your business:

• When you know people are already looking for the services you provide, but they just aren’t finding your website.
• You have an effective, repeatable sales closing process.
• You rely on a specific geographical area for your clients to find you.
• You're prepared to develop your website to continue to generate new leads.
• You’re positioned to scale.
• You’re ambitious and you want to grow.
• You view SEO as essential to the growth of your business.
• You’re financially ready to invest in SEO.
  ​

An ideal time to make an investment into SEO is often when you’re undergoing a website redesign or restructure, which is why we partner with branding experts like Matthew and his team, to ensure we can step in and lend a hand with our SEO expertise as and when they need us.

When not to invest in SEO?

Of course, on the flip side of all of this is making the smart decision about when NOT to invest in SEO. Which can be an equally smart decision.

If the following describes you and your business, SEO probably won’t provide sufficient benefit:

• You don’t want or need to grow your business.
• People tend not to search in Google to find your products or services.
• You don’t have a tried-and-tested sales closing process.
• Your business would be completely overwhelmed if the number of clients coming into your business suddenly increased.
• You can’t afford someone to implement their services for you, or you aren’t yet ready to invest in your website to develop an ongoing SEO strategy.
  

Have questions?

As Matthew mentioned, my name is Claire Ransom and I’m the Founder and CEO of Aloha Life Digital. We’re a boutique SEO agency based in Somerville, MA.

If you’re looking for an SEO expert to help grow your business, I would love to hear from you. Here’s how we can connect:

1. Schedule a call with me here to talk about your business. 
2. Sign up for my FREE weekly newsletter here and receive 1 actionable tip each week.
3. Connect with me here: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

And if you’re already in talks with Good Brand Partners, simply mention your interest in SEO to Matthew and we’ll get you started. You got this!