If you run your own business, chances are that your bottom line comes into play when making virtually any decision. And while it’s not always a good idea to make decisions based on cost alone, it’ll almost certainly be a factor.

That may be especially true when it comes to your marketing. Although marketing plays an essential role in your ability to find leads and increase conversions, that doesn’t mean that every aspect of a typical marketing strategy will translate to success for your business. Diversifying your strategy is important, but so is structuring your spending so that the right amount of funding is set aside for each tactic.

As you develop your strategy, you may start to wonder: which marketing technique will be most cost-effective? It’s natural that you’d want to get the most you can for your money. And in many cases, the solution can be found in SEO services. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons you should optimize your website in order to rank in Google and to get more from your marketing budget.

SEO Costs Less Than Other Lead Generation Tactics

First, let’s talk about the initial costs of SEO as compared to other marketing and lead generation techniques. It’s important to note that the fees charged by professional SEO firms can vary quite a bit. Depending on your industry, the size of your business, the service package you’ve selected, and other factors, you might expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars a month for SEO. That said, SEO is one of the most affordable ways to market your business and there are many ways to effectively optimize your website in financially accessible ways. Many firms will focus specifically on small businesses, offering lower-cost packages that can help them compete in an overcrowded marketplace. When you compare SEO to something like PPC (the costs of which can add up quickly), you’ll be more likely to stay within a more modest budget if you prioritize SEO.

It’s also important to note that SEO offers the lowest cost per lead when compared to other marketing channels. While optimizing your website with fresh content might cost around $14 per lead, email marketing can cost almost $40 per lead. Tactics like webinars, search engine advertising, and display advertising will cost even more, ranging from $45 to over $70 per lead on average. Although these figures will fluctuate depending on your industry, it’s clear that SEO should be part of your strategy if you’re looking to save money and simultaneously increase your leads.

SEO Helps You Stretch Your Digital Marketing Budget

A diverse digital marketing strategy is always advised, as it’s never a good idea to put all of your proverbial eggs in one basket. However, you may want to remember that utilizing SEO can alleviate how much you’ll have to spend in other areas. Not only does SEO offer a lower cost-per-lead, but that essentially means you won’t have to spend as much in other areas of your marketing in order to find new customers.

For instance, if you were to devote the majority of your monthly marketing budget to PPC, you could end up spending that money quickly and without much to show for it. PPC can be vital, under certain circumstances, but it’s not ideal when you have a smaller budget to work with and are just starting out with digital marketing. SEO will support your other marketing efforts and will allow you to stretch your budget overall.

SEO Becomes More Effective Over Time

With certain types of marketing, you’ll have to keep paying if you want to maintain your presence. But SEO is forever. It’s meant to be a long-term solution, which means your business can benefit for years when you optimize your website. Although 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engine results, you can build up your rankings gradually by using SEO. Rather than be a flash in the pan, you can optimize your website now and reap the benefits later. It may take a little patience, but your investment will pay off in a way other marketing efforts won’t.

Ready to get started with SEO? Contact Studio98 today for more information.