Among the most common phrases in marketing and promotion is SEO, the established abbreviation of Search Engine Optimization – i.e. search engine optimization. Every day we hear about SEO optimization which is a bit redundant, because it would translate to search engine optimization, but people feel the need for clarification of this vast and dynamic field.
Although we talk generally about search engine optimisation, in Romania more than 95% of these searches are done using Google. This is considered the online communication channel to consider when building SEO strategies.
Every day, Google hosts more than 3.5 billion searches for words, phrases and information in all languages spoken around the world. Over 60% of searches are conducted from mobile devices, so the future of searching, informing, comparing and buying products and services is mobile digital.
How to do SEO in 2023
Start SEO campaigns to rank your website(s) as high as possible in Google search. Whether you have a showcase website, an online shop or an ecommerce platform, you need to follow three main directions:
Create new content
You have to take care of the content, i.e. the texts published on the website pages, the product descriptions and product categories, the relevant sections of the website (presentation page, contact, blog etc.).
Based on the analysis of relevant keywords for Google searches in your field of activity, it is necessary to constantly create and post new, relevant, attractive, original and personalised content.
The content you present to your target audience must respect the criteria of size, structure, headings, photos, infographics, etc. This will help you climb position by position to the first page of Google in the searches that interest you.
Link Building – building links that send users to your website
It’s also important to build links on other sites that send users to your website or online store. You need to choose options that match both quantitatively and especially qualitatively.
Choosing the sites where you place your links is a key point of your SEO strategy. Google compares the sites on the basis of them and strengthens their positions in the search hierarchy.
Technical SEO aspects to enhance the value of your website
The third direction to follow in an SEO approach is to improve the technical details necessary for the optimal application of the first two aspects mentioned. These relate to the internal structure of links, the loading speed of the site, the appropriate configuration of page descriptions and photos.
It is important to adapt the format and content to mobile devices (especially smartphones), as more and more users prefer searching from these portable, versatile and convenient devices.
What SEO will cost in 2023
Based on the guidelines presented, you consolidate your SEO budget annually. Only by taking a unified approach to the three aspects (content, link building, technical) can you achieve sustainable results in terms of organic ranking on Google.
You can do SEO in-house or work with a specialist agency. The second option is recommended because the constant and multidisciplinary effort involved in successfully implementing an SEO strategy requires specialists in several fields and time devoted exclusively to the project of optimising websites for search engines.
To calculate how much SEO costs you build three budget lines:
- the cost of collaborating on SEO-friendly copywriting by specialist content writers to produce quality articles that are appropriate to your business messages;
- the costs of publishing link building articles and therefore links to your website, including publication fees, bidding, marketing and media buying costs;
- the costs of technical optimisations necessary for the proper functioning of the website(s).
The breakdown of expenses and allocation of budgets to cost centres is carried out according to the planning in the SEO campaign agreed with the agency. The duration of the campaigns starts from a few months and can go up to several years, and the costs and structure of the SEO services change according to the results obtained along the way.
How to optimise your SEO costs in 2023
Consider the following recommendations for setting SEO budgets that are realistic and in line with your business goals:
- Establish your communication and marketing priorities before strategizing your SEO. Scan the competition (strengths, vulnerabilities, opportunities for growth, risk of involution in certain market segments) and identify untapped niches where you can strengthen your site;
- When planning your SEO campaign, consider both the technical and the market and customer knowledge aspects;
- Broaden the relevant searches for your site by search volume, trends and evolution to ensure you allocate SEO dollars in the best business context;
- Don’t change the milestones set in the strategy on the fly, so you don’t have to go back and spend twice on the same action;
- Opt for flexible collaborations with the SEO agency, based on monthly subscriptions and regular evaluation of SEO campaign performance, in order to adjust and reallocate budgeted amounts.
If you were expecting to find figures telling you how much to spend on SEO this year, it means you need to review your company’s marketing approach. SEO costs, or the money expression of your constant and diverse efforts in the area of digital optimization, are a result of the decisions you make about changing and improving your websites. Look at SEO as a long-term investment, not just another expense category in your annual budget.
