In today’s modern world, when online visibility can significantly impact a business, is SEO still important, and is there still value in investing in SEO strategies to maintain a competitive edge?

Is SEO still worth the investment?

Enter a simple search query into any search engine, and chances are, you will be returned hundreds – if not thousands of results. The internet is full of websites competing for your attention. SEO guides this competitive space, directing users to the best content that suits their search query. If your site doesn’t have the content to answer their query, your site is unlikely to be shown – it’s as simple as that. We think of an SEO investment similar to that of having a wonderful, flourishing garden. It takes a lot of time to sow the seeds and nourish the soil, but eventually – in time – results start to appear. In SEO terms, this results in a rich harvest of organic traffic and enhanced visibility.

Search engines continually update their algorithms, therefore keeping up with the latest SEO trends is vital for maintaining relevance and rankings, and staying ahead of your competition who might not be so on the ball.

We live in a time-poor society, where behaviours change swiftly, and users want the answers to their queries as quickly as possible, without wading through lots of irrelevant content or inaccurate search returns. Neglecting the power of SEO could lead to missed opportunities to engage with your target audience. As technology advances and user preferences shift, adjusting your SEO strategies becomes essential for maintaining a strong digital presence.

What marketing methods are important in 2024?

If your service or product allows influencer marketing, it is still a key method to reach an ever-growing audience; however, this method of marketing won’t work for every sector or product and can be very expensive initially.

In 2024, video marketing isn’t going anywhere. A recent survey found that most people enjoy consuming video or visual content, and Gen Z, as well as Generation Alpha, as future decision-makers, mostly opt for video or visual content when searching for instructional content.  That’s not to say written content isn’t successful but you should consider using a range of mediums when publishing content to gain the most share of search.

It’s important not to overlook voice search optimisation. With the increased usage of smart assistants like Alexa and Siri, make sure that your local business information is up to date and that you are looking at how to market for these voice-operated searches.

Do I do SEO myself or get professionals involved?

When looking at marketing, it’s such a broad term and it is hard to know sometimes where to put the budget or hours. Although we have mentioned some other marketing avenues worth considering, SEO and organic search remain an essential part of online marketing strategies.

Whilst you can, of course, opt to undertake the SEO yourself or keep it in-house, you might not see the quickest results or have the most up-to-date industry data to create your strategies. Employing an SEO specialist will give you the benefit of their experience and expertise as well as their understanding of your key metrics and goals. Generally speaking, professional involvement often yields the best results.

If you can’t commit to an ongoing monthly SEO budget, consider working with an agency that can fix site errors or identify issues and things holding your site back as an alternative to a full online marketing strategy.

As it so happens, we can provide both! If you need some help with your SEO either on an ongoing basis or a helpful one-off, we’re always happy to have a chat.

Rebecca Sturgess
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