Quality Over Quantity - Does Your Traffic Matter?

There is no denying that Australian businesses are sometimes behind the 8-ball when it comes to using the Internet to empower their business. SEO is definitely one of them, with so many niche markets that haven’t been touched by SEO professionals that are just waiting for a business to snatch up their permanent #1 spot on Google. We now are at a stage where people are starting to recognise that being on Google can bring them more customers, and SEO “professionals” are out there cashing in on the wave. There are a lot of honest SEO Consultants out there, but they are far outweighed by who I call ‘SEO Sharks’.

A SEO Consultants job is to get your website to rank highly for one or more particular keywords, or key phrases. Most SEO Gurus have the ability to achieve this, and so their job is a job well done. However what is this ranking worth to your business? There is no denying that a #1 position on Google is going to bring your website a lot of traffic – depending, of course, on the volume that keyword receives. However the traffic you receive from your organic listing doesn’t mean your website is going to convert them into customers. Here’s why.

Is your website ready for the traffic?

Every business website has a goal, that goal is to get that viewer to call, email, buy or download something. Unfortunately many of the websites out there don’t recognise or emphasise this goal, and as such their traffic will generally ‘bounce’ away from the website rather then convert. As a business owner it’s not expected that you know these sort of concepts, that’s what you pay your website designer for – right? Wrong. A website design, like a SEO Guru, will design and build you a website – in most cases they have no interest nor ability to ensure that your website converts visitors. Despite the volume your website receives – if it fails to convert, your traffic does not matter.

Is the traffic targeted and relevant?

The next problem is the actual traffic you are getting from your organic listings. A SEO Guru can and will perform keyword research for you – to suggest the best (i.e. the highest volume and lowest competition) keywords to use for your website. But a SEO Guru cannot tell you if those keywords are likely to lead to conversions for you. For example, you might rank #1 for ‘Sydney plumbers’ – which is fantastic, that keyword yields over 10,000 searches a month. But what use is 10,000 hits per month, when only 200 of them are from an area you service? By the way, did I mention how much it would cost for you to rank on that keyword? Now this is a crude example, I’ll admit, but hopefully it gets you thinking about whether the volume of traffic you receive – and the cost of getting that traffic – is actually worth it.

So I should avoid SEO Guru’s like the plague?

Not at all. It’s a very important part of any online marketing strategy, and SEO Consultants will always have their place in the world (just like lawyers). What I am saying is that as a business, it’s not likely that you have an unlimited marketing and advertising budget. So you need to consider, do I invest $2000 with a SEO Consultant, or do I invest $2000 with an Online Marketer? What’s the difference between the two?

Spending your money wisely

An Online Marketer is someone who DOES have an interest and DOES have the ability to ensure that your online efforts will yield you more customers. An Online Marketer is someone who doesn’t invest all of your eggs in the one basket. More often then not, they will undergo some SEO work as part of your strategy – but they will also consider a plethora of other options. Will social media help grow your business? Do you have a niche market that would respond well to blogging? Will AdWords yield better then SEO? Does your website need a transformation? You can start to see that an Online Marketer thinks more “how do I get this business more sales”.

In conclusion…

Hopefully this article has inspired you to ask “does my traffic matter?”. Next time you’re ready to invest into your online efforts, consider going and talking to an online marketer – someone who specialises in getting your business results – rather the someone who specialises in a product (SEO, Website Designer, etc). Consultations are generally free, and I can guarantee they will be an eye opener. You will soon find that investing your money properly into your online efforts can bring you unprecedented returns. Go on, try it!

Author Bio: Chris Bates is a technology nut with a passion for using the Internet to help businesses grow their bottom line. Constantly learning and pushing the boundaries of the Internet, Chris is dedicated to getting results. To learn more about Chris, visit him online at www.frontbox.com.au.

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