SEO is the way to combat the recession – but why doesn’t everyone know it
Posted by Sandra Cosser on 11 Feb 2009 | Tagged as: SEO Strategy
The last 6 months or so have produced a plethora of blogs by internet marketers stating that the obvious way to remain visible and in touch with your audience is via online marketing and all that entails. SEO is crucial, online PR essential and social marketing vital, so why have we, as SEOs, not been flooded with requests from established companies, home businesses and large-scale enterprises? Why have we, instead, had to read about an increasing number of business closures and staff cuts and listen to people, who are generally thought of as smart, blame the credit crunch for diminishing profit margins?
Answer to follow.
Just last Friday, Laurie Sullivan revealed that traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are still very, very SEO-shy. She was citing a three-year Retail Search Presence study by marketing firm Internet-Engine, which tracked holiday season search engine traffic from the big three (technically, the Big G and two also-rans) – Google, Yahoo! and MSN Live. And the news isn’t good for the retailer on the street.
Basically, online retailers snatched the biggest search share – 35%, which isn’t surprising, after all these are the people who exist online only. Next were shopping comparison sites with a much smaller 19% of search. Ye olde traditional retailers captured a rather paltry 12% of the search market. The weird thing is that the brick-and-mortar chaps are pretty clued up when it comes to PPC.
Now, if you were an offline retailer and you were looking to save money while somehow increasing your presence online, would you keep forking out money for costly PPC campaigns – which bring results, I’m not knocking them – or would you turn your eye to a far more economical – yet still effective – approach?
Thom Disch, Internet-Engine CEO, suggests that traditional retailers are used to broadcasting brands and punting specials than giving their clientele virtually unrestricted access to company information, products and services. It’s a loud-hailer approach vs. a meet-‘n-greet. Or, if you prefer a slightly more adventurous analogy, it’s like getting a seasoned boxer to climb out of the ring, where he or she (thank-you Laila Ali) is accustomed to whaling on bewildered opponents too punch drunk to notice that they’re being pummelled by unfair low-blows, and introducing said boxing champ to the concept of lively (verbal) debate, where anyone can take the floor, and judgement is reserved for the most compelling argument and not dancing like a butterfly or stinging like a bee.
It requires an enormous shift in thinking, not to mention attitude, and when last did you manage to persuade someone to change a winning formula (no matter how much evidence proves the formula no longer works)? When last did you try a complete 180 on anything in which you believed heart and soul? It’s freaking difficult.
But that’s not the end of it – and here we get to the answer part.
People are afraid, and it’s not only the average-Joes quaking in their proverbial (old, worn and glued together) boots, but the big, powerful, previously unassailable business behemoths are also fighting the overwhelming urge to phone their mommies. All you have to do is look at the state of banks in England to know the score. A US senator even tried to sell his seat for goodness’ sake (although that probably had more to do with the fact that he’s a moron than his financial circumstances).
And what do people do when they’re afraid? They shout at everyone and they avoid change the way rabid dogs avoid water. Only the very brave take the leap of faith required to survive. The extra 5% of brick-and-mortar retailers who turned toward SEO between 2007 and 2008 probably agonised over the decision. But they’ll benefit from it.
And soon (we hope) other traditionalists will follow suit. Because that’s the other thing that people do when they’re afraid: after heaping mockery and ridicule at those that dare to try something new, they fall over each other snapping at the heels of success.
(This was written by a part-time cynic who prefers the company of animals to humans and whose views do not necessarily reflect those of general society)
February 12th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I think most companies and people when looking to SEM as a way forward for online advertising are hesitant due to the time it takes to show results. I always compare SEM to investing in property, it takes time before the investment starts seeing a return, the same can be seen with SEM.
In some cases industry sites, especially niche ones, can see a fast return on a online strategy, especially in SEO, however in most cases it’s the wait to see the return that frustrates some.
With that in mind, i do think people would tend to turn towards Paid Search as a first step before looking at SEO, when it comes to a quick return on the budget. Companies that can afford to “invest” in their companies online future will look towards a search strategy, but that said, the recession has made everyone more aware of where and what they are spending money on.
February 25th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Great post. It’s my experience, as a small business coach, that many small business owners just don’t seem to grasp SEM, they see SEO as something quite mystical, and often, have been burnt before by unscrupulous ‘SEO experts’ that failed to deliver anything worth while.
The fact SEO and SEM is a process that needs constant review and tweaking for best results also scares people away as they want instant results… without instant results it is often impossible to justify the expenditure of having a site optimized.
The recession has just added to the fact that companies want the results instantly and do not seem to be looking at the long-term picture.