For more than a decade, search engine optimization has played a key role in the success of websites, brands and businesses. Unless you already work for or own a mega-corporation with multi-national brand recognition, making it into the top search results for a given term or series of terms is downright impossible without SEO considerations (and even then, SEO is at work behind the scenes, indicating to search engines that your site is important and valuable). Many people will be naturally sceptical of SEO, in large part because they lack understanding on a broader level with respect to technology. Whether you are trying to convince your boss or a potential customer of the benefits of SEO, be sure to inform and remind them about the key benefits of SEO and what it truly entails.

It’s Not a Short-Term Proposition

Some people are sceptical about SEO because they have tried to utilize it in one form or another in the past. Unfortunately, many people think that SEO is just a one-time thing or a short-term effort; if after a few weeks of pinging URLs to search engines or creating a few articles they don’t see results, then they give up. Likewise, they may have hired a firm to help in the past but did not commit as the firm advised. In either case, it is important to explain that SEO is not a “cure” to an ailment, but a “lifestyle”. In order to reap the benefits associated with search engine optimization, the efforts must be sustained for months or even years before significant changes in traffic, conversions and other metrics occur. Even after that, maintaining the benefits requires a consistent effort indefinitely.

The Firm Makes All the Difference

Many people believe that they themselves will be able to create a positive SEO benefit by reading a few articles or watching a couple of video tutorials. While SEO is increasingly becoming intuitive, it should be noted that the overall effort is much more complex than many are willing to admit. Your boss or potential client may have hired a firm in the past that produced negligible or even negative results; not all SEO firms are created equally. In order to overcome the scepticism barrier, it must be explained that as with everything else, the quality of the service or product can vary greatly. This is why it is so important to do ample market research where applicable to determine which SEO companies and firms are legitimate players, and which ones are fly-by-night operations seeking to make a quick buck.

It “Plays Well with Others”

Most individuals who own or run brands and businesses understand fully the benefit that marketing can provide. Likewise, most modern businesses now have a social media presence of some sort, and can report varying levels of success from using it on a consistent basis. Not only can search engine optimization produce similar – if not better – results, but it can also enhance the efforts of these other areas. The trifecta of social media, broad-based marketing and SEO can all feed on each other, strengthening the effect of each and pinging URLs to ads, blog posts, and product pages much more effectively.