With a cursory search on the internet, you come across thousands of articles touting SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as a “secret weapon” or “tailored solution” for websites aiming to rank better in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) for relevant keywords.
SEO in 2024 – Is It Still Worth It?
What kind of question is that, anyway? Of course, it’s worth it – more than ever, in fact, because Google is the ultimate search engine – it’s all about hitting that top spot. Your business will explode if you have a great ranking.
Plus, you don’t want to spend money on marketing or advertising-related services and software if they aren’t absolutely necessary. So, does SEO still pay off in 2024? In short, the answer is yes. Here’s why:
Organic Traffic Still Matters
Before paid online advertising became popular, internet users found relevant content by querying a search engine like Google or Yahoo! and clicking on a corresponding link. The thing is, organic traffic in 2024 is still as important as it was in 2001 and earlier.
Many, if not most, internet users today have a basic understanding of how search engines work. They also know that “sponsored” or PPC (Pay-per-Click) ads are advertisements paid for by advertisers.
With these thoughts in mind, internet users often trust organic search engine results pages more than sponsored links. It’s also worth noting that many internet users use ad-blocking browser extensions, so PPC ads may not even appear in search results.
Most Organic Traffic Comes from Web Searches
Did you know that most website traffic comes from organic web searches? A study by Brightside Research shows that just over 53% of all website traffic comes from an organic search on Google or other search engines.
This study also concludes that organic search continues to dominate, even though more people visit websites through other means like PPC advertising on search engines or other websites and organic links in media searches.
One reason organic traffic still leads in link referrals is due to Google’s substantial investments in its search technology. As you probably guessed, Google is the leading search engine with a significant 92% global market share.
SEO Helps Website Owners Create a Good User Experience
Another reason why SEO is still worthwhile in 2024 is that it helps website owners create a good user experience. Google and other search engines factor user experience into their search algorithms, influencing the placement of a link on the corresponding search results pages.
For example, in May 2020, Google announced that page experience is now part of its ranking algorithm. Signals included in this algorithm update are page load speed, interactivity, mobile-friendliness, and visual stability.
This means that website owners need to ensure that all page content is meaningful to visitors and that it loads quickly and easily, both on desktop and mobile platforms. Essentially, SEO helps website owners create a positive user experience.
If you don’t want your visitors going elsewhere or complaining about the quality of the content they see on your site, SEO is one way to keep your content in check.
How Much Does SEO Cost?
SEO is a broad topic and encompasses a range of techniques that website owners can use to improve their site’s perception by visitors and search engines alike. For this reason, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all price that can be set for SEO.
Below are some of the elements that contribute to the overall cost of search engine optimization:
SEO Work Performed
One of the most significant factors that influence the cost of search engine optimization is the type of service you wish to purchase. You can buy SEO software or purchase SEO links if you want to increase the number of external sites linking to your site.
You can also buy SEO services online tailored to specific purposes. However, what sets them all apart is what they offer for the money. Some companies offer managed solutions where they apply various techniques on your behalf to improve your site’s search engine optimization.
There are also various ways you can take search engine optimization into your own hands. For example, you can buy SEO tools that you can run on your computer or in a web browser and make all changes on-site or off-site yourself.
Cost Structure
Another element that affects how much you pay for optimization is the way you are billed when purchasing SEO services. There are four main types of payment methods you can use for SEO work:
- Flat fee: You pay a one-time fee for all SEO work performed.
- Hourly rate: You pay based on the number of hours the service provider spends on your SEO projects.
- Performance-based payment: You pay only when certain goals or results are achieved, such as reaching a specific ranking in search results.
- Monthly subscription fee: You pay monthly for ongoing SEO services and maintenance.
There’s also no fixed price for each type or category of SEO software or service you use, so it can be difficult to determine an average price given the different pricing models each provider uses.
When considering the costs of purchasing SEO services, it’s also worth bearing in mind that the prices you pay may be subject to seasonal discounts or promotions.
Ongoing Costs
Finally, ongoing costs can also affect the overall price of search engine optimization and the expected costs of optimizing a website or project for search engines. Many SEO service providers offer “maintenance packages” because search engine optimization is rarely a “fix it and forget it” technique.
A Guide to Buying SEO Services Online
When it comes to purchasing SEO services online, you may be unsure which options or techniques are right for you, your website, and your business. Below is a breakdown of the types of SEO services that could benefit your website and business:
Website Redesign
It’s not enough for visitors to visit your website. You also need to keep them on your website and ensure they follow your CTA (Call-to-Action). One way to achieve this goal is with a clean, clear website design that works well on desktop and mobile platforms.
If you’re using a content management system like WordPress, you can have a custom theme designed for your website. Alternatively, you can also buy a ready-made theme and customize it to fit your requirements.
Content Creation
You may have stunning website design, but what content do you have on it? If you have minimal or basic content, an SEO service that will be useful for you is content creation.
In summary, this means you can hire a professional writer to create relevant content that excites and engages your audience. You can also write content around your CTAs, such as signup forms or “Buy Now” buttons.
In general, the more relevant content you have on your website, the more likely you are to receive more organic clicks from search engines like Google.
Web Server Optimization
Another SEO service offered by many professionals is web server optimization. Here, the technical aspects of your hosting platform are optimized to improve the loading speed of your content.
Examples of web server optimization services include enabling file compression, implementing a CDN (Content Delivery Network), and removing unnecessary HTML code from your web pages.
Link Building
Relevant links to your pages from high-quality websites are essential for improving your organic SEO. Some optimization experts offer a link-building service to help you achieve this goal.
It’s important to avoid black hat SEO providers, as you may only receive low-quality links, and these may even lead to your website being penalized by Google. An SEO professional would reach out to owners of high-quality websites and ask them to link to your site from relevant pages.
Never pay for backlinks, especially not from providers who don’t disclose the sites they’re using.
Targeted Organic Traffic
Lastly, your SEO campaign should include a targeted organic traffic service, like the one we offer at Search-Clicks. Part of Google’s algorithm for determining link placement on SERPs involves measuring the number of visits originating from each link.
At Search-Clicks, we only use 100% real people clicking on the desired links to your website in SERPs. No “bots” are allowed or used, and our service guarantees an increased CTR (Click-Through Rate) to boost organic traffic from Google.
We have over 100,000 real people helping us provide this service, and you can choose clickers from any country and language.
Conclusion
The internet is full of SEO services. It makes sense to choose the right ones for your needs, and with our handy guide, you can hopefully choose the ones that offer excellent value for money.