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4 Objectives of a Search Engine Optimization Project

Most clients initially think of SEO as the path toward generating leads and sales. By achieving competitive rankings for a select group of keywords, they can attract a motivated audience who is ready to make a purchasing decision. While a carefully designed search engine optimization campaign can definitely increase leads and sales, its potential expands much further. Often, clients find that their websites enjoy other advantages in addition to a growth in revenue. Today, we'll explore the 4 primary goals of an SEO project.

#1 - Growth in Sales and Revenue

With over $200 billion dollars in online sales projected for 2009, this continues to be the main objective for most site owners. Capturing an audience that has expressed a specific need through their queries eliminates much of the sales cycle. The more specific the query, the further along the cycle a person is. For example, a person searching for "Callaway Big Bertha 6 iron" is more likely to convert to a sale than someone who has searched for "golf club." Sales depend upon ranking competitively in the organic listings for tightly targeted phrases.

#2 - Brand Building

Branding through search engine optimization has become more popular among businesses of all sizes. In the past, this territory was normally explored only by large properties. Today, smaller companies are taking advantage of high rankings for branding purposes. The reason is due to people's tendency to make buying decisions based upon a company's top of mind awareness.

For example, automakers saturate network advertising in order to maintain a consistent presence in their target market's mind. When the time comes to purchase a vehicle, the top of mind awareness they've created increases sales. A properly structured SEO campaign can similarly brand a company online.

#3 - Managing a Reputation

A lot of businesses are on the receiving end of negative feedback - some warranted and some not. Unfortunately, much of this feedback is posted on blogs, forums, and other websites. When that content ranks competitively for personal or company names, or the names of specific products, it can damage a company's reputation. When others search for that company online, exposure to that negative feedback can dissuade a buying decision.

For example, a customer who has had a poor experience at a local car repair garage might post that experience online. If someone else sees the feedback, they may decide to take their vehicle elsewhere. More than ever, search engine optimization is being used to manage reputations. In most cases, such campaigns involve achieving high rankings for the same phrase or name on multiple domains.

#4 - Traffic

Using search engine optimization to increase traffic levels should not be confused with increasing sales. There are many reasons why a site owner might want to increase traffic while being less concerned about converting those visitors to sales. For example, a website that exists primarily to generate advertising revenue can deliver a positive ROI without selling a single product or service. When deployed fully, this strategy focuses less on ranking for specific sales-oriented keywords and more on broad coverage.

Your Search Engine Optimization Goals

Whether your business is based in a small town or in a big city like Chicago, search engine optimization campaigns and SEO projects can be positioned to achieve more than one objective at the same time. For example, if you're trying to build your company's brand, ranking competitively for your main keywords will likely result in sales growth. That said, you should identify your main goal prior to launching your project. Do you want to increase sales for your product or service? Are you trying to manage your reputation in light of recent feedback? Do you want to build your company's brand? When designed properly, a search engine optimization campaign can fulfill each of these goals.



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