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Advertising Online – Is it Really Cost Effective?
So you’ve heard that advertising online is the most cost-effective method. It definitely is in theory. However, before you start spending money or loads of time on SEO, it’s important to understand how the process works and where your money is going.
First understand the primary advantage of SEO as an online marketing venture—it reaches more people in a shorter period of time, and for less money. You can reach a significant portion of Northern Virginia without a huge advertising budget. In terms of television commercials, and how much networks charge for 30 second spots, it’s not nearly as feasible.
More importantly, this is targeted advertising. You are not merely speaking to people who are passive, but to individuals who are ready to buy and looking for products in the same vein. The reason that SEO is considered highly cost-effective is primarily for two reasons. (A) If you write content yourself, you only have to invest time and not money. (B) Whereas most ads are tentative and for a limited period, SEO content remains for the duration of your web hosting contract.
Therefore, you could create keyword-rich (but not overstuffed) content and lure in new viewers without investing any money. In contrast PPC advertising, while similar in performance, does require some advertising capital, since you are paying for a listing.
Now that you know SEO is valuable to your Northern Virginia business and free-to-cheap in price, it’s time to consider a few cautionary notes before starting your campaign. Remember that keyword targeting is the big issue. You must find keywords that your audience is searching for and that motivates them to buy. Guessing is a big risk. Without researching your keywords in advance (not just on a keyword research tool but also your local competition) you are taking a big chance and spending a lot of time and money.
Another point to consider is that of integration. It’s not enough to have one website—you really want to create a network of brand pages that will help drive traffic, boost new viewers and establish your authority. Social networking is a great way to do this, as is social bookmarking. You will reap greater rewards in establishing quality links if you integrate all of your web pages together.
So, by all means explore SEO and make it scalable to your Northern Virginia business. Most importantly, develop a plan with a list of goals and landmarks so you can stay focused. You may be surprised at how well this technology works for you! Need help with getting more traffic to your website? Contact Northern Virginia Media for more information. Read about our SEO services and how we SEO marketing can help you and your business.
