Search engine optimization (SEO) is great in theory—if done properly, your business will be more likely to show up in higher search engine results pages, which will bring you more traffic, more potential customers, and hopefully, more conversions. The more money and effort you put into your campaign, the better results you’ll see, but there’s another factor you’ll have to consider: ROI.
Return on investment (ROI) is exactly what it sounds like: the quantifiable benefits you receive from the money you put in. Increasing your budget will almost always lead to better results, but only if you spend it wisely. If you aren’t budgeting your investment effectively, you could end up wasting your potential returns. For example, if you allocate your $500 monthly budget to focus $200 on content, $100 on social media, and $200 on link building, you’ll see different results than if you try a $50/400/50 respective split.
Learning how to break down your SEO campaign budget effectively is essential for any search marketer. In this article, I’ll introduce you to the basics of campaign budgeting and how to ensure you get the most for your investment.
Setting Your Goals
Before you establish where your budget should go, you’ll have to establish clear goals for the bulk of your campaign. Two similar companies may have very different visions for their respective optimization strategies, and will therefore need different budgets.
Visibility, Traffic, or Conversions?
First, think about what you’re really looking to get from your SEO strategy. Are you trying to get more visibility for your brand? Are you hoping for more conversions? Are you only looking for more traffic? You’ll have to allocate your budget differently based on these needs; for example, if you want more brand visibility you’ll have to allocate more money to social media activity, but if you’re only interested in more conversions, on-site optimization and content are more important.
Mapping Out a Timetable
Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/06/03/how-to-properly-allocate-resources-in-an-seo-campaign/