Legal Internet Marketing Blog
Where would content on a website be without search engine optimization (SEO)?
Probably lost in cyberspace.
What role would SEO play if it wasn’t associated with relevant, informative content?
Most likely a nonexistent one.
What I’m hinting at here is the balanced relationship between content and SEO for desired search engine results, online success, and lead generation.
With so many Internet marketing strategies out there, it can be confusing as to which tactic is the most effective and worthwhile when it comes to a business’ goals and marketing budget; a thought on pretty much every company’s mind as 2011 quickly comes to a close.
SEO Paves the Way for Online Success
According to a recent SearchEngineLand article, SEO is the anchor of lead generation, which is the process of having visitors to your website inquire about your services or provide you with their information through a contact form. After surveying over 500 U.S. online marketers in August and September in its 2011 State of Digital Marketing Report, California-based online marketing agency Webmarketing123 concluded that SEO is the top way in which business-to-company (B2C) marketers and business-to-business (B2B) marketers obtain leads. These results also demonstrate that SEO outruns pay-per-click (PPC) and social media marketing for lead generation.
Interestingly, more online marketers surveyed stated that they anticipate raising their social media marketing budgets in 2012 over SEO and PPC. The main reason behind this seems to be that 68 percent of those surveyed generated leads either from Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, and 55 percent closed deals from social media deals. However, overall, both B2B and B2C marketers stand in agreement that SEO has the biggest influence over lead generation with 57 percent of B2B marketers and 41 percent of B2C marketers stating that SEO is their main source of lead generation.
Here are some additional statistics from the study:
- 46% of B2B marketers surveyed report their most important objective as generating leads.
- 53% of B2B and B2C marketers surveyed consider SEO to have the largest influence on generating leads, followed by 28% for PPC, and 19% for social media.
- 75% of B2C marketers surveyed report participating the most on Facebook, followed by 8% on Twitter, and 6% on LinkedIn.
B2B marketers surveyed are active more equally on all three leading social networks: 34% Facebook, 26% Twitter, and 25% LinkedIn.
Keeping Your Balance
With these numbers in mind, don’t jump ship right away on other Internet marketing tactics you may currently be using. With Internet marketing, it’s all about keeping a balance. What helps your online presence from teetering is effective, well thought-out SEO.
For assistance with your Internet marketing endeavors, contact Legal Internet marketing firm SLS Consulting for a free growth assessment. We have dedicated over 11 years to custom website design, content development, social media marketing, lead generation, and other strategic tools for law firms and attorneys throughout the U.S. Call (323) 254-1510 today.