Over the years, Search Engine Optimization, more commonly known as SEO, has become a “go to” online investment for ISVs and other technology marketers. Many studies have shown that, along with sponsorship at conferences, budgets for SEO marketing rank the highest when it comes to online spending.
When asked why this is so, marketers’ responses typically range from, “it’s the most cost-effective way to build a lead database for my company”, to “because I’m worried about my ranking on search page results”, to “it’s the best way to find qualified or serious users ready to buy my product or solution”.
However, over time, based on an increasing number of competitors in each marketing segment, investing in SEO has produced lower hit rates and a resulting higher cost per lead, making it harder for marketers to justify dedicating the lion’s share of their budgets to SEO alone.
But outside the issue of actual ROI of SEO investments, there is another essential consideration of putting all your eggs in one SEO basket. Research study after research study of how technology consumers, and Dynamics users in particular, search online validate that although searching online for vendors or solutions is a common practice, search is used primarily early on in the buying process.
Users turn to search so that they can get a sense of which “players” really are worth considering, to check out their corporate websites, to see what their range of offerings are, and to see if they recognize a vendor or solution from previous solution acquisitions.
More importantly, the same research shows that when users move along their buy process, they need more specific content that educates them about a vendor, compares one vendor to another, and offers examples of success stories for the vendor. And they trust this content the most when they find it in third party editorial environment (like MSDynamicsWorld.com) that serves as neutral ground.
The other important takeaway is that a user’s buy process is not one point in time, it is a continuous process that can take anywhere from 3-18 months. So advertising with Google AdWords or a well-tuned search optimization program may help snag a user early on, when they start their buying process, but these tactics are not going to help make your brand or your solution “always-present” as the user moves along the typical stages of their buy cycle.
And here’s the point: as a technology marketer, you need to have a robust and continuous digital marketing program with content like webcasts, white papers , trials, and more – not only to attract the user but to hold their attention and interest for the duration. This is what online marketing is all about, creating and keeping a digital conversation with prospective users. SEO is just a way to say “Hello, good to meet you”, while a sustainable online marketing program that runs for weeks or months keeps the conversation going and create the most qualified and serious buyers for your lead pipeline.
