How to Explain SEO to a Skeptic

Digital marketing is a vast field, and because of this, it can be hard for many people to understand exactly what it is. The average Google user doesn’t necessarily know the effort and algorithms that go into delivering their search engine results, and many don’t see the need to understand it. But no matter what, you’ll find digital marketing skeptics who don’t believe search engine optimization (SEO) is worth anything.

So how do you explain SEO to people? Here are some tidbits to help get your message across.

Explain how SEO is omnipresent online

Chances are, every time people click on the internet, they are immersing themselves within SEO without even knowing it. Search engine optimization and other digital marketing methods are responsible for what we see online and how we interact with information. It also influences our decisions. Show this to the SEO skeptics. Explain that every time they type something into Google, the results they are seeing is because of the work behind the scenes. Or how whenever they communicate with companies on social media, the company is working on their digital marketing engagement strategy. Even explain how when they are looking for a good place to eat, the restaurants that show up first have a strong SEO. Real-life examples always give credibility to your argument.

Describe SEO in an easily digestible language

Some people are SEO skeptics simply because they don’t understand the terminology that goes with it. Because of this, you’ll want to explain SEO in a language they can understand and easily digest. Be creative with how you explain digital marketing, and if you can, relate SEO to the business they’re in. For example, if you’re talking to a doctor, explain if their website is the prescription for a specific type of medicine, then SEO is the pharmacy needed to provide the medication. SEO is what is needed to boost results, customer acquisition, and brand recognition.

Point out their competitors

Your SEO skeptics may have some competitors in mind that they want to outrank, and they may not know why their competitors are doing so well. Take this time to show how digital marketing benefits the skeptics’ competition. You can easily do this by showing them their social media profiles and the engagement they receive (such as the number of followers, how many people like their posts, and how often the company responds to them. Then search their company name, and see what shows up. Look on their website to find how much content they have, how they work their keywords into their blog, and even what their backlink profile looks like. Showing skeptics why their competitors are successful online will inspire them to invest in their own digital marketing efforts.

Invest like the stock market

People may be SEO skeptics simply because they haven’t seen results fast enough. This is when you explain that the SEO is like the stock market; it’s a long-term investment that will reap the effort you put into it. While some people may think this is too long of a time frame to see results, this is how SEO works, and that has to be properly explained. Teaching that SEO is a long and winding road will be helpful in setting expectations.

With these answers, as well as the best link building company on your side, any SEO skeptic will soon be on their way to believing in the powers of a good digital marketing campaign.