For many site owners, the question is not whether to invest in search engine optimization (SEO), but rather when to make the investment. Frequently the decision is made to wait until after a Web site design or redesign is complete before addressing the need for search engine optimization. Whether this decision is made because of an aggressive project timeline or simply because of budget limitations, the fact remains the same – organic search engine visibility is often treated as an afterthought.
While to many, it may not seem like a major deal to put off search engine optimization until Web development is complete, the reality of the situation is that it can be a much more costly approach. In the following article, the search I have outlined some of the major issues associated with this approach and the true costs of delaying search engine optimization until the post-launch phase.
To experts in the combination of art and science that is SEO; it is taken for granted that search engine performance is highly contingent on many factors. These include Web site design, technical infrastructure, Web site content (marketing and informational copy plus “behind the scenes” tagging), and offsite optimization (primarily involving link popularity development and enhancement). When some of these factors are ignored, it is unlikely that optimal organic search engine visibility will be achieved, especially in competitive industries. Yet, it remains extremely common for companies of all sizes to skip critical steps in the process, or at least put those on the “backburner” until the other aspects of Web development have been completed.
One problem is that many traditional SEO or marketing firms provide their services in a vacuum. They are not actually involved in the design / development of the site or in the implementation of their SEO recommendations. Instead, they simply provide search engine optimization recommendations in document form. Because of this approach, they are not always aware of the incremental expenses - comprised of both direct and indirect costs that are incurred by postponing the implementation of search engine optimization.
As a full service interactive agency, Brulant has unique experience in measuring the true costs associated with a non-integrated SEO effort in direct comparison to those of our clients who include SEO as part of the initial scope of the design or redesign effort.
Direct Costs:
The primary direct costs associated with post site launch optimization stem from the rework that is often necessary. In most cases, decisions that are made during the design and development processes are not in alignment with or inclusive of search engine optimization best practices.
Technical infrastructure:
There are many aspects of a site’s technical infrastructure that can have a significant impact on search engine performance. Therefore, the ideal approach is to follow search engine optimization best practices at the time of initial site development. Otherwise, it is highly likely that additional work and significant expenditure will be needed at the time of optimization to rectify previously made decisions that preclude optimal search engine performance.
Typical points for rework include:
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- URL structure – an optimized URL typically includes targeted keywords, a shortened length, and only alpha numeric character, which may or may not have been requirements during the site design or redesign phase.
- Canonical URLs – multiple versions of the same page existing on multiple URLs are often allowed to be crawled and indexed by search engines. SEO efforts are required to focus efforts on a single version of the page
- Directory structure – SEO calls for a clean directory structure with descriptive folder names and concerted efforts to minimize the “depth” of pages within the design hierarchy
- Use of JavaScript, Flash, or AJAX – SEO recommendations often include directions to externalize JavaScript code to ensure it is non-obtrusive to the spidering process. Additionally, rich Internet applications (RIAs) such as those that use Flash and AJAX require additional content to be presented in a format legible to search engine spiders (as well as to disability software).
- Code cleanliness – while validated code will not necessarily help to improve rankings, poorly formed code that is difficult for the spiders to traverse can negatively impact ranking performance.
- Code ordering with CSS – the use of cascading style sheets (CSS) enables the ordering of code to present keyword-rich content to the search engines first, followed by all of the code and superfluous page elements. In addition, CSS helps to minimize the amount of code needed to display a Web page, therefore reducing the code to text ratio.
- Titles, Meta tags, Header tags, and ALT tags (and their corresponding placeholders in the database) – the basic tenants of SEO are often ignored by developers who may not have been tasked with this consideration. If not handled in a proactive manner, adding these tags can be very time consuming proposition, especially on large Web sites.
Design / Layout:
In a similar fashion to the technical infrastructure, layout decisions that are made during the design and development process can greatly impact the opportunity for search engine performance. In order to avoid rework in this area, a qualified search engine optimizer should be part of the design process to review prototypes and provide direction from the search engine perspective. Otherwise, considerable investment will likely be required to alter the site layout to support the requirements for search engine accessibility. Typical points for rework include:
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- Navigational structure and placement – the use of images as navigation elements are disruptive to search engines spiders and limit the ability to use descriptive anchor text within internal linking
- Adequate space for HTML text content – many site designers disregard the needs of the search engines when developing a page, presenting in many cases only human-visible images. HTML text content is required for a search engine to be able to determine the true context of a Web page and is also a usability best practice.
- Use of images and Flash in place of text – same as above, search engines cannot read Flash or images effectively.
By comparing four projects in which optimization was a post-launch initiative to four projects in which optimization was included in the initial scope of the design / redesign effort, summary conclusions have been made for the average incremental costs associated with site updates for search engine optimization.
On average, the post-launch method of search engine optimization led to incremental redesign project costs of roughly 30%. To put that into perspective, the incremental costs of updating the site layout and technical infrastructure for optimization of a $250K Web site was $75K. For larger, more complex sites, the cost is more significant; $150K in site enhancements for a $500K Web site project and $300K for a site that initially cost $1MM to develop. Much, if not all, of this additional design and development cost could have been eliminated if search engine optimization had been made part of the initial project scope, not an after thought.
Opportunity Costs:
In addition to the direct costs that are incurred when optimizing a site in a post launch fashion, there are also significant opportunity costs that should be factored into the decision making process.
According to many studies, 60%-70% of searchers prefer to click on organic listings over paid search listings. When they do, over 60% of searchers don’t look past the first page of search results, making first page search results critical to online success. Therefore, without the right SEO program, a great deal of opportunity to acquire new customers is being missed.
Unfortunately, strong organic search engine performance is not achieved over night. Even in ideal situations, the process of spidering, indexing, and ranking takes time. For a new site, one with a newly registered domain with no existing link base and established Google PageRank™, the process of ranking for competitive terms can take upwards of six months. For existing sites with strong incoming links and PageRank™, the process is expedited, but still takes time.
Optimistic Project Timeline for Post Launch Optimization:
Design or redesign project duration = 6 months
Post launch optimization project = 3 months
Optimization implementation = 3 months
Ranking adjustment latency = 3-6 months (redesign vs. initial launch)
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= 15-18 months
Realistic Project Timeline for Integrated Optimization:
Design or redesign project duration = 7 months
Post launch optimization project = 0 months
Optimization implementation = 0 months
Ranking adjustment latency = 3-6 months (redesign vs. initial launch)
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= 10-13 months
As illustrated above, the integrated approach to SEO, in which optimization activities are embedded in the redesign project scope, can shave roughly five months off of the time that is required to achieve top organic search engine listings. For the companies analyzed, the value of the direct conversions from organic listings over a five month period ranged from $625K to $2.2MM.
Summary:
While postponing search engine optimization may seem like a logical decision in light of timelines and overall project budgets, the truth of the matter is that it can be an incredibly costly decision. With additional direct costs ranging from $75K to $300K and opportunity costs ranging from $625k to $2.2MM, the total costs of waiting are between $700K and $2.5MM.
Before moving forward with your next Web site design or redesign effort, consider the direct and opportunity costs associated with making search engine optimization a post-launch initiative.
