SEO is a 'long-term investment'

28th November 2007

Businesses developing search engine optimisation (SEO) need to be prepared that it is a long-term marketing strategy, according to one expert.

Steve Haar, senior director of media at Leapfrog Online, told Search Engine Watch that many companies treat SEO as a "one-time hit" and wonder why it is not successful.

He claimed that companies need to be patient and plan resources to engage SEO for the long haul.

"SEO can take time to generate results depending on your starting point," explained Mr Haar. "You may not see your sales (or other target metric) increase right away."

Businesses engaging in SEO marketing should set objections and expectations, he advised, claiming pre-arranged goals can make targets clearer.

Google is currently the leading search engine in the US, performing 64 per cent of searches during October, reports Hitwise.

Research by the online intelligence service also revealed that travel, entertainment and business websites saw traffic generated by search engines double between 2006-07.