If you’re new to the idea of search engine optimization (or SEO), you may be wondering just how much this foreign practice is worth to your business. Can tweaking keywords or making your page load times faster really increase the amount of money you make online? Sounds like a bit of exaggeration, right?

You’re not alone if you think SEO sounds like hogwash. It’s been called everything from snake oil to a pyramid scheme to phrases that I won’t even repeat on this blog. But as an Internet marketing professional, I’ve seen firsthand how worthwhile SEO is for businesses — and how much of an impact SEO can make for businesses who take the time and make the effort to invest in optimizing their websites for search.

Yes, SEO is worth it. And here’s three reasons why.

Search is Everything

According to research, approximately 71% of enterprise level purchasing decisions start with an online search. This means that a very large majority of your target audience is going online to find what they want.

Even if you’re not in the B2B industry, when was the last time you picked up a phone book to find a company to call, or the location of a restaurant? Do you remember life before Google? Search has become commonplace, and for businesses that want to be found, it’s impossible to do so without making considerable effort — effort that comes in the form of search engine optimization.

SEO is worth it because it’s the best way to get yourself in those search results, and all without investing a fortune or wasting your time with ineffective methods.

Companies Using SEO Get More Leads

Research by HubSpot shows that 93% of companies using inbound marketing — which includes SEO — generate more leads than those that don’t.

Additionally, approximately 83% of those polled said that that saw an increase in those leads within 7 months of starting their campaign!

By using SEO, you are promoting your website to the largest audience out there: online searchers. Now that the largest majority of people go online to find what they need, by ensuring that your website is the one that appears at the top of any given search, you are ensuring that your company is the one that people see first.

SEO also gives you staying power, no matter what your competitors do. Commercials and campaigns may come and go, but with ongoing SEO, your search engine presence can’t simply be ignored.

The Gain is Much Higher Than the Cost

Comprehensive SEO plans offered by the companies on our list start at somewhere around $500 per month, give or take. For small businesses, this investment may sound steep. However, have you thought about the revenue you might stand to make by investing in SEO?

The amount of money you make online is directly linked to your website traffic, which is directly linked to your visibility in search. So if you can move from the 20th spot to the 1st for a keyword, and triple your traffic in the process, you may also stand to triple your revenue. And that’s just for one search keyword.

It’s in this way that the amount of money you make from SEO is typically much, much higher than its cost. It’s not uncommon for SEO agencies to report 500% ROI for their clients, simply because the increased exposure nets them more traffic than they ever expected — and the increase in revenue that comes with it.

Now that you know why SEO is worth it, read more about how to choose the right SEO company, or head on over to our list of this year’s top companies to find out who we recommend calling to find a reliable SEO partner for your needs.