Charity SEO: Can it help charities grow?

For many companies, search engine marketing is a key driver for their new business.  It’s a sound concept because if someone is already searching for a given product or service, they are probably already fairly well down the decision making process and will soon be making a decision to buy.

Yet for charities, websites are often a neglected communication channel.  In my experience, charities are great at using their website and their social media channels to communicate with their existing supporters but they are not very good at using these online tools to find and attract new supporters.

Why SEO is important for charities

Can your supporters find you?
When searching for your name in Google or one of the other search engines, does your charity rank first?  Surprisingly, some charities do not rank first for searches containing their name.  Sometimes charities from abroad which have the same or similar names outrank the charity based in the home country.  Not only does this cause confusion if the user clicks on the wrong link but it could also undermine the home charity’s reputation.  Even if you do rank first in the search engines, SEO can help you scoop up traffic where people have misspelt all or part of your name.

Can potential beneficiaries or supporters find you?
Consider the situation where someone has a personal reason for seeking out a charity focused on a particular cause – a children’s charity for example.  There are literally hundreds of children’s charities in the UK.  Furthermore, there are over 4,000 UK searches a month in Google alone which include the term “childrens charity”.

If you’re a fundraiser for a lesser known children’s charity, how do you make sure your charity is near the top of the first page of Google?  The chances are, if you’re on Page 5 of the search engine results page, you may never connect with a beneficiary who really needs your help – or perhaps with someone who is interested in volunteering or making a donation.  Search engine marketing can ensure charities don’t miss out on important new connections.

Boost Credibility
Even a small charity can have an online presence which belies their size.  By keeping a close eye on useful and informative content, charities are quickly able to establish themselves as a credible source of information within their area of focus.

SEO Vigil has been working within the UK charity sector for over ten years.  Time and time again we have seen charities with a properly thought out online strategy achieve growth rates far greater than those predicted.   Online content can bolster grant and trust applications, it can attract new corporate sponsors and it can help recruit the best people from within the third sector.