Let’s be honest. Getting people to your website isn’t easy anymore. The rules have changed.

This isn’t Kansas, and clicking your sparkly red heels won’t magically bring in traffic. Neither will dumping a bunch of keywords on a page and hoping for the best.

The reality is that today’s digital space is loud, fast, and overcrowded. If you’re not marketing with strategy and precision, your site won’t just fall behind—it might never be seen.

Here’s a tough fact: sites that rank on the first page of Google get up to 35 percent more traffic than the rest. That kind of visibility drives leads, sales, and revenue. It all works together but only if you know how to get in the game.

Now add this to the mix. AI is changing everything. Many search engines now show AI-generated summaries before they show any organic results. This means your potential client might get an answer from AI and never even visit your site.

So, what do you do? Give up. Close your shop?

No. You market smarter. You market with intention and clarity.

Start by being crystal clear about what your site is about. If someone can’t figure that out instantly, they’ll move on. People love to scroll, and they only stop when you produce something worth stopping for. Nowadays, people don’t have time to decode vague messaging. You have to be clear and precise. No fluff.

Back in 1995, there were around 16 million internet users worldwide. Today, there are more than 2.4 billion. The upside is that you can reach a whole lot more people now. The downside is that competition is fierce. You’re not just competing with your local competitors. You’re now competing nationally.

To break through the marketing veil, you need visibility in two places: AI responses and on the first page of Google. That means your content must be structured to meet both human and algorithm needs. If you’re not creating engaging and properly optimized content that gets picked up in AI summaries and ranked in search, you’re missing half the battle.

Here are a few ways to start driving more traffic now.

Hiring an SEO company isn’t about signing a quick contract. It’s about choosing someone who understands how the web really works now, not someone who uses outdated SEO strategies that will get you unindexed or blacklisted fast.

Ranking on the first page of Google used to be the goal. Today, that’s not enough. Google now displays AI-generated summaries at the top of many results pages. These summaries often answer the question before a user even sees a link. According to recent data, nearly six out of ten searches now end without a single click. Yes, not a single click.

So, if you’re still thinking in terms of keywords and backlinks alone, you’re missing the bigger picture. Your content should be optimized not only for traditional search rankings but also for AI generated results that are increasingly dominating the top of search engine pages.

That’s where your SEO company comes in. And not just any company will do. You need a company who lives, breathes, and understands SEO. One who understands traditional optimization methods and is learning and implementing new strategies, too.

Start with budget. Real expertise costs money. In the U.S., in-house SEO managers are earning between $80,000 and $140,000 per year. Contractors or agencies may charge anywhere from $75 to $200 per hour depending on their experience and your niche. If you’re considering overseas help, expect to pay $15 to $50 per hour for professionals who have a strong track record. Pricing varies widely, but lowballing rarely works. In the end, you want to pay for quality SEO services from individuals who know how to get results. You need professionals who are good at the SEO and marketing games. A team who can help you compete for tough keywords while getting you picked up in AI summaries. You’ll need much more than a bare-bones effort.