A showcase site launched three years ago, a Facebook page updated sporadically, a few Google reviews collected over time: this is the starting point for most SMEs that contact us. Traffic stagnates, and requests for quotes come in dribs and drabs. Entrusting online visibility to a creative web agency changes the game, provided one understands what is truly being delegated and what is kept in-house.
Decline in SEO traffic and generative engines: what changes for businesses
We still talk about natural referencing as if Google captures nearly all purchasing journeys. Recent data tells a different story.
According to a study shared by Yumens and based on Ifop data, Google’s share of online purchase-related searches in France has dropped from 93% in 2017 to 32% in 2025. The average decline in observed SEO traffic is around -25%, due to the combined effects of AI engines, Amazon, and social networks.
For a web agency, this observation alters the roadmap. SEO remains a profitable lever in the long term, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. An effective digital strategy now incorporates optimization for generative engines (GEO), presence on alternative search platforms, and the production of structured content that AIs can cite.
Working with a team like pixel23.fr allows for the management of these channels in parallel, without spreading resources on actions that no longer generate the same return as five years ago.
SEO budget of French SMEs: the gap between discourse and actual investment
On the ground, a persistent paradox is observed. A Semrush summary cited by Digibase Web indicates that SEO captures on average only 6% of the digital budget of French SMEs, while natural referencing remains about five times more profitable than SEA for generating sustainable traffic. At the same time, 78% of these SMEs acknowledge a real benefit from digital for their business.
The problem is not a lack of conviction. It is an allocation issue. Many companies invest in one-off advertising campaigns because the results are immediate and measurable. SEO, on the other hand, requires six to twelve months before producing visible effects, which hinders leaders accustomed to short cycles.
A creative web agency intervenes here to arbitrate. Its role is not to bet everything on natural referencing but to build a plan where every euro invested has a clear profitability horizon. Developing a site designed for SEO from its inception avoids costly redesigns and generates an asset that works continuously.
What an agency concretely arbitrates in a digital budget
We are often asked how to allocate the budget between content creation, paid advertising, and technical development. The answer depends on the sector and digital maturity, but a few principles consistently emerge:
- The technical foundation of the site (loading speed, structured markup, accessibility) takes precedence over any content campaign, because a slow or poorly indexed site wastes the traffic sent to it
- The production of SEO-optimized content and for generative engines represents the most profitable item in the medium term, but requires a regularity that few internal teams can maintain alone
- SEA campaigns serve as a relay during the ramp-up of organic referencing, then focus on high purchase-intent keywords once natural traffic is established
Design and user experience: where creativity produces measurable returns
The word “creative” in the phrase “creative web agency” sometimes raises eyebrows. We imagine spectacular mockups that please in meetings but slow down the site in production. The creativity that matters in web marketing is the one that enhances the user journey and, at the end of the chain, the conversion rate.
A conversion-oriented design structures each page around a specific action. No three competing call-to-action buttons, no endlessly scrolling slider. A clear title, a visible value proposition without scrolling, a short form.
Technical expertise and visual identity in service of SEO
Design is not limited to aesthetics. Visual choices directly influence SEO. A site with uncompressed images, fonts loaded from external servers, or color contrasts that do not meet accessibility standards will be penalized in rankings.
Integrating SEO from the site creation phase avoids having to correct these issues later. An agency that separates design and referencing into two successive steps wastes time and charges the client twice for the same work.
Choosing a web agency: the criteria that differentiate providers
There is no shortage of web agencies in France. What is lacking is a framework to distinguish those that produce results from those that sell deliverables. A few points to check before signing:
- Can the agency show results of organic traffic over twelve months for clients comparable to your business, not just mockups or screenshots of delivered sites?
- Does the contract include performance tracking with predefined indicators (positions, qualified traffic, conversion rate), or is it limited to the delivery of a site?
- Does the team integrate skills in development, design, and SEO strategy under one roof, or does it subcontract certain aspects to freelancers without coordination?
- Does the project methodology include an audit phase before any creation, including a competitive analysis and a definition of business objectives?
An agency that refuses to commit to performance indicators sells production time, not visibility. The nuance makes all the difference in return on investment over a year.
Choosing a web provider commits your business to several years of online presence. It is better to invest a few weeks in selection than to pay for a premature redesign eighteen months later because the site does not generate the expected traffic.