SEO isn’t what you think it is

What is SEO?

It depends…(Kidding!) SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation as some of the fancier folk like to call it, is a strategy where websites are ranked higher in Google (or other search engines) for their target keywords. SEO empowers websites to improve their visibility and rankings in search engine results. In simple terms, SEO strives to enhance a website’s relevance and authority, making it more likely to appear when users search for relevant keywords or phrases. For example, if you own a website that sells a product or service, you want as many people to find you through search, and the higher up you are, the more visitors you will get, and ultimately more conversions.

Understanding SEO Basics (It’s not even that basic)

SEO revolves around understanding how search engines operate and what users are searching for. Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to analyse and rank websites based on various factors. Not very helpful but Google also loves to confuse people & SEO specialists on what is actually a ranking factor, and what is not (sorry Google, but it’s true). Some of the actual ranking factors include:

1. Keywords: Choosing the right keywords that align with your content and are frequently searched by users.
2. Content Quality: Providing high-quality, valuable content that satisfies user intent and engages visitors. This factor has become easier (in my opinion) to tackle in 2024, considering the rise of AI and people’s misuse of it.
3. On-Page Optimisation: Optimising various elements on your website, such as meta tags, headers, and internal links, to improve visibility and usability, this is the case for both the search engine bots & real humans.
4. Off-Page Factors: Building backlinks from reputable sources and establishing your website’s authority in your industry.
5. Technical SEO: Ensuring your website is technically sound, with fast loading times, mobile-friendliness, and secure connections (HTTPS) amongst a million other things.

Why SEO Matters SO MUCH

SEO is crucial for businesses and individuals looking to expand their online presence and attract organic traffic. I would always recommend that a business invest in SEO or learn it themselves to give their website the best chance of growth. SEO is a fantastic growth channel if done correctly, and will serve you for years to come (unlike PPC…). Here’s my very objective take:

• Sustainable & Future-proof growth: SEO is a long marathon, but the rewards are nothing that of other marketing channels. Unlike paid ads, SEO doesn’t just *disappear* like when an ad is turned off. SEO is a sustainable way to remain in the top positions for the keywords you want to be discovered for, and helps you build credibility over time.
• Cost-Effective: You know exactly where your money is going with SEO, you generally pay for a certain set of hours or deliverables, and work on SEO on a recurring retainer model, meaning paying a specialist every month. Not to continue picking on PPC, but with paid ads, you pay a specialist for maintenance, and put a certain amount on ad spend, paying per click. In SEO, your fee is directly associated with how aggressive you want your SEO strategy to be.
• Trust and Credibility: Users trust organic search results more than paid ads, leading to higher click-through rates and conversions. This was true years ago and remains true now – ideally you should get the best of both worlds – top PPC ads and top organic results.

What SEO is NOT!

Now that we know what SEO is, it’s time to do some inductive reasoning to understand what SEO is not, lets get into it.

1. SEO is Not Instantaneous: SEO is a long-term strategy that requires ongoing effort and patience. It’s not a quick fix for immediate results. This is understandably daunting, both for clients and SEO specialists. Although changes are generally seen rather quickly, the full power of SEO can be seen within the first 24 months of an aggressive SEO strategy.
2. SEO is Not Just About Keywords: “Oh yes I know SEO, It’s keywords…isn’t it?” While keywords are important, SEO encompasses so much more, including content quality, user experience, technical aspects, and off-page factors like backlinks.
3. SEO is Not Manipulative: Effective SEO focuses on providing valuable content and enhancing user experience, not on tricking search engines with unethical practices like keyword stuffing or buying links. These black hat tactics are way behind us, and although many still employ these – we like to keep things future-proof here and avoid any stuffing, buying, and the sort.
4. SEO is Not Only About Ranking #1: While high rankings are desirable, SEO’s ultimate goal is to attract relevant traffic and convert visitors into customers or users. Ranking first doesn’t always guarantee success if the traffic isn’t qualified. You can increase traffic from 1,000 to 100,000 but only see a 1% conversion increase, so although lots of traffic is amazing, CONVERSIONS are better and should be the real marker of your strategy success.
5. SEO is Not Static: There is no cookie-cutter technique for a successful SEO strategy (unfortunately for some), the strategy you employ for an electric car conversion website will most likely not be even remotely similar to a business that sells macarons.. SEO also evolves constantly, so if your strategy worked 3 years ago, you can safely assume it will not work the same way today. You or your specialist will have to conduct constant research on recent trends & SEO news if you want to stay ahead of the curve.
6. SEO is Not Only for Google: While Google is the dominant search engine, SEO principles can apply to other search engines: like Bing, Yahoo, Yandex (for eastern Europe), Baidu (China), and even within platforms like YouTube or Amazon. The best part is that each search engine requires a different strategy & way of thinking to make sure your SEO strategy is highly effective.
7. SEO is Not Separate from Marketing: Although most SEOs feel very strongly about SEO not being a part of marketing, it is very much still under the marketing umbrella. There is a reason it is called ‘search engine marketing’. SEO should be integrated into broader marketing strategies. It complements other marketing efforts such as content marketing, social media, and paid advertising. If you are able to have an orchestra of marketing services that all work together, you will probably succeed.

Understanding these distinctions helps in developing a holistic approach to SEO that focuses on long-term sustainability and genuine value creation for users and businesses alike.

Implementing effective SEO involves a strategic approach:

• Keyword Research: Identifying relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition.
• Content Creation: Producing informative, well-written content that addresses user queries and provides value.
• Link Building: Acquiring quality backlinks from reputable websites to enhance your site’s authority.
• Technical Optimisation: Ensuring your website is crawlable and indexable by search engines.

The Future of SEO

As search engines evolve, so do SEO strategies. The future of SEO is still uncertain in terms of how much the strategy will change. A lot has happened recently that has shaken up the SEO world – SGE and its horrible generated results, core algorithm updates happening faster than the speed of light, and many more turbulent events that have changed the SEO world as we know it.

As we have already seen in 2024 so far, backlinks from credible resources are becoming increasingly more valuable, and there is a lot more focus on credibility and authority online. I think it will continue that way, with more updates focused on content quality and reviews to try and sieve out the AI-generated results & all the other rubbish.

What to do with this information

Now that you know what SEO is, and how much value it can bring, you have now reached a higher stage of enlightenment and are ready to go into the digital world, maybe even become an SEO specialist.

All jokes aside, SEO is not just about ranking higher on search engines but also about delivering an awesome user experience and providing valuable content that meets user needs. If you are a business owner, I would highly recommend educating yourself on SEO processes for your business, it’s not as scary as you think!