What is SEO Marketing

Want to increase your business revenue organically? Then you must understand what SEO marketing is. Search engine optimization, or SEO in short, is a marketing strategy that uses a search engine's algorithm to improve your website's SERP ranking. 

Unlike paid ads, you don't need to buy any ad space for SEO. Instead, all your efforts are directed toward creating content that pushes your webpage to the top. Since 75% of searchers only look beyond Google's first page, SEO marketing has become the best way to drive organic traffic to your webpage. 

But before you dive into SEO, you need to understand how search engines, or more specifically Google, ranks content. 

How does Google rank blogs?

Every search query on Google delivers results that it thinks are closest to your query. It is done through two factors: relevance and authority.

The relevance refers to how close the result is to your search query. A result's authority is how often it is clicked or mentioned for a similar query. Even though the exact algorithm to rank blogs is kept a secret, SEO experts identify patterns and tricks to make an article appear more relevant and authoritative. For example, adding specific keywords improves the article's relevancy, pushing it up the search results.

However, this allows for mass manipulation of search results, with SERPs displaying poorer quality results for any manipulated query. That's why Google constantly revises its core algorithm to keep the displayed articles organic and authentic. Google's most recent core algorithm update was in September 2022, bringing subtle yet essential changes to its ranking system. 

Even with the constantly evolving algorithm and SEO practices, it is highly profitable for companies to invest in SEO marketing. 

Why Should Companies Adopt SEO Marketing?

According to Think With Google, 63% of all shopping begins online, even if the purchase is made offline. And since most of those sales start with a search query, there is only a better space to advertise than the first page of Google. 

For example, consider the results for the search query "men's tracksuits."

Brands that have optimized their website for the keyword appear as the top results for this Google search. It increases their visibility, driving more people to click on their links and purchase.

Being among the top search results also drives organic traffic to your site. You can attract and prompt people to visit your website and didn't purchase anything. 70% of online marketers find that SEO drives sales better than PPC. 

Moreover, you cannot pay your way to the top in SERPs. The order of results on a search engine result page is purely based on their relevance and authority. It means customers "trust" these pages more because no money-motivated marketing is involved. If you want to appear among these trustworthy pages, the only way is through SEO.  

Types of SEO Marketing 

Before adopting an SEO strategy, you must ensure that you know what kind of SEO works best for you. Understanding various types of SEO helps you create a better ranking strategy and avoids some mistakes that could penalize your webpage.

On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves SEO techniques used to optimize the content and other aspects of your website. It is the most basic type of SEO and involves keyword placement, format optimization, HTML tags, etc. It improves the "relevance" of the webpage and ensures that the search engine understands what your page is all about.

Off-page SEO focuses on the entire web and includes strategies that build the "authority" of your website. It involves backlinks, site mentions, guest blogging, and other techniques that focus on websites outside your page. For example, if another website listing similar content cites your web page's link, then the authority of your page increases. 

A balance of both SEO strategies is crucial if you want to rank on top of Google's search results.

White Hat SEO vs. Black Hat SEO

Two: your customers and Google checks most content on the internet. Though SEO strategies are for helping Google rank your webpage, if your customers need help understanding your content, it won't work. 

But some SEO strategies involve aggressive practices solely meant to optimize the content for search engines. Techniques such as keyword stuffing, invisible keywords, duplicity, and others that are manipulative with no thought of the audience are known as black hat SEO practices. Even if, technically, these practices should rank your content better, Google identifies and penalizes such pages.

Instead, adopting a white hat SEO strategy would be best. These techniques aim to improve the quality of the content and direct the audience to the correct pages by staying within the search engine's terms of service. Though the results are slower, search engines recognize and rank such pages. 

Building an SEO Marketing Strategy

While SEO is essential for marketing, every business requires a unique strategy that aligns with its objectives and goals. Following the below guidelines will help you build a strategy that aligns with your business requirements.

Keyword Research:

Ranking for the right keywords is crucial to capture a large audience. Start by researching keywords related to your product or brand with a high search volume. But also focus on the content already available on the internet for the same keyword. Highly searched keywords with little content available are ideal for a profitable SEO marketing strategy.

Competitor Analysis:

You can browse through the first page of Google or visit competitor websites. Knowing what works for your competitors is a great starting point for understanding what will work for you. Notice any specific keyword they are ranking in Google search? Any strategy that makes their sites more appealing? Take note of such aspects for further reference.

Create a Blog:

Having a blog on your website gives you space for more content which means more optimization. Upload blogs around the relevant keywords without changing the meaning or relevance of the article. The blogs should help your customers and grab the attention of search engines.

Build Your Authority:

After acing the on-page aspects, move on to the off-page ones. Start with guest posting on other websites or approaching sites for brand mentions. Ensure that the sites mentioning you are high-quality and drive traffic to your website.

Audit Regularly:

SEO isn't a one-time strategy but a continuous process to establish your site as the top one. Audit your strategy regularly to change anything that won't work anymore. These can be old keywords or spam links, but replacing them is crucial. It shows your site is up-to-date and relevant no matter the change in trends.

Conclusion 

Every website that utilizes SEO works towards one goal – ranking high in Google's search results. While the competition seems vast, with the right strategy, you can secure a place that drives high-quality traffic to your website. However, ensure that your SEO practices fall within Google's terms so your website can get rewarded and not penalized. Though SEO is slower in showing results, with patience and continuous strategy-building, it shows better results than paid advertising.