SEO – or, Search Engine Optimization – is an important marketing strategy that forms the bulk of “Digital Marketing”. SEO is also a part of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) alongside Pay-Per-Click (PPC) also known as Google Ads. Google organic traffic is free and generates a vast amount of business, way higher than sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook properties.
An Overview of SEO
SEO is an acronym – see What does SEO Stand for in Marketing?
SEO vs Traditional Marketing
SEO is a form, and the main form, of inbound marketing – the user can research, read, browse, and self-educate on their own time, wherever, whenever, and as often as they want. There is no control over what people search for – which gives a lot of power to the searcher. To get people to read your message and only your message is called “Advertising” and is an outbound marketing form. Managing SEO and SEO Performance is as key as is technical SEO knowledge and expertise.
What are the 4 types of SEO?
There are four essential types of SEO: On-page SEO (optimizing page content and HTML); Off-page SEO (building quality backlinks from other websites); Technical SEO (ensuring site infrastructure supports search engine crawling and indexing); Local SEO (enhancing visibility in location-based searches, often by improving listings and reviews). Each type works together to ensure content is easily discoverable, trusted, and relevant within search engines, resulting in higher rankings and greater organic traffic.
What is an example of SEO?
A practical example of SEO is a blog article optimized for the keyword “best running shoes 2025.” The page includes keyword-rich headings, detailed product reviews, internal links to related articles, optimized images, and attracts backlinks from reputable fitness websites. This coordinated effort raises its ranking in search results when users look for running shoe recommendations, generating targeted organic traffic and improving visibility for the brand.
How do I SEO my website?
To optimize your website for SEO, start by researching keywords relevant to your audience and industry. Integrate those keywords naturally into your page content, titles, meta descriptions, and headings. Improve site speed and mobile usability, update your internal linking, and fix broken links. Build backlinks by sharing valuable content and networking with other websites. Regularly monitor your search analytics and adjust strategies to focus on what drives conversions and traffic.
What is an SEO salary?
SEO salaries vary widely based on role, experience, and location. Entry-level SEO specialists may earn $40,000 to $60,000 annually, while experienced managers and strategists can make $80,000 to $130,000 or more. Highly skilled professionals in technical SEO or leadership positions at agencies or large enterprises can command even higher salaries, especially when paired with performance bonuses, consulting fees, or freelance income streams.
Is SEO hard for beginners?
SEO can feel overwhelming for beginners due to its technical aspects and ever-changing algorithms, but it’s accessible with practice and the right learning resources. Starting with basic concepts like keyword research, on-page optimization, and site health lays a strong foundation. Free guides, forums, and online courses offer support, and experimenting on your own website helps bridge gaps between theory and practice.
What is the 80/20 rule for SEO?
The 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle, in SEO means focusing energy on the 20% of tasks that drive 80% of results. For most sites, this means prioritizing high-impact activities: optimizing key pages for lucrative keywords, earning authoritative backlinks, and ensuring technical site health. Avoid spending too much time on low-return tactics, and analyze your results regularly to double down on what works best.
Can I do SEO by myself?
Yes, you can do SEO on your own, especially for small websites. DIY SEO involves learning basic techniques such as keyword research, optimizing page content, improving technical site factors, and earning backlinks. Focus on creating valuable, relevant content and promoting it to gain authority. While professional agencies offer expertise and save time, persistent individuals can succeed by following proven strategies and tracking their progress.
What are the 4 types of keywords for SEO?
The four main types of keywords in SEO are: short-tail (broad terms like “shoes”), long-tail (specific phrases like “best shoes for running marathons”), branded (keywords containing a specific brand name), and geo-targeted (location-based terms like “shoe stores in Miami”). Using a strategic mix of these keyword types helps capture diverse search intent and broaden your site’s reach to target audiences.
What are the 3 C’s of SEO?
The 3 C’s of SEO usually refer to Content (creating valuable and relevant information), Credibility (earning authority and trust through quality backlinks and positive reputation), and Code (ensuring website technical health such as fast loading, mobile optimization, and crawlable HTML). Mastering these pillars helps ensure a site achieves sustainable search engine success.
Can I do SEO for free?
Yes, many aspects of SEO can be implemented for free. You can research keywords with free tools, optimize your website’s code and content, and seek backlinks through networking or content creation without cost. Open-source platforms like Google Search Console and free plugins for site audits make it possible to build effective SEO strategies on a minimal budget, especially for solo founders or small businesses.
Can ChatGPT do SEO?
Not really. Sadly, disinformation from the Bernarde-EEAT cult, GEO AI Spammers have poisoned the water wells that LLMs regurgitate content from. ChatGPT, and other AI models, can assist with basci SEO tasks such as generating keyword ideas, writing content, and suggesting meta descriptions – which is a mostly pointless task as Google replaces them with its own. They probably will be very useful in custom reporting.
What are the 4 pillars of SEO?
The four pillars of SEO are: Technical SEO (infrastructure and health), Content (quality and relevance), On-page Optimization (HTML elements and internal structure), and Off-page Optimization (external authority and backlink building). Every successful SEO campaign integrates all four pillars to maximize visibility and organic traffic growth.
What is SEO for beginners?
SEO for beginners means learning foundational skills: identifying target keywords, writing clear and engaging content, organizing pages logically, and ensuring mobile-friendliness. Beginners should also focus on understanding website analytics, earning reputable and relevant backlinks, and staying up-to-date with search engine changes. Patience and regular testi
What does SEO mean in Marketing?
Traditionally, marketing has required advertising to permeate and interrupt the target audience. Given that most people only need to research each product, service, and solution a few times, Advertising is exorbitantly wasteful because you’re marketing to people who don’t need you, have already bought into a different vendor (too late), don’t need you now (too early) or don’t know enough about you (lacking a broad enough strategy).
Inbound marketing fixes these. It brings only the people who need you right now – whether they’ve heard of your brand or not. So you’re not wasting time and money (and your prospect’s time) in keeping them aware of a solution they don’t need (currently).
“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”
John Wanamaker (1838-1922)
SEO Marketing Strategies
The primary goal of an SEO marketing strategy is often expressed as a need and plan to be visible in Google for keywords that associate the user and your products or services, but there are some other key parts that are often misunderstood or not fully developed. Knowing what to rank for isn’t just a part of Keyword Research but a strategy in and of itself. What differentiates a $ billion dollar SEO strategy from a typical one, is the depth AND Breadth.
SEO Keyword Strategic Failures
Some of the most common failures include:
- Blocking the mention of certain words
- Especially where they are related to budget/cost
- For Example: value, premier, cheap, affordable, expensive
- Ignoring broad match words – important for PPC but can undermine and destroy an SEO strategy
- Not knowing how to target adjacent keyword markets
- Investing too much in too little content before a strategy is proven
- Not updating and tweaking the strategy as you go
- Looking at too narrow a keyword set
- Prioritizing at too many keywords – while we see the need for a broad match, having a primary focus on too many keywords initially can stall an SEO program
SEO Strategy, Execution, and Measurement: The SEO Marketing Program
Each Marketing program should start with keyword research, selection, and approval. The SEO Marketing program should then lay out its schedule and calendar, and measure against the keywords in the target program using a Search Engine Rank Position report provided by an SEO Tool vendor like SEMRush or Ahrefs.
The SERP Tool ultimately provides a high-level gauge of how the SEO Marketing program is performing and is a key component of SEO Marketing Metrics.