Search engine optimization (SEO) is how websites earn visibility in organic search results and reach the customers most likely to convert. With 85% of sites on the internet receiving no visitors at all, optimizing for search engines is a core part of any business marketing strategy. Below are the SEO tactics that get a website noticed by search engines and bring in qualified, unpaid traffic.

What Is SEO and Why Does It Matter?

SEO is the process of improving a website’s visibility on search engines by making small, targeted changes to content, structure, and signals. The payoff is appearing at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs), where users can find you easily. A high-quality page should be listed at the top of the SERPs and be easily accessible for users.

The focus is “organic” or unpaid search traffic, which comes from natural search results rather than paid ads. SEO is critical for the survival of your business because a well-optimized website can reach potential customers, increase ecommerce sales, and build brand reputation. Television ads can also drive traffic to an optimized site.

How Do You Start With Keyword Research?

SEO begins with keyword research: identifying and analyzing the dominant search engines in your market and the terms your audience uses. Google, for example, represented 75% of all online searches in 2003 and has remained the leading search engine worldwide. The UK was home to nearly 90% of the search market, and by 2006 there were hundreds of SEO firms operating in the US.

Use that research to write a compelling title and a catchy subtitle, include the right keywords in your content, and align each page with the intent of the searcher. This is where the most effective SEO techniques live: matching what the searcher wants with what your page delivers.

What Is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO focuses on optimizing a website’s content and ensuring a good user experience. By integrating SEO techniques into your website’s content, you make sure pages are optimized for the dominant search engines in your target market. Core actions include optimizing title tags, headings, copy, and design so the page is relevant to the searcher.

The on-page portion of SEO involves a website’s content and design, and the goal is to land in the top three results on search engines for your target keywords. That only happens when content matches the intent of the searcher.

What Is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO covers the signals outside your own pages that influence rankings, such as backlinks, brand mentions, and external visibility. Together with on-page SEO, both are critical for the success of your business. Applying the right SEO techniques on both sides will make your website stand out from the crowd and increase customer lifetime value.

Which SEO Tactics Drive the Best Results?

The following strategies are effective SEO tactics for any site:

• Creating high-quality content that matches searcher intent and earns links.
• Improving site ranking through technical fixes, on-page optimization, and off-page signals.
• Generating traffic from television ads that point audiences to an optimized destination.
• Optimizing for the major search engines so your site is visible where your audience already searches.

Most of us are aware of the basic components of a web page, but small SEO changes can have a significant impact on the results. By focusing on the goals of your website’s audience, you attract the right customers to your site. If your site is not optimized for the most popular engines, you risk losing a substantial amount of revenue.

FAQ

What is SEO in simple terms?

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving a website so it appears higher in organic search results. It focuses on unpaid traffic, also called “organic” traffic, that comes from natural search results rather than paid ads.

What is the difference between on-page and off-page SEO?

On-page SEO focuses on optimizing a website’s content and design to ensure a good user experience and relevance to searchers. Off-page SEO covers external signals such as backlinks and brand mentions. Both are critical for the success of a business.

How do you start an SEO strategy?

Start with keyword research to identify the dominant search engines in your market and the terms your audience uses, then optimize your site’s content, titles, and structure around those terms. Google represented 75% of all online searches in 2003 and has remained the leading search engine worldwide, making it the primary target for most SEO efforts.

Related coverage

• Local SEO – How to Get Your Website to Rank Higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)
• The Definitive Guide to SEO for Business Owners: How to Optimize Your Website for Search Engines