SEO Marketing

When doing the groceries, you must have noticed that some products are strategically placed on the shelves with point-of-purchase (POP) advertising material. What is the reason for that? Well, it is because supermarket employees are directed to increase the visibility of specific brands/products. Similarly, marketers use SEO marketing to increase brand exposure. In this explanation, we will walk you through the core concepts and tools of SEO marketing techniques.

SEO Marketing Definition

Let's assume that search engines such as Google, Bing, etc., are grocery stores, and websites are the products in those stores. Some brands/products in a grocery store are better placed than others; the same is valid with search engines. You have some websites that have better visibility than others. Marketers compete to grab potential customers' attention, and this is where the importance of SEO marketing comes.

A marketer employs SEO marketing to increase the visibility of a business's website on search engines. When people search for a product or service on the Internet, they are presented with search results relevant to those keywords.

The logic is simple; people are more likely to access websites that appear on the first page of a search engine rather than a website that appears on the third or fourth page.

The Importance of SEO Marketing

You get relevant search results when you search for a keyword on the search engine. Some of those results are paid, such as paid ranking on the search engine; others are organic results.

Marketers use SEO marketing to generate organic search results on search engines. These are based on the organic ranking algorithms of search engines. People search on these search engines daily. It is an excellent source for marketers to generate digital traffic for brands. If a brand has better visibility on the search engine than its competitors, it will likely pull more traffic to its website. It allows for engaging more with potential customers and boosting sales.

Fig. 1 - SEO Marketing Improves the Online Visibility of Websites

Types of SEO

There are three main types of SEO. The types are categorized based on their functionalities, and they help in improving the visibility of websites.

SEO Marketing Example

Many top brands use SEO marketing to rank high on search engines. They extensively research keywords, trends, and user preferences to design effective SEO marketing strategies.

E-Commerce websites

SEO marketing is essential for e-commerce sites to survive and stay competitive in the marketplace. Effective keywords, user-friendliness, and customer-centric content are some ways they engage with the audience and improve their ranking on search engines. User-generated content in terms of ratings and reviews is a valuable way for e-commerce websites to up their SEO marketing. For instance, Amazon generates vast amounts of content through its users. People rate the product and write their reviews on the site. This fresh content keeps the website relevant to search engines and improves its ranking.

Fig. 2 - E-Commerce sites SEO marketing

SEO Marketing Tools

A variety of SEO marketing tools are available to improve website performance and ranking. These tools can either be free or paid for marketers to use. Some companies, such as Google and SEMrush, offer partly free SEO marketing tools.

• Link building – This tool is used to create links to a particular website from other websites. It helps in driving traffic to the website. When a website gets backlinks from other quality web pages, it helps establish its credibility and improves its ranking.

• Analytics – This tool is crucial for effective SEO marketing implementation. SEO analytics help marketers discover the sources of website traffic. Analytics provide critical insights such as website visitors and real-time activity. It also includes information about the keywords people use to find the website.

• Keywords research – This tool assists marketers in finding and analyzing the keywords people use in their searches. They use this research to optimize their website and improve its rank on search engines. When marketers know the keywords people are using, they design the content strategy accordingly. This is another vital aspect of SEO marketing.

SEO Marketing Techniques

Brands use many SEO marketing techniques to improve the ranking of their websites on the search engine. Here we discuss some of the most common techniques of SEO marketing.

• Get the keywords game right – Keywords are the main pillars of SEO marketing. A brand needs to know the keywords its target audience uses to find solutions to its problems. The best way to find relevant keywords is to think like customers. For instance, a brand sells organic shampoo. Its target audience is looking for a chemical-free shampoo, and it's a deal breaker for them. There could also be other reasons, such as a particular hair condition. Marketers must consider all possible causes for potential customers to look for organic shampoo. This research will eventually help them discover the right keywords to develop an effective SEO marketing strategy.

• Make the most of URLs – URLs serve as the direction to the web pages. Having the right keywords in URLs is equally important in improving the ranking of websites. Marketers must place relevant keywords in the URLs to ensure high search ranking.

• Content is king – Content is the linchpin of SEO marketing. Without engaging and quality content, marketers cannot expect to get optimum results. The content should inform customers about the brand, its features, and the solution it provides to their problems. Quality content, along with the usage of the right keywords, is the key to success in SEO marketing.

• Hook the audience with the right titles – Once you direct the audience to the website, hook them with catchy titles. No user will go through the entire content if they find the titles boring on a webpage. Engaging titles not only encourage readers to go through the content and help them retain the information.