Ever wonder why your competitor’s website appears first when you search for services you both offer? It’s probably because they have a powerful SEO strategy that has boosted their authority in the eyes of search engines.
With over 16.4 billion searches conducted on Google daily and 68% of online experiences beginning with a search engine, anyone who has a website needs to have a strong knowledge of ranking in search engines. This is where search engine optimization or SEO comes in. Studies show that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results, making high rankings critical for visibility.
Understanding the fundamentals is crucial to reaching your target audience and driving organic traffic to your website, especially considering that organic search accounts for 53% of all website traffic. In this article, we will provide a detailed overview of how SEO works, its importance, the various types of SEO, and best practices for achieving maximum visibility.
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Think of search engine optimization as teaching Google to become your website’s biggest fan. SEO is the process of helping search engines understand what your website is about and displaying it in search engine results pages (SERPs) based on relevant search queries. According to a study, almost 60% of the pages ranking in the top 10 Google results are 3 or more years old, hence signalling the value that evergreen content has.
The first and most important step for an effective SEO strategy is keyword research, as this is what will allow your website to rank in search engines. Research and identify the terms, topics and questions your target audience is searching for online, and strategically insert those keywords across your website for maximum visibility.
Understanding user search intent is also integral - it’s simply what your audience is looking for when they type something into Google. When you take the time to research what your target audience actually wants, you’ll be able to create content that truly speaks to them and answers their questions.
Google has divided search intent into four primary categories:
- Informational: The user is searching for more information.
- Commercial: The user is researching various options before deciding to purchase.
- Navigational: The user wants to find a particular page or website.
- Transactional: The user intends to take an action, such as a purchase or sign-up.
How Do I Measure SEO Success?
Tracking and measuring SEO metrics is a great way to gather valuable data, see how your website is performing, and fine-tune your marketing strategy based on what’s working. The good news? You can analyze your website with free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, or if you’re looking for more advanced features, paid options like SEMRush, Moz, and Ahrefs are worth exploring.
Some typical metrics that should be tracked are:
- Organic Traffic: Visitors who find your website through unpaid search engine results.
- Conversion Rate: Measures the quality of your organic traffic, e.g. how many leads, purchases, or subscribers your website gains.
- Keyword Rankings: Your page’s spot in search ranking results for a specific search query will affect how searchers will find and click on your website.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of users who click on your link in search results, indicating how well your title and meta description attract searchers.
- Bounce Rate: It’s a red flag if there is a high percentage of viewers who land on your page and leave without engaging any further, which usually happens due to website performance issues or lack of content relevance.
- Time on Page: Assessing how long users spend on your web page will inform the overall quality and relevance of your content.
Types of SEO
On-page
Ever wonder how top-ranking websites manage to maintain visibility? On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages with relevant keywords and content to enhance search engine rankings. Getting to know your target audience - what they’re looking for and what matters to them - is very important for crafting content that truly connects with them. Your website should be optimized for both users viewing your pages and search engine bots.
On-page SEO involves using relevant keywords based on extensive research to help people find your content. Long-tail and short-tail target keywords should be utilized for wider search engine visibility - long-tail keywords have more words and a lower search volume, but have a more defined search intent, while short-tail keywords have one to two words, a higher search volume, and are overall more difficult to rank for.
Some key web elements that need to be strategically optimized include:
- Blogs, page content and copy
- Title tags
- Meta descriptions
- Internal Links
- Header tags (H1, H2, H3 etc)
- Image alt text
- URLs
Off-page
Think of off-page SEO as your website’s reputation management beyond its own four walls. Off-page SEO strategies focus on building brand authority and visibility by optimizing content outside of your website. Experience, expertise, authority and trust, or E-E-A-T, are critical factors Google uses to analyse website content, and while it is not a ranking factor, it is used to evaluate the overall quality of your web pages.
Some off-page SEO strategies include:
- Guest Blogging: Publishing quality guest posts helps you reach new audiences, build great backlinks to your website and overall improve your brand authority.
- Social Media: Boost visibility by creating and sharing relevant content on your brand’s social media platforms. Optimize your posts and profiles with relevant keywords and hashtags, and you can also drive traffic to your website by sharing links. Additionally, social media posts can appear in search results.
- Webinars & Podcasts: Guesting on podcasts and participating in webinars boosts your brand authority, backlinking strategy, social media mentions and builds lasting partnerships.
- Repurpose Content: Adapting existing content allows you to expand your reach to different platforms. Some ideas you should consider include turning blog posts into YouTube videos or podcasts and repurposing social media posts on multiple platforms.
- Influencer Marketing: Working with popular bloggers and content creators is a great way to promote your products and services, as it allows you to reach larger audiences.
Technical SEO
Ever wondered what’s happening behind the scenes when you Google something? Technical SEO is the process of optimizing your website to help search engine bots crawl, render and index your website smoothly. According to a study, a technical SEO campaign focused on technical tasks and optimization can deliver a 117% ROI. Bottom line: if search engines can’t access and understand your site, you’re missing out on valuable traffic.
Some of the relevant technical SEO tasks include:
- Page Speed: Faster loading times provide a better user experience, thus reducing bounce rates and overall improving your website’s ranking in SERPs.
- Mobile-Optimization: As of 2025, mobile devices drive 59.7% of website traffic; therefore, your website should be fully responsive for smaller screen sizes.
- Site Structure: A clear, organized structure improves user experience and makes your website easier to navigate for both users and search engine bots.
- Crawl Errors: Identifying and resolving issues that prevent search engines from crawling and indexing your website is very important. These could include invalid URLs, 404 errors (missing pages), robots.txt blocking indexes, redirect issues and more.
Local SEO
If you want to show up when someone searches for “best coffee near me” or “plumber in [city name],” you’ll need a solid local SEO strategy. The goal is to optimize your website for localized visibility, especially if you have a business with a physical location. 4 in 5 consumers research local businesses via search engines, and 76% of consumers who search for a nearby business on their mobile phones visit a business within a day.
Some aspects to keep in mind for capturing geo-specific web traffic are:
- Google Business Profile (GBP): Maintain an up-to-date and accurate GBP profile to help your brand rank higher in local search results. Include essential details like opening hours, photos, website links, phone numbers, and map locations.
- Reviews and Ratings: Positive reviews influence decisions as they boost brand credibility and help drive users to your website.
- Localized Web Content: Ideally, you should include your business name, address, opening hours and contact details where relevant on your website.
International SEO
What is international SEO, and why does it matter for your website? A comprehensive and well-executed international SEO strategy helps your content rank across different regions and languages — essential if a significant portion of your website visitors are international or speak a foreign language.
To succeed in targeted global markets, consider these steps:
- Competitor Research: Different regions and countries will have different competitors within your market.
- Identify International Keywords: Search terms differ across cultures, regions and languages; therefore, keyword research should be undertaken.
- Content Localization: Translating and adapting your website’s content to match the preferences and expectations of international target audiences is crucial for outreach.
SEO vs AEO
How has the rise of AI-powered search impacted website traffic? A study in March 2025 revealed that 13.1% of all desktop queries trigger Google AI Overviews. Additionally, AI-generated answers have led to fewer clicks and traffic, and higher zero-click searches - only 18.6% of users always or usually click through to the sources generated in AI Overviews.
That said, a well-structured, highly optimized website significantly increases the likelihood of your content being cited in AI-generated answers. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) doesn’t replace SEO strategies - it enhances them. Getting your site featured in AI responses ensures high brand visibility, as it positions your content as a trusted, authoritative source.
Some key ways to improve visibility in AI search engines include:
- Provide Clear Answers: Structure your content to answer questions upfront. Clear, structured headers and FAQ pages are effective ways to address the common questions of your target audience.
- LLM-Friendly Formatting: Try breaking your content into structured lists and bullet points - it helps AI-powered search engines easily interpret your content.
- Update Business Profiles: Answer engines also pull data outside your website, so make sure your public profiles include accurate and up-to-date details.
- Publish Quality Content: Build authority by creating well-written, informational content that holds value for your audience.
Google Stirred the Pot Again
In more recent news, the October 2025 Google Core Update has brought significant changes to the algorithm and dramatically altered how content is ranked in SERPs. The update has caused a huge drop in search rankings for countless websites, leaving them scrambling.
The key takeaways from the October update: results are now driven by AI-powered evaluations of query intent, content quality, and value. This means keyword-stuffing in headers and meta descriptions is no longer a ranking factor. Google’s AI prioritizes high-quality, authoritative content — so thin, AI-generated content without human editing won’t cut it anymore. Websites must now provide clear, direct answers to user questions if they want to retain online visibility.
The Google update in March also emphasized the importance of E-E-A-T factors, further highlighting the fact that the algorithm is no longer interested in robotic, low-quality content. In other words, Google is now fully in AI mode. Focus your SEO strategy on search intent rather than just keywords, and keep older pages updated to maintain their relevance and rankings.
FAQ
What is SEO, and why is it important?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is all about ensuring your website is displayed in search engine results. It’s a must-have for businesses that want to attract more visitors, connect with the right audience, and create lasting online success.
Is SEO a one-time effort?
No, SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous optimization and adaptation to evolving search engine algorithms. While some well-optimized content maintains visibility for months and even years, websites that aren’t regularly updated are in danger of falling off the map entirely.
What are the main types of SEO?
The primary types include on-page SEO (optimizing content and HTML elements), off-page SEO (building authority through external factors), technical SEO (ensuring search engines can crawl and index your site), local SEO (optimizing for geo-specific searches), and international SEO (targeting different regions and languages).
How has AI impacted SEO in 2025?
AI has changed SEO significantly. An estimated 13.1% of desktop queries trigger Google AI Overviews. The October 2025 Google Core Update emphasized AI-powered evaluations of content quality and value, making keyword-stuffing obsolete and prioritizing high-quality, authoritative content that demonstrates expert knowledge and directly answers user questions.
What is the difference between SEO and AEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) focuses on optimizing content for AI-generated answers, while SEO targets traditional search rankings. AEO enhances rather than replaces SEO - getting featured in AI responses has the potential to boost brand visibility. Key strategies include providing clear answers, using LLM-friendly formatting, and publishing high-quality content.
Final Thoughts
SEO is a crucial tool for any business looking to improve its online visibility and reach its target audience. By understanding and implementing the different types of search engine optimization - on-page, off-page, technical, local, and international - you can create a comprehensive strategy that drives organic traffic and builds long-term success. A strong SEO strategy is also sure to boost your visibility in AEO.
Remember, SEO is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process that requires continuous optimization and adaptation to evolving search engine algorithms. Start by focusing on creating high-quality, relevant content that serves your audience’s needs, and the rankings will follow.
Interested in creating a website project with strong SEO strategies? Contact Black Pug Studio today for more information!
An Introduction to SEO in 2025 was originally published in Creative by Black Pug Studio on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
