SEO Marketing: Definition, Benefits, and How It Works

SEO marketing is a marketing strategy aimed at ensuring that a business entity's website and produced content can be easily found through search engines. 

According to Gitnux, as many as 70% of marketers believe that SEO marketing is a more promising approach to increase sales compared to Pay Per Click (PPC).

The proper implementation of SEO practices can help increase organic traffic, expand brand awareness, and domain authority, as well as establish a brand as a leader in a sector or industry.

Understand what SEO is, its benefits, its role, and how it works in marketing strategies, as well as the right strategies to implement SEO for business in the discussion below.

What is SEO Marketing?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, referring to various efforts to project a website and enhance the quality of content to improve the visibility and authority of a brand on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, and others. 

The use of SEO in marketing efforts has become increasingly essential with the development of technology and changes in consumer behavior.

According to Google, as many as 49% of people are accustomed to conducting online searches through search engines before making a purchase.

Therefore, businesses are increasingly competing to implement SEO strategies in their marketing activities so that the target audience can easily find the brand when conducting searches.

However, it's important to note that only the top three rankings on the search engine results page (SERP) receive as much as 54.4% of total clicks.

So, how can a brand secure a top position on the SERP and gain more click-through rates (CTR)? Read the following explanation to find the answers!

SEO Marketing Types

If you want to maximize your marketing strategy with search engine optimization, you can focus on the following two types of SEO marketing.

1. SEO On-Page

This type helps search engines understand your website and the quality of its content to support the site's performance. 

This strategy involves a series of practices to internally optimize the website. Some activities carried out in on-page SEO include:

• Ensuring the targeted keyword is not overused.
• Using the targeted keyword in content headings.
• Including outbound links.
• Optimizing internal linking.
• Writing informative and SEO-friendly website content.

2. SEO Off-Page

SEO off-page is a crucial part of search engine optimization strategy that involves activities outside your website and focuses more on how your website is perceived by search engines and other users on the internet. 

The implementation of off-page SEO can be seen through external links or backlinks. These links come from other websites that positively assess the quality and relevance of your content and website. 

Therefore, the more high-quality external links you have, the more likely search engines consider your site as an authoritative one in a niche.

3. Technical SEO

Generally, technical SEO falls within the realm and responsibility of web developers, front-end developers, and SEO specialists. 

This type of technical SEO focuses more on improving the user experience (UX) to enhance user comfort when accessing a website page. 

In order to implement technical SEO, there are several aspects that also contribute significantly, including website speed, SSL, XML sitemap, layout and data structure of the website, as well as ease of navigation between site pages.

Benefits of SEO for Marketing

If you've grasped the concept of what is SEO marketing, let's now explore the benefits and objectives of search engine optimization for digital marketing activities.

1. Sustainable and Cost-Effective

Compared to paid ads that require significant costs and may yield only temporary results, SEO-based content marketing efforts can provide sustainable outcomes. 

By designing and optimizing content regularly, you can maintain a good position in search engines without relying entirely on paid advertising.

2. Supports Brand Authority in a Specific Niche

By implementing the right SEO marketing strategy, you can ensure that the content and information presented are considered valuable by search engines. 

This not only increases visibility but also helps build the brand's image as a thought leader in a specific industry or niche.

3. Enhances Website Visibility in the Online Search Realm

Implementing SEO techniques for marketing can increase your chances of appearing on the first page of search engines. Why is this important?  

Most internet users tend to only look at the first page of SERP or even just a few top results on that page. 

By applying SEM SEO marketing strategies, you can improve your site's position in search results while building brand image and authority.

4. Maximizes Sales

If your website frequently dominates the online search space, you not only attract more unique visitors but also increase conversion opportunities simultaneously. 

Users who find your site through search may already have specific interests or needs, increasing the likelihood of them making a purchase.

How SEO Works for Marketing

In general, every business can significantly increase awareness and sales rates with a structured strategy based on the advice of experienced SEO specialists. The workings of SEO for marketing needs include:

1. Crawling

This is the first step taken by search engine bots to navigate and collect information from a website, including meta titles, targeted keywords, internal links, and more.

2. Indexing

Subsequently, search engines will store the crawled data in a database and perform indexing. This means pages that have not been indexed will not appear on the SERP.

3. Processing

Search engines start receiving search queries from users. After receiving a query, the search engine will compare the quality and quantity of keywords on a set of indexed websites.

4. Calculating Relevancy

Relevancy involves comparing pages on a website according to user requests. The higher the percentage of relevance for a website, the easier it will appear on the first page of search engines.

5. Retrieval

Every search engine has a different algorithm to determine whether a website is worthy of appearing on the first page of search results. Therefore, search results can vary even if users enter the same keyword.

6. Ranking

No one knows exactly how search engines determine website ranking on the SERP. However, one of the biggest factors in determining ranking is the quality of content writing, its relevance to search queries, and the density of information presented.

Types of SEO Keywords for Sales Conversion

Here are some types of SEO keywords that are suitable for use in supporting sales conversion in marketing activities. 

• Product Terms: Users searching with these keywords likely already have the intention to purchase the specific product.
• Substitute Product Terms: Refers to alternative or substitute keywords for the product you offer.
• Complementary Product Terms: Keywords related to products/services that complement or go well with your main product.
• Branded Terms: Keywords directly related to your brand or company name.
• Competitor Terms: A strategy to capture the attention of users by comparing products or looking for alternatives from your competitors.
• Audience Terms: Focused on the audience or target group you want to reach.

Effective SEO Marketing Strategies

Here are some techniques and strategies in SEO marketing that can help you increase the number of visitors, organic traffic, and conversion rates through your website.

1. Optimize Landing Pages

The first step to support your SEO marketing strategy is to optimize your business's landing pages. 

Landing pages are crucial as they bring businesses one step closer to their consumers. Ensure that your landing pages include targeted SEO keywords, provide quality information, and have a UI/UX design that supports user experience.

2. Conduct Website Audit

Website auditing is a crucial step in SEO marketing activities. Through this process, you can systematically examine and make decisions based on data. 

Auditing allows you to enhance website performance and overall organic traffic and conversions.

3. Research with End-User Value:

To compete in a specific niche, the content presented must align with the interests of your target audience.

In conclusion, this discussion covers what SEO marketing is, its types, benefits, workings, and effective strategies to enhance conversions and sales.

These strategies need to be implemented effectively so that businesses can optimize their digital presence and compete effectively in the increasingly competitive online marketing landscape.

Implementing SEO strategies for businesses is essential to boost brand visibility and become an authoritative and prioritized site in an industry or niche.

If you encounter challenges in implementation, you can collaborate with a trusted SEO marketing agency, such as cmlabs.

SEO services by cmlabs can be a reliable partner to help you dominate the digital search space. Let's collaborate and schedule a meeting or contact our Marketing Team now!