SEO stands for search engine optimization . In simple terms, it means the process of improving your site to increase its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business in Google, Bing, and other search engines. The better visibility your pages have in search results, the more likely you are to garner attention and attract prospective and existing customers to your business.

How does SEO work?

On the surface, this is like asking how a car engine works. The answer isn’t that simple, as there is a large handful of factors at play that determines how effective (or ineffective) SEO will be. But, before we dive into those, let’s quickly brush up on how SEO works as a whole.

Search engines want to provide users with relevant, high-quality results for their query. So, there are numerous systems in place that automatically determine what a quality site is, whether or not it’s relevant, and where it should be placed on the search results.

Attributes of a high-quality website that search engines scan for include:
- Useability and navigability
- Quality backlinks
- Optimization for mobile platforms
- Original, comprehensive content

When we say “search engines” here, it’s safe to say that we mean the most prolific search engine in use today: Google.
Since Google’s ranking system could be manipulated and abused if the algorithm were fully understood, the search engine giant never makes all of the info about its algorithm public. And, like other digital marketing trends , it’s always changing.
But, researchers have been able to reverse engineer a significant amount of data that influence how Google ranks sites on its search results page. This is great news, as it allows you to forego any experimentation yourself.
As previously mentioned, there are numerous key factors that you need to focus on if you want to make sure your content has the potential to be seen by your audience.

Why is SEO important for marketing?

If people continue seeing your brand name somewhere on the first page of SERP (Search Engine Result Pages) they will become more aware of your online presence out there. The next time they need a product that you are selling or a service you are providing, guess who they are going to remember - you!

Users are more likely to opt for a brand that Google (or any other search engine they use) ranks higher than some other that might be better or even more successful, but less present online. This is extremely important for small businesses since it means that proper SEO can help them reach their goals faster by bypassing the competition. Remember, even the best of products need great marketing in order to be noticed. That's why digital marketing strategies matter so much.