What is SEO?
SEO = Search Engine Optimisation
It may not be apparent when you’re using a search engine, but there are things a business can do to show up more often, rank higher, and surface in the right places. Google and other search engines are hyper-focused on answering people’s questions. Therefore, SEO is about making sure your website is sending them the right information so they can match you up with the right searchers.

Google’s critics (bots) regularly visit all the restaurants (websites) on the internet, acting as info-gatherers and judges of your food (web presence).
You’ll want to put on your cleanest apron, make food that they like, and clearly show off what you can offer to the world. That way, Google gets their facts straight when sharing about you in their published critique (search engine results).
Ok, it’s not a perfect analogy… but you can imagine why your business wants to be friends with Google. They are regularly sizing up your website to decide how often to show you to internet searchers.
Besides becoming friends with the search engines, it’s also about building trust with your prospects or customers. The better experience someone has with your business online, the more likely you are to show up in the search engine results long term.
We dig into this more in our SEO Basics Guide.
Google’s Organic Results
Why Google?
Over 90% of searches happen in Google.
Because of this, we often focus SEO efforts on being best buds with Google.
However, Bing, Yandex, and Baidu are still valid search engines. Baidu is almost exclusive in China, so if your target audience is Chinese, it will be important to also pay attention to that search engine.
Also, Google has the most picky requirements. If you are making Google happy, the other search engines will likely be happy as well.
What are Organic Search Results?
That may sound strange, so let’s clarify.
Google allows for advertisements to show up at the very top of the page when someone searches. You can identify these ads as they typically are labeled as “Ad.” To appear in those slots, you need Google Ads.
SEO efforts are about getting ranked in the area after the ads, also called “organic results.”
Why Holistic SEO?
Holistic SEO means paying attention to tactics that have both a direct and indirect effect on the search engine results.
However, other things affect SEO in a chain of events.
Can My Business Benefit from SEO?
If you want to get new people onto your website, SEO can benefit your business.
It can increase your brand awareness and website traffic, and can help answer people’s questions.
If you have a great product or service, then you want people to be able to find you – and that’s where SEO comes in.
Important to note: SEO is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
The approach often looks different for every business depending on your industry and who you want to reach.
The Impact of Time on SEO
It shouldn’t be undertaken with expectations of instant results.
Laying a foundation of SEO will allow your website pages to show up in search results for years to come, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Optimisation efforts will typically take between 6-12 months to kick in depending on how many other websites are vying for the same space. All the more reason to get started!
SEO Methods and Tactics
There are three main “umbrellas” of SEO strategies:
On-Page SEO
Website speed
Keyword optimisation
Security certificate
Off-page SEO
Link building (getting people to link to your website)
Reviews
Social Media
User Experience
Accessibility (for the vision- or motor-impaired)
Easy to read website
Website text that the visitor can relate to
We dig deeply into these areas in our SEO Basics guide, where we lay out specific tactics and what tools you’ll need to accomplish them.
Interested in learning more?
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