If you own a website you must know what is organic SEO and how to use its hidden power to boost your business. In this post, I will guide you through the fundamental aspects of organic SEO. I’ll explain what it entails and provide a step-by-step approach to achieve high rankings in natural search results.
Although this post may appear to be aimed at beginners, rest assured that it offers valuable insights for anyone interested in SEO, including seasoned experts. Readers can expect to gain at least one practical organic search strategy to enhance their traffic without incurring costs.
The topics covered include:
- What organic SEO is and its significance.
- The mechanics of organic SEO.
- Distinguishing between organic and paid search.
- Contrasting organic SEO with local SEO.
- Initiating organic SEO in 2021.
- And more.
Now, let’s delve right into it.
What Is Organic SEO and Why Is It Important?
Organic search plays a pivotal role in your business because consumers spend a considerable amount of time searching for answers and solutions on Google. In the contemporary digital landscape, Google witnesses over 2 trillion searches annually. Furthermore, a significant portion of your website traffic is derived from organic search, whether you are aware of it or not.
The rise of mobile technology has amplified the frequency of unique search queries. Each day, Google encounters approximately 15-20% of queries that it has never seen before. Consider how often you, as an individual, input search queries into Google on your smartphone. Whether it’s to discover an actor’s latest film, explore a new product, locate a place, or seek personal information you’d rather not ask someone else, Google serves as the go-to platform for these inquiries.
This underscores the fact that Google is the starting point for your customers as they embark on their buyer’s journey. Thus, it is imperative to invest in organic search to secure a position on the first page for relevant search terms.
The traditional approach to SEO involved creating content and then instructing the search team to “SEO” the article, with the hope that it would achieve high rankings. However, the paradigm has shifted. Instead, organizations need to invest in search intelligence from the outset of the content creation process. By doing so, they can guide the content team on what to include in their content or what type of content they should generate.
Viewing the SEO team as mere janitors within the organization will not lead to a significant increase in organic traffic. Organizations must take a more proactive stance, utilizing search data to inform internal initiatives and create an efficient SEO strategy and program.
In today’s world, people rely on search engines for virtually every aspect of their daily lives. Consequently, it is essential to allocate more time and resources to SEO, much like companies dedicate substantial efforts to paid search.
Organic SEO, short for organic search engine optimization, involves employing ethical SEO techniques to boost your website’s traffic and enhance its visibility in unpaid search engine results.
Organic SEO Defined: The term “organic” is employed to differentiate between genuine, non-paid search engine optimization approaches and strategies that require payment for improved rankings in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Now, let’s delve into what a SERP is and understand why it holds significance in the realm of SEO.
SERP 101: Understanding Google’s SERP features
SERP 101: An Insight into Google’s SERP Features
When you have a burning question, whether it’s about finding the best dishwasher or locating a nearby pizza place, your go-to source is often a search engine like Google, Yahoo, or Bing. You’re not alone; nearly 68% of website clicks originate from searches conducted on these platforms.
Upon entering a query, you receive a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) in return. A typical SERP comprises two primary content types: pay-per-click advertisements, known as “paid search,” and organic search results.
Earning a place in the organic search results holds particular significance. This is because, in comparison to the paid results, organic search results tend to attract significantly more clicks.
It’s worth noting that Google provides a variety of SERP features, including maps, rich snippets, knowledge panels, and video results. With the exception of sponsored ads (paid search), all these result types are influenced by organic SEO techniques.
As we examine today’s SERPs and compare them to the original Google search results page from 1998, we can appreciate the complexity that has developed over the 20-year evolution of Google’s SERPs.
Google’s SERPs have transformed, but to comprehend how websites secure their rankings within these crucial SERPs, it’s imperative to have a grasp of how search engines operate.
How Does Organic SEO Work?
The concept of organic search can be simplified by considering it as the most relevant search result for a user when they input a specific keyword or query into Google. Organic search comprises various digital marketing strategies aimed at ensuring that our result appears at the top, or at the very least, on the first page of search engine results.
Securing a prominent position on Google isn’t achieved through magic but necessitates the coordination and collaboration of various departments, executive support, a skilled team of marketers and SEO professionals, and effective methods for tracking and monitoring results.
Organic search encompasses an array of techniques, including keyword research, content optimization and creation, technical audits, and offline marketing strategies. Its ultimate objective is to provide users with an exceptional experience on your website and landing pages, ensuring they find the answers they seek, whether that involves consuming content, comparing products, or making a purchase.
Google’s primary concern is not organic search itself but rather ensuring that its users discover unique, valuable, and relevant content for their inquiries. Aligning your content with the user’s needs allows Google to reward your efforts by placing your page higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Creating a superior user experience on your website can be achieved in various ways. Organic search is typically categorized into three main areas: relevancy, discoverability, and authority.
- Relevancy pertains to the alignment of a page’s theme and content with specific target keywords.
- Discoverability focuses on a website’s ability to be effectively found and indexed by search engines.
- Authority reflects a page’s credibility and standing within search engines.
These elements can collectively contribute to higher rankings on SERPs, ideally on the first page.
Successful SEO demands collaboration with diverse departments to consistently provide the best user experience to your customers. SEO professionals must cooperate with the content team to create high-quality content. They also need to collaborate with the development team to ensure the website is technically sound and monitor the results to confirm the effectiveness of their strategies.
When working with the development team, it’s essential to ensure that your content loads quickly and is easily discoverable by both search engines and users. Internal linking to your relevant content simplifies content discovery for Google and users, enhancing their understanding of related content.
The speed of your pages and site is vital, as Google values page load times in relation to user experience. Users often abandon slow-loading sites, underscoring the importance of speed in content creation.
As evident, various factors and teams play crucial roles in ensuring your website’s SEO is effective and successful. Demonstrating the impact of SEO on your business, brand awareness, and online visibility is one of the most effective ways to gain support and cooperation from fellow team members and departments.
Search engine results aren’t arbitrary; they are the result of a methodical and intricate process.
Every search engine relies on its unique, complex algorithm to determine which results are most relevant for a user’s search query. To achieve this, search engines utilize crawlers, also known as bots or spiders, which venture across the internet, collecting a wide array of content, from visual elements like images and videos to textual content such as articles and blog posts.
Here’s a simplified explanation of how search engine crawlers function:
The crawler commences its “crawl” from a known web page and proceeds to explore the web by following internal and external links. During this exploration, the crawler attempts to comprehend the context of each interconnected web page.
The data gathered about a web page is stored in the search engine’s database, known as a search index. Each web page is categorized based on its content and relevance.
This is where the intricate algorithms come into play.
A Brief History of Google Search Algorithms
When a user conducts a search, the search engine delves into its extensive database to retrieve what it deems as the most pertinent results for that particular search query.
These organic search results are determined by the numerous ranking factors integrated into the search algorithm. Each search engine has its unique set of criteria for what it deems significant as a ranking factor.
In the case of Google, it utilizes more than 200 ranking factors, many of which remain undisclosed to SEO experts. Over the course of more than 20 years, Google has provided hints about the ranking factors that influence the results returned for a search query.
Furthermore, industry experts have carried out surveys and studies to ascertain which ranking factors are granted more prominence by Google. According to SparkToro’s most recent survey, which involved input from over 1,500 professional SEOs, these are considered the 26 most crucial Google ranking factors.
Additionally, there have been numerous SEO experiments that have unveiled the mechanics behind Google’s ranking factors and search algorithm.
Here’s where it all comes together:
By optimizing your web pages based on these ranking factors, your website stands a better chance of securing a prominent placement in organic search results.
This encapsulates the essence of SEO. However, like any industry, there are both reputable practitioners and unscrupulous ones.
White Hat & Black Hat SEO: What’s the Difference?
Since their inception, search engines have engaged in a constant cat and mouse struggle with individuals attempting to manipulate search algorithms using various unscrupulous tactics to achieve higher rankings in the SERPs.
In the early days of search engines, specifically the mid-90s and early 2000s, the SEO industry was akin to the Wild West – a realm where almost anything was permitted.
Certainly, each search engine had its own set of guidelines, but a minimal number of marketers adhered to them diligently, and the majority of algorithms were highly susceptible to manipulation.
Moreover, during those early days, Google had not yet attained the dominant position it holds today in the search engine landscape. In the mid-90s and early 2000s, Google was still striving to establish itself as a viable competitor in the search engine market, facing formidable rivals like Altavista, Yahoo!, Infoseek, and Lycos, among others. (Some of you might not even be familiar with these now-defunct search engines.)
It was within this context that black hat SEO practices came into play.
So, what exactly is black hat SEO?
Black Hat SEO, in essence, encompasses specific tactics employed to achieve higher SERP rankings through methods that violate search engine guidelines.
Conversely, white hat SEO comprises tactics that abide by the rules laid out in search engine guidelines. To illustrate this, let’s consider link building.
A white hat SEO approach to link building involves creating valuable, highly relevant content that naturally entices other websites to link to it. In contrast, a black hat SEO approach would entail hacking a website to insert links into its content.
Over time, Google and other search engines commenced revising their algorithms to counteract these black hat techniques and enhance the quality of search results delivered to users.
Google, for instance, makes numerous updates to its algorithm every year. While many of these are minor adjustments, others constitute substantial modifications to its core algorithm.
Understanding Google’s Webmaster Guidelines
To achieve success in SEO today, professionals must ensure that their tactics and strategies align with Google’s webmaster guidelines.
While it’s true that employing certain black hat tactics can yield short-term results, once the algorithm catches up with these methods, your website’s rankings are likely to plummet.
Given that there are numerous guides and articles available on these webmaster principles, here’s a brief overview of these fundamental best practices.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can establish sustainable and enduring organic SEO results.
However, it’s worth noting that search engine results encompass more than just ten blue organic links. In addition to a multitude of SERP features competing for the attention of search users, one of the most prominent additions to any SERP is paid results.
But what exactly distinguishes paid results from organic search results?
Differences Between Paid Search and Organic SEO
Today’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are highly competitive, with nearly 93% of all Google users clicking on results from the first page, while the second page receives only a minimal 0.78% of clicks. This significant difference in click-through rates (CTRs) underscores the growing importance of organic SEO.
In the relentless race for user attention within the SERPs, every business strives to secure a place within the first ten organic results. However, some companies falling behind in their organic SEO efforts may seek quicker access to the coveted first-page results. To achieve this, businesses bid on specific keywords and pay for paid ads.
The results displayed above the organic search listings are known as pay-per-click advertisements (PPC). These ad placements, particularly those at the top of the first page, are often determined by the highest bidder in combination with the quality score of the ads.
This key distinction between paid and organic search lies in how results are obtained. In paid search, you must pay per click (PPC) via a Google Ads account to compete, whereas organic search results are granted by Google to businesses providing the most relevant results for a given search query.
Despite their differences, businesses are not required to choose between paid and organic search. As a leading SEO agency, we recognize the symbiotic relationship between these two approaches. To that end, we maintain an in-house team of Google Ads specialists who complement our organic SEO services.
When deciding whether to invest in paid ads or organic search, I recommend considering both. While each can stand alone, together they form a formidable force in dominating search. Moreover, businesses need not limit themselves to paid or organic results when dealing with SERP features. If you operate a brick-and-mortar business, you may want to focus your efforts on local SEO.
From Beginner’s point of view:
The primary distinction between paid and organic search lies in their nature as traffic sources. Paid search operates on a pay-to-play basis, whereas organic search is acquired by delivering the most relevant results for a given search query.
Typically, paid search results are marked with an “Ad” label and appear at the top or bottom of the search engine results page (SERP). Everything below these paid advertisements constitutes the organic search results.
Paid search is a short-term strategy for securing visibility on search engines. The moment you cease paying for ads, your presence disappears. In contrast, organic search is a long-term strategy that allows you to maintain page one rankings for years with minimal adjustments to the ranking page. It offers a more cost-effective way to attain traffic and conversions because you are not charged each time a user clicks on your ranking content.
Organic search results can manifest in various formats, such as standard blue links, answer box results, People Also Ask, local packs, images, videos, and more. The emphasis on organic search is justified by its nearly tenfold higher click-through rate (CTR) compared to paid search.
Consider how frequently users skip or bypass ads on platforms like YouTube or during television commercials. User behavior reveals that paid advertisements are no longer the preferred source for obtaining information. Users are inclined to explore and engage with organic listings because they believe this content is more likely to provide the answers they seek.
This is not to say that paid search should be completely disregarded. Instead, a balanced and synergistic approach should be adopted, leveraging both paid and organic efforts to avoid overinvestment in the short-term benefits of paid search.
A well-rounded digital marketing strategy can be crafted by establishing synergy between these channels. For instance, when there are keywords where your organic ranking is not on the first page, you can allocate more budget to paid advertising for those keywords while simultaneously optimizing the associated content.
Conversely, if you are already ranking organically on the first page for certain keywords, you can reduce your paid advertising expenditure for those terms. This makes sense since there is no need to pay for clicks when you are already prominently positioned in organic search results.
In some case studies, it has been suggested that having a presence in both paid and organic listings can be advantageous, as it enhances brand recognition among users. By examining the data from both channels, you can identify and test what works best for your organization.
How To Get Started With Organic Search?
In SEO, there are various strategies at your disposal to initiate progress. A sensible way to embark on your SEO journey is by ensuring that your website content is both relevant and discoverable. This can be distilled into two fundamental aspects: creating pertinent content and ensuring that this content is accessible and technically optimized.
Addressing the Voice of the Customer
First and foremost, your content should align with the voice of the consumer. The foundation of content creation lies in comprehensive keyword research, and it should be your initial step when contemplating the development of a landing page. Failing to harmonize your content with the language and queries of potential customers will render it invisible to your target audience. Keyword research allows you to guarantee that your high-quality content employs phrases that real customers employ in their searches.
While monthly search volume (MSV), which denotes the average monthly searches for a particular phrase, is a noteworthy metric, it is also a directional one. Prioritizing the relevance of your chosen keywords is paramount. The SERP environment is highly competitive, and without keyword relevancy, you risk attracting unqualified traffic or never securing a chance to rank effectively.
Establishing a Robust Technical Foundation
Secondly, when crafting your content or website, it is essential to ensure a robust technical foundation. At a high level, search engines like Google discover your content by crawling all the links on your website and following those links that are accessible. Subsequently, search engines proceed to scrutinize these links to discern the content contained on the linked pages and index this information.
When a user conducts a search, the search engine serves relevant content to the user and ranks landing pages based on what the algorithm deems as the best response. This underscores the significance of facilitating search engines in finding your content and ensuring that your content loads swiftly. If you make it arduous for Google to locate your content or create content that loads sluggishly, Google will be disinclined to display your content to users.
Monitoring and Measuring Results
Lastly, it is vital to continuously monitor and measure the outcomes of the strategies you implement. Utilizing enterprise SEO software or smaller SEO tools, you can keep tabs on your keyword rankings, market share, and organic traffic. This allows you to gain a deeper understanding of what is transpiring and when modifications are necessary.
SEO entails two facets: conducting research and executing the required changes, and scrutinizing reports to discern what strategies are effective and what aren’t. The combination of these elements empowers you to fine-tune your SEO efforts and ensure that they yield favorable results.
Conclusion
Organic search is the most effective way to ensure that users discover your content. Unlike paid search, you do not pay for each click; you earn these clicks by providing valuable and relevant content.
Users have come to recognize that the content featured at the top of search engine results is the most pertinent and helpful information pertaining to their queries.
By facilitating Google’s job, you, in turn, reap the rewards: increased organic traffic, more conversions, and enhanced visibility within your organization.
However, becoming more visible through organic search is no straightforward task. It involves a fair amount of trial and error before determining what strategies are effective. The beauty of SEO lies in this learning process. Once you identify what works, you can replicate these successes across your entire website.
SEO is an industry characterized by its rapid pace and constant evolution. Staying abreast of algorithm updates, emerging result types, and industry trends is pivotal to ensuring that your website consistently ranks at the top of search results.
This article aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of what organic search encompasses, how to take effective action, and why it holds immense importance for your business. Hope it has served the purpose.
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