What is SEO in Digital Marketing?

What is SEO in Digital Marketing
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Search engine optimization (SEO) has become an integral part of digital marketing. It helps businesses appear where their customers search for them – on the internet. It helps them bring traffic, leads, and brand visibility organically (i.e., without paid ads). If you are new to SEO and want to build your career in it, this article explains SEO in detail.

What is SEO in Digital Marketing?

Search engine optimization is the practice of improving a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

According to MailChimp’s marketing glossary, SEO stands for optimisation of a website to rank higher in search engine results (SERPs). It involves improving aspects such as keywords, content relevance, site structure, and backlinks so that search engines like Google can show your pages to searchers looking for related topics.

It is like tuning your website to be the most attractive candidate in a lineup of job applicants. In this case, your audience is the employer, and search engines like Google or Bing are the recruitment firms that decide who gets the interview.

Through SEO, businesses aim to attract more traffic (unpaid) to their website by making it more relevant and authoritative in the eyes of search engines.

At its core, SEO ensures your content:

  • Matches the intent of the searcher (what they really want),
  • Is discoverable by search engines (via the technical structure of the site)
  • Is considered valuable and trustworthy (via content and links)

Let’s understand it with a simple example. If you search “best budget smartphones under ₹ 20,000, the website that has the right keywords, a detailed, up-to-date listicle with comparison charts, user reviews, and FAQs will show up on Google.

Quick Fact: Google uses over 200 ranking factors, including page speed, mobile-friendliness, content freshness, backlinks, and more. Optimizing a website for these gives it a better shot at the top.

Online Marketing Before Onsite – A Brief Into The History

Ever wondered how online promotion took place when SEO wasn’t even introduced? Well, the history of online marketing before SEO is quite interesting:

Early Internet Promotions (Pre-1995)

In the early search engine days, businesses promoted themselves mainly via banner ads, directories, and email newsletters. There were no algorithms then; people simply typed website addresses or clicked through manual listings.

The “Wild West” Era (1995-2000)

During this time, several search engines like Lycos, AltaVista, Excite, Yahoo, and the early Yahoo directory emerged. Businesses started submitting websites to directories manually using lots of keywords and meta tags. By repeating keywords excessively (keyword stuffing), marketers manipulated the rankings. It was essentially a race to repeat keywords more than any competitor.

The Google Revolution (2000 Onward)

At this time, Google introduced the revolutionary Page Rank algorithm – a system that used backlinks as votes of confidence. Suddenly, on-page tactics alone weren’t enough – websites needed quality inbound links (backlinks). SEO began focusing on both on-page (content, tags) and off-page (backlinks, domain authority). This era marked the beginning of link building, guest blogging, and quality content.

So, before modern algorithm updates, online business promotions were mostly about directories, paid placements, email blasts, banner ads, and keyword stuffing.

Importance of SEO 

Any website is worthless without traffic. And SEO drives organic traffic to it. Here, organic traffic means people find your site/content through search engines, and not ads.

This is important because:

  • It’s sustainable and cost-effective; you don’t pay per click.
  • Organic search often delivers high-quality visitors who already know what they want, so conversion rates tend to be better.
  • SEO builds long-term visibility; good content ranks steadily over time.

Experts say that SEO is vital because it:

  • Enhances visibility and credibility

With SEO, businesses can make their sites appear higher on search engines. When people see your website at the top, they assume it’s more trustworthy and reliable. The more often your brand shows up in search results, the more familiar and credible it becomes to users. It helps brands build recognition and confidence over time.

  • Delivers measurable results

SEO helps businesses track exactly how their website performs. By using tools like Google Analytics, they can know how many people visited, what they searched for, and how long they stayed. This helps understand what works and what needs improvement. Businesses can measure traffic, leads, and conversions, making it easier to plan and grow.

  • Increases reach through search

A well-optimised website and targeting the right keywords can make a website appear in thousands of search results. With SEO, businesses are not restricted to their local regions, but can reach global consumers looking for their products or services.

  • Helps with better user experience and trust

SEO helps improve the look and feel of a website, which helps attract more customers. A website that loads faster, has a mobile-friendly design, clear content, and easy navigation is likely to make visitors happy. Such a website will help them find what they’re looking for easily and quickly. So, good SEO helps build trust and a long-term relationship with customers.

Here are some statistics that indicate the importance of SEO in the real world:

  • According to a 2024 study by BrightEdge, nearly 53% of all website traffic comes from organic search. It contributes to over 40% of revenue in B2B industries.
  • HubSpot reveals that 90% of its leads come from blog posts published more than 6 months ago. This indicates that SEO is cumulative and keeps working long-term.
  • Audience trusts Google. If a website shows up first, they assume you’re more credible than a site on Page 5. This effect is called implied trust and can be crucial for brand authority.

Types of SEO 

There are mainly three types of SEO:

1. On-Page SEO 

This covers everything that you can control on your website. In simple words, SEO tactics that you implement on your own site. It includes:

  • Keyword optimization – Include keywords in title tags, meta descriptions, headings (H1-H3), and naturally in content.
  • User engagement – Use clear structure, calls to action, and internal linking to keep users on site.
  • Content depth – Longer, more helpful content often ranks higher. Google favours topical authority – sites that cover a subject comprehensively.
  • Multimedia optimisation – Use images, videos, infographics, and alt text.

2. Off-Page SEO 

This includes everything that you do outside your website. By following the tactics below, you earn the “votes” on the internet for your content’s value:

  • Backlinks – A link from a high-authority website (like Forbes or TechCrunch) signals trust.
  • Social signals – Shares and engagement on platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn to boost visibility.
  • Brand mentions – Even unlinked brand mentions (e.g., your brand cited in forums or reviews) may influence AI and search rankings.

3. Technical SEO

It is the process of improving the technical aspects of your website so search engines can easily find, read, and understand your content. It includes:

  • XML sitemaps – These are files that list all important website pages, helping search engines find and understand your site structure faster and easier.
  • Canonical tags – Tell search engines which version of a page is the original. These help avoid confusion from similar or duplicate content across URLs.
  • HTTPS and Core Web Vitals – HTTPS is a security protocol that keeps your site secure. Core Web Vitals measure page speed, mobile-friendliness, and visual stability for a better user experience.
  • Structured Data –  It is a code added to your website that helps search engines show extra details (rich snippets) like ratings, FAQs, or prices in search results.

Additional Types of SEO 

  • Local SEO – Optimising your Google Business Profile, maps presence, and local citations for nearby customers.
  • eCommerce SEO – Structured data for products, customer reviews, and optimising product descriptions.
  • Voice Search SEO – Writing content that answers questions conversationally (e.g., “What’s the best pizza in Mumbai”?)

How To Do SEO?

SEO is a structured approach involving several steps:

1. Keyword Research 

It involves finding the exact words or phrases people type into Google when looking for products, services, or answers. For example, if you own a bakery in New York, people might search “best chocolate cake in New York” or “eggless bakery near me”.

To perform keyword research:

  • Use free or paid tools like Google Keyword Planner, UberSuggest, and Answer the Public.
  • Look for keywords that are relevant to your business, not too competitive, and have decent search volume.

Create a list of 20-30 main keywords and some related ones (also called secondary or long-tail keywords).

2. On-Page Optimisation 

It involves improving the content and structure of each page on your website so Google understands what it’s about.

For example, you’re writing a blog titled “5 Best Chocolate Cakes in New York”. You should:

  • Use the keyword in the title, URL, and first paragraph.
  • Add headings (like H2 and H3) to break the content.
  • Write descriptive alt text for any images (e.g., “Chocolate Truffle Cake with Cherries”).

Tips: 

  • Keep content original, helpful, and easy to read
  • Add internal links to other blog posts or pages on your site.

3. Content Creation 

It is about creating useful and engaging content that solves your audience’s problems or answers their questions. For example, write articles like “Top 10 Tips for Baking Soft Cakes at Home”, “Difference Between Buttercream and Whipped Cream Frosting”.

The goal of content creation is to build trust, share knowledge, and keep readers coming back. Several content forms can be used:

  • Blogs
  • How-to Guide
  • Product Descriptions
  • FAQs
  • Videos

Make sure to add your keywords naturally, not forcefully.

4. Technical SEO 

It is about improving the infrastructure of your website so that search engines like Google can easily crawl, understand, and index your pages. It doesn’t deal with your content’s message or design. Instead, it caters to how your site is built and performs.

It ensures:

  • Your pages load quickly
  • Your site works well on mobile devices
  • There are no broken links or errors
  • Your pages are easily accessible to search engines.
  • Search engines understand your site structure and page relationships.

Put it simply, technical SEO is like making sure your store is clean, organised, and easy to find on a map, so Google and your customers have no trouble navigating it.

5. Link Building (Off-Page SEO)

Link building involves getting other websites to link to your website. These are called backlinks, and they can increase your site’s authority. Backlinks act like “votes of confidence” – when trusted sites link to you, search engines see your content as more valuable and reliable. The more high-quality backlinks your site earns, the better its chances of ranking higher in search results.

For example, a food blogger reviews your bakery and links to your website. This tells Google that your content is valuable.

Here are some ways to build backlinks:

6. Monitor and Improve 

To achieve your SEO goals and maintain them, you must regularly check how your SEO is working and keep improving it.

For this, you can use tools such as:

  • Google Analytics – To track traffic, bounce rate, and behaviour.
  • Google Search Console – Shows keyword rankings and indexing issues.

For example, if a blog isn’t getting visitors, you can update the headline, add new content, or change keywords.

It is worth noting that SEO isn’t a one-day game – it takes time, sometimes weeks or months. However, when done right, it brings free, consistent traffic and real business results.

Recent SEO Changes After AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative models are transforming SEO in ways nobody imagined:

1. AI Overviews and Google AI Mode 

At Google I/O 2025, Google launched “AI Mode” with Gemini 2.5 in over 200 countries. It gives quick answers in search, so more people see your site, but fewer actually click. This increases the site’s visibility, but the traffic may go down.

2. Search is Now A Conversation

Even the search is changing now with AI. Instead of showing a list of website links, AI now gives direct answers on the search page. People read those answers without clicking any URL. So, SEO now focuses on getting content mentioned in those AI-generated responses.

A study found that news sites lost nearly 79% of traffic when answers appeared above links.

3. AI Tools Supporting SEO 

Marketers are increasingly leveraging AI to aid content research, keyword clustering, content briefs, alt-text suggestions, personalised content production, and technical audits. This has led to improved efficiency and speed, and more personalised experiences.

4. Branding, E-E-A-T, & User Experience Are Vital

SEO and branding in 2025 go hand-in-hand. Google and other platforms prioritise content from authoritative, well-known brands, indicating E-E-A-T (experience-expertise-authority-trust). UX metrics like engagement, dwell time, and satisfaction now shape ranking more than ever.

5. SEO is Getting Smarter Too

Tools like SurferSEO, Jasper, and Clearscope now use AI to suggest structure, outline, and even full paragraphs. Further, AI audits can scan thousands of pages to find cannibalised keywords, outdated content, and broken links in seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is SEO, and how does it work?

SEO or search engine optimization is the process of improving your website so it shows up in search engines. It works by using the right keywords, helpful content, and technical fixes so your pages rank higher and attract visitors.

  • How long does SEO take to show results?

SEO usually takes 3 to 6 months to see noticeable results. It depends on your competition, website quality, and how consistent your SEO efforts are. Unlike ads, SEO grows slowly but lasts longer.

  • Is SEO free or paid?

SEO is free in the sense that you don’t pay Google to rank. But you may need to spend money on tools, writers, or SEO professionals to help with keyword research, content, and website fixes.

  • What are the best free SEO tools?

If you are just starting and don’t have a budget, there are some good free SEO tools you can rely on. These are:

  • Google Search Console – to check your site’s performance.
  • Google Analytics – to track traffic or visitors
  • UberSuggest or Answer the Public for keyword ideas
  • Yoast – to check if your content is seo optimised.
  • Do small businesses need SEO?

Yes, SEO helps small businesses show up in local searches like “best bakery near me”. It brings in nearby customers who are already looking for your service or product.

  • Is SEO still important with AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI?

Yes, even with AI, people still rely on Google to search. But now, SEO also means being mentioned or cited in AI-generated answers. These AI tools pull information from trusted websites, so having well-structured, accurate content increases your chances of being featured. Optimising for AI means focusing on clear answers, good branding, and content that demonstrates expertise and trustworthiness.

  • Can I do SEO myself?

Yes, many small business owners and bloggers do basic SEO themselves. To begin with, pick simple tasks like using the right keywords, writing helpful content, and making sure your website works well on mobile.

  • What’s the difference between SEO and paid ads (PPC)?

SEO brings free, long-term traffic by improving your site’s content and visibility in search results. Paid ads (PPC) show your website at the top of search instantly, but you pay each time someone clicks. SEO takes longer but builds lasting value, while PPC gives faster, short-term results.

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Ravi Ranjan
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