Published: December 22, 2022
Search engine optimization (SEO) can often be a challenging code to decipher, especially when there are several different types of SEO. While it can be easy to go down the SEO rabbit hole, here we will focus on the two types that are most impactful to your business, building SEO (organic) and buying SEO (paid).
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and according to Search Engine Land, it is “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 do I build SEO?
Another term for this type of SEO is organic SEO. Organic SEO requires nothing more than knowledge of SEO best practices and a tool such as ahrefs or SEMRush to help you conduct keyword research. Then, based on your research, you can write relevant content that will drive traffic to your site, or in other words, help more customers find your spectacular services!
Building SEO is a long-term effort, as search engines are constantly updating their algorithms, and consumer behavior can change based on new technologies (think: asking your smart speaker a question).
However, building a strong organic SEO base helps establish credibility for your brand and can allow your brand to be successful should you decide to implement other digital marketing tactics and strategies.
Just as there are many different types of SEO, there are also several different locations in which you can build SEO, so you want to make sure that your Google Business Profile, blog, social media channels and overall web presence are up to date, in addition to the rest of your website. Building this type of SEO may take some time, but search engines do tend to reward those that have put in the effort.
How do I buy SEO?
One of the most common ways to buy SEO is through digital advertising, such as PPC (pay-per-click). This type of SEO can help to increase awareness of your brand and can help direct ready-to-buy customers to your business through the various targeting tactics associated with digital advertising.
Depending on your goals and initiatives, other platforms such as LinkedIn or Meta (Facebook/Instagram) may be a better fit than Google Ads.
By using ads, you tell search engines that your business is associated with a particular keyword, and in a way, you are skipping the steps needed to build SEO for your site. However, organic SEO helps to establish long-term credibility for your business, so we do not recommend one without the other.
Which type of SEO should my company focus on?
Buying SEO will often show results quicker than building SEO, but keep in mind that both tactics help each other in tandem. Paid digital advertising almost always guarantees that you will show up for your target keyword (that’s why you’re paying for it!). But without a strong organic SEO base, you could potentially be leaving dollars and customers on the table.
Ultimately, both tactics start with goal-setting, keyword research, and content analysis. From there, they build off of each other to help your company establish relevance and trustworthiness.
The best way for your company to dominate the digital landscape is to plan an organic search strategy that incorporates paid search initiatives.
Sound intimidating? No worries; our SEO experts are here to guide you through the whole process. Reach out, and we can start crafting a winning strategy today!
By Sarah Duginske, Digital Storyteller & Jireh De La Cruz, Digital Marketing Analyst
