Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a term that refers to the process of improving both the appearance of a website and its position in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords and phrases.

Organic search is one of the primary ways people search for, discover, and engage with online content, which means that a robust SEO strategy is required to attract high-quality traffic. More visible sites, which are those that maintain high SERP ranking positions, are more likely to secure more click-throughs and ultimately benefit from additional leads and conversions.

Search engines use bots to crawl web pages. When they land on a site, search engine bots collect key pieces of information about every page, putting that information into an index for analysis and ranking.

It may be helpful to view this index as an enormous library, which is home to a librarian (Google search) who can quickly help you to find the book (web page) you’re searching for.

Complex search algorithms then analyse the information in the index, looking at hundreds of different signals to determine the order in which webpages should be organised in SERPs for every query.

SERPs can be broken down into two key elements: paid ads and organic search results. Unlike paid ads, it isn’t possible to purchase a high organic ranking position. The only way to secure and maintain a visible position is to invest in an effective SEO strategy.

SEO helps site owners to ensure their content is highly visible for all relevant queries. After all, there is no point ranking well for a search term that just isn’t relevant because it simply won’t drive beneficial outcomes.

Organic traffic is typically high-quality and this is important because quality traffic is more likely to lead to increased conversion metrics. Users are far more likely to click on a site that occupies one of the top organic ranking positions in a SERP, so out-performing your competition is key to avoid losing out on valuable leads and sales.

In short: yes.

Research indicates that 63,000 searches are processed by Google every single second. This translates into trillions of searches every year and so it should almost go without saying that maximising online visibility will have a positive impact on the bottom line of a business. SEO forms the foundation level of a holistic approach to marketing and when site owners understand precisely what their ideal audience wants to see, optimisation tactics can be employed to deliver content that meets and even exceeds expectations.

Understanding SEO also has a range of additional benefits, including supporting keyword selection and content strategies. So, for example, more than 91% of all searches include long-tail (multi-word) keywords despite having a small search volume percentage of less than 3.5%. By looking at the complete picture, search strategists will find it easier to shape and implement an approach that will increase visibility, boost traffic, and enhance brand awareness.