What SEO is
SEO – these are perhaps the most famous three letters on the net. For many, they are considered the key to successful online marketing. There are even companies that dedicate themselves as SEO agency, only to this topic – so it must be really important. But what is behind the term?
That means SEO
First of all, SEO is an acronym. It comes from the English and stands for Search Engine Optimization. In German: search engine optimization. Even if this already gives away a little of what we do at the SEO agency in Lucerne, the principles, opportunities and variants of this online marketing channel are more diverse and complex than many initially think.
Here is an optimized version of the passage “SEO briefly explained”:
SEO basics made understandable
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a crucial process in digital marketing. The basic idea is simple: when someone searches for products or services online, they typically use search engines such as Google or Bing. Users enter certain keywords or phrases and the search engine crawls the internet to find pages containing these terms. The pages found are ranked according to a complex algorithm, and this is where SEO comes in. The main goal of SEO is to optimize a website so that it appears in the top results, preferably in the top 10 search engine results pages (SERPs), as these are the most frequently clicked.
But how do you achieve this? Put simply, a website must be classified by the search algorithm as the most relevant and highest quality response to a user query. It is essential that keywords are used appropriately in the web content. However, a mere accumulation of these keywords is not enough. Effective SEO also takes into account other elements such as fast loading times of the website and the average time users spend on the site.
In short, the content of a website is used to present an offer that targets specific user requests. SEO is therefore an essential component of pull marketing in the digital age.
Why is SEO useful?
SEO is popular for several reasons, the main benefits being:
1. Cost efficiency
Compared to other forms of marketing such as SEA (Search Engine Advertising), SEO is particularly cost-effective. While SEA ensures continuous costs through paid ads, SEO mainly requires investment in the initial phase. Once high-quality content has been created, there are usually no further ongoing fees, which leads to a reduction in marketing costs in the long term. In addition, SEO allows for a better return on investment as costs tend to decrease over time while traffic and website visibility continue to increase.
2. Scalability
The costs for SEO are predictable and plannable. The process typically begins with submitting your requirements to an SEO agency, followed by analysis and design. Once the content is created and integrated into the website, there are rarely any additional costs, except for occasional updates and optimizations. This scalability makes SEO particularly attractive for companies of all sizes, as the strategy can grow as the company grows.
3. Sustainability
SEO is a long-term strategy. While SEA delivers immediate results, SEO continuously builds on the web presence and traffic. This sustainable approach ensures lasting visibility on the web. In this way, a company can establish itself in the search results in the long term and generate a steady stream of qualified visitors.
4. Target accuracy
Unlike traditional forms of advertising, which often appeal to a broad and untargeted audience, SEO is extremely targeted. Your website will mainly be found by users who are actively searching for the products or services you offer, which increases the likelihood of conversions. This not only increases the efficiency of marketing spend, but also reaches customers with a higher propensity to buy.
5. Versatility
SEO is suitable for a wide range of business models and industries, whether it’s a craft business, online store, musician or dental practice. Any type of business that operates a website can benefit from SEO by effectively showcasing both products and services online to reach their target audience. This makes SEO an indispensable part of a comprehensive online marketing strategy that can adapt to ever-changing market conditions.
Challenges in SEO
Does SEO not have any disadvantages? The phrase “disadvantage” may be too sharp, but there are of course challenges related to search engine optimization:
1. The algorithm
Google’s ranking algorithm remains a well-kept secret, which makes optimization a challenge. It requires continuous adjustments and experimentation to develop effective strategies. Therefore, it is important to stay on top of the latest SEO practices and react flexibly to algorithm changes. Working with experienced SEO agencies can be invaluable here.
2. Latency period
Make a change today, climb to first place tomorrow – unfortunately that is not possible. SEO adjustments to content often take several weeks to take effect. The delay also makes analysis difficult, since a positive effect cannot be directly attributed to a concrete measure if several optimizations have taken place. In principle, however, there are various tools available to check the basic SEO status of a site.
3. Competition
Nobody is alone in the market, so SEO is always about being better than the competition. This means that the ranking does not only depend on your own efforts, but also on the strength of the competition.
4. Punishment
Google, the most important search engine due to its high traffic, has certain guidelines that prohibit, for example, manual backlink building. Whoever violates these rules runs the risk of being downgraded in the ranking. Google does this either systemically or manually. However, anyone who hires a good SEO agency in Switzerland can protect themselves from this danger.
For which funnels is SEO suitable?
SEO is a versatile tool that can be used effectively in both the upper and lower funnel:
Lower Funnel: For direct purchase intentions such as “buy Swiss muesli”, SEO is ideal for optimizing store pages. The aim here is to offer the user an immediate purchase opportunity. Through targeted keyword optimization and the provision of relevant product information, SEO can help to increase the conversion rate. It is important that pages are user-friendly and optimized for the buying process to maximize the completion rate.
Upper funnel: SEO can also be effective in creating interest and demand, for example through content on “healthy breakfast tips”. The focus here is on content marketing through guides, magazines or blog articles. This content can help to increase brand awareness and guide potential customers into the sales funnel. The challenge is to create content that is valuable for both users and search engines.
In addition to the upper and lower funnel, there is also the middle funnel, which is often overlooked:
Middle Funnel: This area includes users who have already researched a product but are not yet ready to buy. SEO can be used here to offer specific content such as product comparisons, customer reviews or detailed instructions. This content helps to further inform users and prepare them for the purchase decision. It is important to tailor the content to the needs of this middle stage in order to lead users to the next step in the funnel.
Overall, SEO is a powerful tool in all phases of the sales funnel and, if used correctly, can lead to a significant increase in conversions.
From global strategy to individual content
So much for theory – the question remains: How does an SEO agency in Switzerland proceed when it carries out a successful search engine optimization? In the beginning is the project-oriented SEO. Here it is a matter of clarifying the basic strategy. Are blog articles useful? Which target group should be addressed? Are specific landing pages promising? The appropriate technical implementation is also discussed.
This first phase is followed by the process-oriented SEO work. Here, the content is in the center of attention, which is later essentially responsible for the success. Specifically, this involves texts that focus on the respective keyword (Swiss muesli) and secondary keywords (breakfast cereals, Bircher, breakfast, etc.). However, they should not only be structurally and formally optimised, but also offer a high reading flow and meaningful added value – ultimately, the site must appeal to users as much as it does to the search engine. To check whether a web offer can achieve this, Google also measures the length of stay and includes this in the ranking.
Technical SEO
An important part of SEO is technical SEO. This includes, for example, the choice of CMS (content management system), the structure of the site architecture and optimization for mobile devices. Due to the high demands, this usually requires a qualified SEO agency in Switzerland.
Examples of SEO use by industry
Shops and marketplaces
Probably the best known industry that relies on SEO is online commerce. Here, the products offered usually already indicate which keywords are relevant.
Portals, blogs and Co.
Those who do not sell something directly, but generate income through advertising, for example, are usually interested in a wide reach. The content must be correspondingly extensive, but also clearly structured.
Manufacturers and brands
Manufacturers and brands have to stand their ground in the SEO competition against shops, which are usually strong because of their numerous sub-sites. High quality content is therefore important.
Craftsmen, B2B, niche sites
Anyone offering a rare or special product should invest a lot of time in the analysis of keywords.In extreme cases, the search volume for a specific product is so low (because the name is not familiar) that paraphrases are the better keyword choices.
