You hear the term all the time – S-E-O. Search Engine Optimization.
You know it has something to do with how high you rank on Google. But most business owners do not dive deep enough into the world of SEO to truly understand what makes it work, why it must be ongoing and how it’s shifting with AI-driven search tools.
This blog explores the pros and cons of SEO and unpacks some of the mystery surrounding it.
What exactly is SEO?
SEO is the practice of improving your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) like Google and Bing without paying for ads. The goal: drive more organic traffic to your site. SEO today includes keyword research, content relevance, site authority, metadata, user experience and technical performance.
Keyword research is one of the most fundamental facets of SEO. This research is used to maximize your site’s relevancy, by making sure there is fresh, supporting content on your site for the keywords and keyword phrases you want to rank for. One way this is accomplished is by incorporating relevant keywords and keyword phrases naturally into your site’s copy, blogs and resources. But please note – there is an art to it. Search Engines like Google can quickly identify when keywords are “stuffed” into a website, so the process works best with an organic approach that prioritizes conversational queries and context over raw repetition.
The other way to introduce relevant, fresh content that supports your keywords is through blogs. Not only do blogs allow you to be a resource for potential customers, but they are a great way to introduce consistent, relevant and fresh content to your site. Enhancing your site’s content relevance helps you rank higher on search engines because the content you are offering matches the searches being sought.
Metadata and technical SEO include data on the backend of your website that describes, locates, explains or otherwise helps search engines understand what your site offers. This includes tags, alt text, schema markup and sitemaps, but also factors like site speed, mobile performance and Core Web Vitals—all of which directly impact rankings.
Site authority is a score that indicates how likely it is that your site will rank highly on search engines. It is a measure of a website’s overall strength and trustworthiness, and considers all aspects of SEO described above, as well as backlinks. Backlinks are links from other reputable, relative and high authority websites back to your site, often linking to relevant content in your blogs.
An easy way to understand what is important to SERPs is to focus on what Google prioritizes – EEAT, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. This means it’s not enough to just publish content — it needs to demonstrate credibility, preferably with authorship, testimonials or citations.
Local SEO continues to be crucial for brick-and-mortar businesses. An optimized Google Business Profile, positive reviews, and local content can dramatically increase visibility when people search “near me” services.
Pros of SEO
You already know that SEO can help your website rank higher on SERPs. And quality SEO used in conjunction with paid search can often foster impressive results. But unlike paid ads, good SEO can provide long-lasting benefits – making efforts more affordable than paid search ads in the long run.
Because SEO builds authority and trust, users who see a site that ranks high organically tend to be more willing to trust the site and therefore, visit. And with a focus on site structure, content and performance, good SEO practices can improve the visitor experience. This is important to note, as a better experience can lead to more time spent on your site. Also worth noting, the better the user experience, the higher SERPs will rank your site. In fact, site speed, mobile performance and core web vitals are bigger ranking factors than ever before and Google prioritizes user experience in its algorithms.
Once a website reaches a favorable ranking through SEO efforts, the visibility of the site tends to be more lasting than that of search ads, which lose visibility as soon as the budget runs out.
Finally, SEO results are easy to track and measure using tools like Google Analytics. Ther are many metrics you can watch, depending on the goals for your site. Metrics include organic traffic to the site, an increase in SERP visibility, number of pages that rank, keyword rankings, click through rates to the site, organic conversions and number of backlinks.
Cons of SEO
SEO requires time to be effective. Building authority and achieving high ranking takes consistency and patience, which can be frustrating for businesses.
Some industries face a lot of competition in the online market, which means ranking for keywords can be more challenging, especially for smaller businesses with fewer resources.
In order for SERPs to remain competitive, they must consistently demonstrate accurate matches, resulting in frequent changes to algorithms. When algorithms change or update, strategies have to adjust accordingly, and that means keeping up to date with the way SERPs operate and being able to adjust strategies as frequently as they do.
Because of the complexity of SEO and the importance of keeping up with algorithm changes, some businesses require the assistance of SEO expert teams, which adds expense to the marketing budget.
And in the end, SEO is not the magic bullet to ranking success. SEO efforts for your business are impacted by every competitor’s efforts, which are not in your control. The bigger the market, the more competition you will likely face, and the more efforts and resources are needed.
Why is SEO Worth the Investment?
Even as AI-driven search tools and paid advertising evolve, SEO remains one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. Research shows that consumers are still more likely to click on an organic listing over a paid ad, as they view it as more credible. Appearing consistently in organic results builds brand visibility, awareness and trust.
People perform billions of searches daily—many with conversational or voice-driven queries. If your business isn’t showing up, your competitors are. Strong SEO ensures your brand is part of those critical touchpoints, whether someone discovers you after seeing an ad, a social post, or simply searching for a solution.
Ranking highly on search engines also means more visibility for your brand, as each time your site shows up in the search you are making an impression in the minds of your audience. When you are ranking highly for multiple keywords and keyword phrases, you have the opportunity to make multiple impressions, resulting in increased brand awareness.
And beyond visibility, SEO research provides insights that can strengthen your entire marketing strategy. The keywords people use, the content they engage with, and the questions they ask can inform everything from campaign messaging to product development.
Bottom line: SEO is not a magic bullet, but it is a cornerstone of sustainable digital marketing. When paired with paid efforts, it builds a stronger, more credible presence online. The investment pays off not just in rankings, but in the trust, visibility and long-term growth of your business.
Still not sure if SEO makes sense as part of your marketing strategy? We’d be happy to discuss your concerns. Our experts at Vantage Consultants live and breathe SEO strategy and can equip you with the information you need to make the best decision. Contact us today!
