What Is SEO and Why It Still Matters

We’ve all heard marketing gurus go on about how important SEO is for business, but what does that actually mean? And how does it work?

Put simply, Search Engine Optimization or SEO for short, is what helps your website show up when someone Googles something similar to what your business offers.

The problem is, a lot of people treat SEO like some way to hack the system, and you might have come across websites that just chuck a hundred keyword-stuffed pages into the footer, to try and trick Google.

But it’s not about gaming the system. It’s about producing authentic content - but making sure the right people can find you online.

Think of it like this - let’s say you have the best restaurant in town, but it's hidden down a back alley with no signs. SEO is the digital equivalent of putting up signage, getting listed on google maps and search, and making sure people know you exist when they're looking for good food.

You don’t need to get caught up in the game of tricking google to rank your business higher, instead you want to make your content so accurate, and useful that it shows your business to the right people, and not just anyone. 

Why SEO Matters for Your Business

When someone searches something like  "best food for my dog" on Google, how does it decide what shows up first? The results aren’t random, and it's not just about who paid for a sponsored ad. Google goes out of its way to show the most helpful and trustworthy results for that specific search.

Good SEO is what helps your content appear in those search results. And you don't even have to pay Google to rank higher. You can earn your spot simply by being genuinely useful and following best practices.

You and I don’t usually scroll any further than the first page of Google, and neither do most. So, if your website isn’t on the first page, you're essentially invisible to potential customers who are googling what you offer.

The Three Pillars That Matter

Strong SEO rests on three main pillars. The first is content, you create stuff that actually helps people and answers their questions. The second is site performance, where you make sure your website loads fast and works well on both desktop and mobile phones. And the third is trust and authority, this is where you have other reputable websites linked to you and mention you, the technical term for this is called backlinks.