SEO (Search Engine Optimization) — Definition
SEO is the practice of making your website more visible in search engine results — specifically in the unpaid, organic listings. It covers everything fr...
What it is
SEO is the practice of making your website more visible in search engine results — specifically in the unpaid, organic listings. It covers everything from the words on your pages to the technical structure of your site to how many other websites link to yours. Done right, it's the closest thing to free advertising that actually works.
Why it matters
When someone searches for what you do in your area, you either show up or you don't. SEO determines which. Businesses that rank on page one get the calls. Businesses on page three get nothing — because almost nobody goes to page three.
The mistake most people make
Treating SEO like a one-time project. You optimize your site, check a box, and move on. But SEO is an ongoing process — search algorithms change, competitors keep working, and a site that doesn't evolve slowly falls down the rankings no matter how good it looked at launch.