Part 1: SEO Isn't Dead: Why Search Optimization Still Matters

The internet (specifically the World Wide Web) has become a complex place since its creation in 1989. With over 1.34 billion websites (201 million of those actively maintained (Chan)), it can feel impossible to stand out among the crowds of people promoting similar items and ideas, no matter how unique your marketing is. And as if the oversaturation of specific categories wasn’t enough, the recent emergence of artificial intelligence has complicated the digital landscape even further, especially throughout search engines, or SERPs (search engine results pages). How can businesses increase the likelihood that search engines and AI platforms discover, understand, and reference their content? Are flashy advertising and a niche product enough to wade through the muddied noise of all the other businesses doing similar, if not the same, things as you?

These are questions that I’ve tried to figure out myself, especially as someone who’s well-integrated with the digital marketing side of the internet. It’s one thing to try and promote a singular product or idea, but doing so for several highly competitive industries can be strenuous, especially if you don’t understand how a company can stand out when compared to its competitors.

Although there are numerous ways to cut through the noise on the internet, I’m going to stay on the digital marketing side of things and talk about how AEO (answer engine optimization), GEO (generative engine optimization), and SEO (search engine optimization) are all crucial to standing out within today’s internet. These three topics are all unique yet can work as a well-oiled machine if optimized properly. Since these topics are all a bit complicated, I’m going to discuss them individually within their own blogs. Keep an eye out for the AEO & GEO posts coming soon!

The OG – SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Coined in 1995 by Bob and Leland Harden, who were trying to improve the search results for the band Jefferson Starship at the time (Heyman), “SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing websites and digital content to increase visibility, traffic, and brand authority across search engines and AI search” ("What Is SEO"). This fine-tuning typically come in the form of technical optimizations, related to the keywords and content you include on your website, how you structure, organize and display that content, and how well your website runs when displaying the information. When improving key technical aspects of your website, you’re conducting “on-site SEO.” This is telling search engine scanners like Googlebot that you have the authority to speak on the core topics that your website discusses, and that your website is a healthy resource for users to visit when searching those topics. Some of the best ways to improve on-site SEO on your website might include:

• Improving the speed of your website through decluttering archives, responsible plugin usage, and minimizing image sizes (PNG to JPEG, and even JPEG to WebP).
• Implementing the “Pillar and Cluster” model (or organizational structures like it).
  • A “pillar” page can be seen as the hub for a central topic/idea, while “cluster” pages are filled with related content that ties back to the pillar page’s theme. The simplest visual example for this are that pillars (think of a real-life structure) are the foundation of the building, while clusters are placed upon that foundation, and are supported by those pillars.
• Using backlinks & internal links (links to other websites, and/or links that lead to other pages on your site) to improve the authority and validity of your website. Internal links can be found on your website, vs. backlinks, which are on other websites.
• Including relevant keywords on your website, while avoiding “keyword stuffing” (the act of jamming keywords into every nook and cranny possible to achieve a better ranking.) Use keywords responsibly, within relevant content blocks.
• Cleaning up the backend of the website, through lazy loading (wherever applicable), a clear sitemap, and code that a site crawler can use to interpret specific information while crawling your site. Typically, through Schema Markup, which is “code you add to your website to help search engines, and potentially AI systems, understand your content better” (Paruch).

Beyond on-site SEO, there’s also off-site SEO, which is your digital footprint beyond your website, where users and search engines can learn more about your company, and you can build authority and trust. Off-site SEO is typically achieved through engaging with users on optimized social media channels and providing up-to-date information about your business through platforms like your Google Business Profile. You can also collaborate with other organizations and ask them to include backlinks on their websites that lead back to your own. This is essentially telling search engines and other users that your site is a trustworthy source of information for whichever topic you’re trying to promote. Just make sure that the backlinks to your website are coming from trustworthy sources!

Once you’ve implemented a strong SEO presence both on and off your website, you’re ready to kick back and see the results skyrocket within the next day or two…

Just kidding. SEO efforts can take a long time to kick in, so you must be a bit patient! Timing can heavily fluctuate, but it’s estimated that results can take roughly 4 to 6 months to be visibly noticeable. In the meantime, continue establishing yourself as an authority figure and source of information within the industry/niche you’re in through blogs, and reoccurring content. You can also keep an eye on your website’s results through several different platforms. Here are the ones that I frequently use and recommend:

• Google Analytics – a staple for exploring page traffic and user engagement on your website. Combine with Google Tag Manager to build out events and conversions, so that you can track valuable user interactions.
  • Click here to learn more and create an account.
• Google Search Console – important for identifying how well your website is performing on Google (there’s a Bing equivalent called Bing Webmaster Tools). You can see where your website ranks on the SERP and even upload your current sitemap so that Google knows which version of your website is most up to date. Additionally, you can tell Google to remove pages from the search engine or ask to crawl specific pages.
  • Click here to learn more and create an account.
• Google Page Speed Insights & GTmetrix – great resources for identifying the loading speed of your website and seeing how you can improve it.
  • Click here for Google Page Speed Insights, and here for GTmetrix.
• SEMRUSH & Moz – I mainly have experience with SEMRUSH, but I’ve heard great things about Moz too. These are extremely powerful tools that can give you tons of information on keyword traffic & intent, how your competitors’ websites are performing, and domain overviews of how your website is doing. These tools can be expensive, but if you can afford them, I’d highly recommend using them.
  • Click here for SEMRUSH and here for Moz.

Whether diving in for the first time, or previously experiencing any of the action items above, there are always so many opportunities to improve your online presence. SEO is the first step of many to proving that you’re a source worth visiting among the sea of other websites. If you’re interested in other resources related to building a strong online presence, especially within the always-expanding realm of artificial intelligence, check out my other blogs related to AEO (answer engine optimization) and GEO (generative engine optimization)!

Sources:

Chan, Daniela. How Many Websites Are There? Key Statistics and Growth Trends. Hostinger Tutorials, 10 Mar. 2026, https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/how-many-websites-are-there. Accessed 30 July 2026.

Heyman, Bob. “Who Coined the Term SEO?” Search Engine Land, 2 Oct. 2008, https://searchengineland.com/who-coined-the-term-seo-14916. Accessed 30 July 2026.

Jeske, Stephen. “Better SEO and Visibility with the Pillar and Cluster Content Strategy.” Siteimprove, 5 Nov. 2025, https://www.siteimprove.com/blog/pillar-and-cluster-content-strategy/. Accessed 30 July 2026.

Paruch, Zach. “What Is Schema Markup? & How to Add It to Your Site.” Semrush Blog, 2 Feb. 2026, https://www.semrush.com/blog/schema-markup/. Accessed 30 July 2026.

Search Engine Land, and Zoe Ashbridge. “What Is SEO – Search Engine Optimization?” Search Engine Land, 23 Sept. 2024, https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo. Accessed 30 July 2026.