WHAT IS SEO AND HOW DO I INCLUDE IT IN MY MARKETING PLAN?
Search-Engine Optimization (SEO) is not an exact science, and it’s certainly never a sure thing. Like advertising, giveaways, or any other part of your marketing mix, SEO comes with variables, unknowns, and no shortage of external forces at play. But just as with any area of marketing, our job as professionals is to mitigate risk, follow the data, and apply industry best practices to give your business the best chance at long-term success.
Search engines like Google use proprietary and confidential algorithms to rank websites. No agency, no matter how experienced, has direct access to these algorithms. However, Google and other major platforms do provide detailed documentation and public guidelines, which, when paired with ongoing collaboration among SEO professionals, help shape the strategies that consistently perform. By identifying repeatable patterns, avoiding known pitfalls, and continuously monitoring performance, we can create smart, strategic campaigns grounded in best practices.
Algorithms change frequently (typically several times a year) with Google releasing both major “core” updates and smaller ongoing adjustments. These updates often cause noticeable shifts in rankings and traffic. While their goal is to reward trustworthy, user-first content, these updates can also cause unintended drops in visibility for legitimate sites. Some of this is the result of ever-evolving spam tactics, but good-faith websites can sometimes get caught in the crossfire.
Your SEO strategy, then, must be ongoing. It’s not a one-and-done campaign or a simple checkbox on your marketing plan. An effective SEO marketing plan is responsive, iterative, and built to evolve with the web itself. It includes:
Technical SEO: Making sure your website is structurally sound and indexable
On-Page SEO: Creating keyword-rich, user-focused content that aligns with search intent
Off-Page SEO: Earning authority through backlinks, brand presence, and consistency
Analytics & Reporting: Measuring performance, tracking keyword trends, and refining strategy
SEO is not about gaming the system. It’s about playing the long game, producing valuable, relevant content, and building a trustworthy online presence. It’s flexible. It’s strategic. And when done right, it’s one of the most cost-effective and high-impact ways to grow your business over time.
There are no guarantees, no shortcuts, and no one-size-fits-all solutions. But with the right approach, your SEO plan can become a powerful, sustainable part of your marketing mix.
WHAT GOES INTO AN SEO CONTENT PLAN?
Your content plan is built on a foundation of keyword-research and audience data. By analyzing what your audience is searching for, we can build a content plan that answers your users questions, provides meaningful information, and drives traffic through strong calls-to-action (CTAs) to generate leads and sales. So, what does this content look like?
Your content will look different based on what industry your business occupies. For most businesses, you can imagine that you are running a blog. But, instead of posting personal updates, you are posting simple FAQs with clear, useful answers. Each blog answers one question, and eventually, you’ll have a detailed resource that you can drive your customers to instead of taking time away from your team.
Let’s look at some popular examples of SEO content by industry. Here are five specific industry examples of content to build into your SEO marketing plan.
Assuming your business has already exhausted your FAQs, you might be able to turn to:
1. Food/Beverage: Popular recipes that use your products or that pair well with your offerings.
2. Hospitality: Common tourist destinations in/around your area.
3. Automotive: Guides for common repairs and maintenance.
4. Professional Services: Tips and tricks that you would offer your clients in early meetings.
5. Creative and Corporate Fields: Moodboards, portfolio pieces, and case studies of excellent work.
One thing you might have noticed already from these examples is that, based on your industry, you’ll likely be writing content that includes other businesses that you may have even partnered with on projects or offerings in the past. This is a great opportunity to leverage your connection, share the content you’ve written, and cross-promote the article on both your website and your partners. You may even come up with new ways to partner with these businesses and continue to find success together.
When reading or writing your content, you will also notice that there is a challenge to be overcome: how do you creatively include the keywords that have been identified? Remember: your content is for humans first. But, the content is also for the algorithm. For these reasons, it’s okay to have some repeated sentences and ideas! People skim content and the search engines tend to reward content that focuses on a single idea. As long as the piece is cohesive, readable, and honest, there is nothing to worry about.
Interested in working with one of our SEO experts?
We offer flexible options where we can do the work for you, collaborate alongside your team, or provide consulting and strategic guidance. Book a call today to start building your long-term search presence.
