Dec 14, 2022 | SEO Tips
What is Copywriting and Why Do You Need It for Your Website?
You’ve probably heard of copywriting before, but what exactly is it? Copywriting is the process of writing content for your website that is designed to persuade the reader to take a particular action. This could be anything from signing up for your email list to making a purchase.
Why do you need copywriting for your website?
Because without it, you’re just leaving money on the table. Good copywriting can make the difference between a website that just exists and one that actually makes sales and generates leads.
Think about it this way: if you have a brick-and-mortar store, would you just put up a sign that said “store” and leave it at that? Of course not! You’d want to put up a sign that said something like “20% off all clothing today only!” or “New arrivals!” to entice people inside. The same principle applies to your website – you need copy that will grab attention and persuade people to take action.
Not sure where to start with copywriting for your website? Keep reading for some tips.
3 Tips for Copywriting Your Website
1. Write benefit-focused headlines
Your headline is the first thing people will see when they land on your website, so you want to make sure it’s something attention-grabbing that tells them what they can expect to find on your site. For example, instead of “How to start a blog,” try “Start a blog in 5 easy steps and make money doing what you love.” See the difference? The second headline is benefit-focused, which means it tells the reader what they stand to gain by reading your article. That creates intrigue and encourages them to click through.
2. Use persuasive language
Once you have their attention with an attention-grabbing headline, it’s time to write body copy that will persuade them to take action. This is where using persuasive language comes in handy. There are certain words and phrases that are proven to be effective in persuasion, such as “you can earn more money,” “save time,” or even simply “because.” Find out which persuasive words resonate most with your target audience and use them throughout your website copy. Just be careful not to overdo it – too much persuasive language can come across as spammy or sales-y, which will turn people off.
3. Keep it simple and scannable
When people land on your website, they’re not going to read every single word of every single page – they’re going to skim until they find what they’re looking for. That’s why it’s important to keep your copy simple and scannable by using short sentences, bullet points, and plenty of white space. Breaking up your text makes it easier for people to digest, which means they’re more likely to stick around long enough to take action.
Good copywriting can help you achieve your business goals by:
- Generating leads
- Converting leads into customers
- Increasing brand awareness
- Boosting sales
- Improving search engine optimization
- Creating loyalty and repeat business
Here’s an example of copywriting in action:
AIDA Framework method:
(these 4 elements make a great recipe in copywriting) AKA the Aida framework:
Attention: Struggling to get your website seen by the right people?
Interest: SEO is a long-term investment that can help you grow your business. Monthly SEO services from Jen Ruhman SEO can increase traffic to your website and help you reach more customers online.
Desire: You’ll see results over time as your website climbs in the search engine rankings. We know what it takes to improve your website visibility and attract more customers through organic search. Let us handle all of the hard work for you while you focus on running your business.
Action: Click this ad now and sign up for a free consultation with Jen Ruhman SEO! We can help you find the right monthly SEO package for your business needs.
–
Before-AfterBridge Framework Method:
Before: You’re tired of paying for advertising that doesn’t work. You want to get more traffic from search engines, but you don’t know how.
After: Imagine getting thousands of visitors every month who are looking for your products and services on Google and other search engines. These visitors are qualified leads because they’ve already expressed an interest in what you have to offer by searching online. And the best part is, it’s all done automatically!
Bridge: With Jen Ruhman SEO as your partner, we’ll help you attract customers with our proven organic SEO strategies so that your website will be found when people search online using keywords related to your business or industry.
–
PAS Framework Method:
Problem: You know you need SEO services, but you don’t have the time or resources to do it yourself.
Agitate: It’s hard enough to run your business, let alone try to figure out SEO and stay up-to-date on all the latest changes.
Solution: Jen Ruhman SEO can take care of everything for you. We offer monthly SEO services that will help your website rank higher in search engines, bring in more traffic, and boost your conversions.
–
Copywriting may seem like a daunting task, but once you get started it becomes easier and more fun than you ever thought possible! By following these three tips – writing benefit-focused headlines, using persuasive language, and keeping it simple – you can write great website copy that will persuade your readers to take action. So what are you waiting for? Start writing!
Want to hire me to do the heavy lifting aka copywriting for you?
I love writing fun persuasive bite-sized pieces of content for websites like yours. (see what I did there) 😎
Yup. I am an expert at creating engaging, informative content that will get people excited about what you have.
PLUS (wait there’re more!) I also do SEO to get that wonderful content discovered in Google searches.
Yes, as an SEO company in San Diego, I combine my copywriting with SEO skills to create magic for your website.
(No wonder my competition is afraid of me!)
Dec 10, 2022 | SEO Tips
What is a search algorithm and why does it matter?
A search algorithm is the set of rules that a search engine uses to determine which results to display for a given query. The purpose of these algorithms is to surface the most relevant, authoritative, and trustworthy results for the user.
As a business owner or blogger, it’s important to understand how these algorithms work so that you can optimize your site accordingly and ensure that your content is being seen by as many people as possible. Keep reading to learn more about search algorithms and why they matter for your business.
How Search Algorithms Work
Search algorithms are constantly changing and evolving as new technologies and user behaviors emerge. However, there are some core factors that have remained constant over the years. These include things like relevance, freshness, and authority.
Relevance refers to how well the content on your site matches the user’s query. If you sell dog collars and someone searches for “dog collars,” you want your site to be at the top of the results because you are relevant to their query.
Freshness refers to how recently your content was published. If you sell dog collars and someone searches for “new dog collars,” you want your site to be at the top of the results because your content is fresh.
Authority refers to how credible and trustworthy your site is. If you sell dog collars and someone searches for “best dog collars,” you want your site to be at the top of the results because you are an authority on dog collars.
While these are just a few of the factors that go into search algorithms, they give you an idea of what goes into determining which results appear when someone performs a search.
Why Search Algorithms Matter For Your Business
As a business owner or blogger, it’s important to understand how search algorithms work so that you can optimize your site accordingly. There are a few key reasons why this matters:
- If your site is optimized for relevance, freshness, and authority, you’re more likely to appear higher in search results, which means more people will see your content.
- If more people see your content, that means more traffic to your site, which could lead to more customers or subscribers.
- Understanding how search algorithms work can help you create better content that appeals to both users and search engines.
Search algorithms may seem like a complex topic, but understanding the basics can help you ensure that your content is being seen by as many people as possible. By optimizing your site for relevance, freshness, and authority, you can increase your chances of appearing higher in search results and attracting more traffic to your site. Keep this in mind as you create new content so that you can maximize its reach and impact.
Struggling to get your website ranked on Google?
You’re not alone. SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, which is why so many businesses rely on our team of experts to help them stay ahead of the competition. We’re an SEO company in San Diego, CA. Our monthly services are designed to give you the best chance at ranking higher in search engines, so you can start seeing more traffic and conversions from your website.
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Nov 30, 2022 | SEO Tips
Updated for 2026
Professional SEO can help your business become more visible when potential customers search for the products or services you provide.
But good SEO should do more than increase rankings.
It should help your business:
- Reach people actively looking for what you sell
- Improve the visibility of your most important service pages
- Strengthen your Google Maps and local search presence
- Build authority around the topics that matter to your customers
- Create a website that is easier for search engines to understand
- Turn organic visibility into qualified leads and business opportunities
After more than 20 years working in SEO, I’ve learned that the biggest value of professional SEO isn’t simply knowing how to add keywords to a website.
It’s knowing what deserves attention, what doesn’t, and how all the pieces of the website work together.
What Does Professional SEO Actually Do?
Professional SEO is the process of improving a website and its broader online presence so that search engines can better understand the business, its services, and which searches its pages may deserve to appear for.
That can involve:
- Keyword research
- Search intent analysis
- Technical SEO
- Service-page optimization
- Content strategy
- Internal linking
- Website architecture
- Local SEO
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Backlinks and digital PR
- Content updates and consolidation
- Conversion improvements
- Analytics and Search Console analysis
Google’s own Search Essentials emphasize creating helpful, reliable, people-first content, using language people would naturally search for, and making sure pages meet Google’s technical requirements. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
The role of an SEO professional is to determine how those fundamentals apply to your particular website, market, competitors, and business goals.
1. Professional SEO Helps You Reach More Qualified Customers
One of the biggest misconceptions about SEO is that the goal is simply to get more website traffic.
I don’t want traffic for the sake of traffic.
I want the right people finding the right pages.
For example, if you’re a financial advisor in San Diego, ranking for a broad informational query may bring visitors from all over the country.
But ranking for a service-oriented local search could put you in front of someone actively looking for the type of help you provide.
That’s why a professional SEO strategy focuses on qualified search visibility, not just larger traffic numbers.
2. Professional SEO Builds a Smarter Keyword Strategy
Keyword research isn’t just finding phrases with high search volume.
I look at:
- Search intent
- Business value
- Competition
- Geography
- Which page should target the term
- Where the searcher is in the buying process
A keyword with 200 searches per month can sometimes be much more valuable than one with 20,000 searches if those 200 searches are from people ready to become customers.
Professional SEO helps separate:
- Informational searches
- Commercial searches
- Transactional searches
- Local searches
- Branded searches
That makes it easier to create the right type of page for the right search.
3. Professional SEO Strengthens Your Most Important Service Pages
A lot of businesses make a surprising mistake:
They publish blogs every week while the pages describing what they actually sell remain weak.
If you’re a service business, your service pages may be some of the most valuable pages on your website.
I want those pages to clearly explain:
- What you offer
- Who the service is for
- The problems you solve
- Where you provide the service
- Why someone should choose your business
- Frequently asked questions
- The next step for contacting you
Professional SEO helps make sure your content strategy supports the pages most likely to generate business.
4. Professional SEO Finds Technical Problems Holding Your Site Back
Sometimes a website’s biggest SEO problem has nothing to do with content.
Technical problems can interfere with how search engines crawl, index, or understand your pages.
Examples include:
- Incorrect canonical tags
- Indexing problems
- Broken redirects
- Duplicate URLs
- Orphan pages
- Broken internal links
- Bad site architecture
- Accidental noindex directives
- Mobile usability problems
- Slow or unstable pages
A professional audit can uncover problems that aren’t obvious to someone looking only at the front end of the website.
5. Professional SEO Creates a Better Content Strategy
More content is not automatically better.
This is something I’ve become even more careful about as websites have gotten larger and AI has made content incredibly easy to produce.
A professional content strategy asks:
- What questions do customers actually ask?
- What topics support our core services?
- Do we already have content about this?
- Is another page necessary?
- Could an older page be improved instead?
- Are several pages competing for the same search intent?
Sometimes the right recommendation is creating new content.
Other times, it’s updating, consolidating, or redirecting old pages.
6. Professional SEO Improves Internal Linking and Site Structure
Internal linking is one of the most underrated parts of SEO.
Your pages shouldn’t exist as isolated islands.
A professional SEO strategy connects:
Homepage → services → supporting content → related services → conversion pages
Those connections help users move through the website and help search engines understand relationships between topics.
Internal linking can also help reinforce which pages you consider most important.
7. Professional SEO Builds Authority Beyond Your Website
Your website doesn’t exist in isolation.
Search visibility can also be supported by what other websites say about your business.
That can include:
- Relevant backlinks
- Industry mentions
- Local mentions
- Professional associations
- Digital PR
- Expert commentary
- Business partnerships
- Legitimate directories
I don’t believe in collecting random links simply to inflate a backlink count.
Good authority building should make sense in the real world too.
If you want to learn more, read my guide on how to earn backlinks from other websites.
8. Professional SEO Improves Local and Google Maps Visibility
If your business serves a geographic market, Local SEO can be one of the most important parts of the strategy.
Google says local results are primarily influenced by relevance, distance, and prominence. Complete business information, reviews, links, and broader web visibility can contribute to local performance. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
A Local SEO strategy can involve:
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Service categories
- Accurate business information
- Reviews
- Local citations
- Location pages where appropriate
- Local backlinks
- Local content
- Website relevance
This is especially important in markets such as San Diego, where the search environment can vary dramatically between neighborhoods and communities.
You can learn more about my Local SEO services.
9. Professional SEO Connects Rankings to Leads and Revenue
Ranking well is not enough.
This is one of the most important things I explain to business owners.
The path looks more like:
Search → Ranking → Click → Website → Trust → Action → Lead → Customer
If any part of that journey is weak, you can have strong rankings without strong business results.
That’s why I also look at things such as:
- Calls to action
- Service-page clarity
- Trust signals
- Mobile usability
- Contact forms
- Conversion tracking
- Traffic quality
If you’re already ranking but not getting enough business, read my article about why rankings aren’t always turning into leads.
10. Professional SEO Uses Real Search Data to Guide Decisions
One of the biggest advantages of professional SEO is knowing how to interpret the data.
I use tools such as Google Search Console and Google Analytics to understand:
- Which queries generate impressions
- Which pages get clicks
- Which service pages are gaining visibility
- Where rankings are improving
- Which pages are declining
- Which traffic is generating leads
That data helps determine what to work on next.
SEO should not be an endless checklist performed in the same order every month.
The strategy should respond to what the website is actually doing.
11. Professional SEO Helps Your Business Adapt to AI Search
Search is changing.
Potential customers can now discover information and businesses through traditional Google Search, Google Maps, AI-powered Google experiences, ChatGPT, Gemini, and other tools.
I don’t think the answer is abandoning SEO fundamentals.
The goal is still to make your business:
- Easy to understand
- Credible
- Authoritative
- Technically accessible
- Clear about what it offers
- Well connected across the web
That’s why my AI SEO services work alongside traditional search optimization instead of replacing it.
DIY SEO vs. Professional SEO
Can you do SEO yourself?
Absolutely.
A business owner can learn plenty of useful SEO basics.
You can:
- Improve your Google Business Profile
- Write helpful content
- Collect reviews
- Add internal links
- Use Google Search Console
- Improve page titles
The challenge is that competitive SEO becomes complicated quickly.
You may need to diagnose:
- Content cannibalization
- Canonical problems
- Indexing issues
- Authority gaps
- Complex site architecture
- Local ranking problems
- Backlink quality
- Conversion problems
Professional SEO is often less about doing things a business owner couldn’t physically do and more about knowing which things deserve priority.
When Should You Hire an SEO Professional?
Professional SEO may make sense when:
- Your competitors consistently outrank you
- Your website gets very little organic traffic
- Your important service pages don’t rank
- You rely heavily on paid advertising
- You serve a competitive local market
- You don’t have time to manage SEO yourself
- Your website has technical or indexing issues
- You have a lot of content but no clear strategy
- You are getting traffic but not enough leads
If you’re still deciding whether SEO makes sense for your business, read Does My Business Need SEO?.
What Should You Expect From Professional SEO?
I think business owners should expect transparency.
A good SEO professional should be able to explain:
- What they’re working on
- Why they’re doing it
- Which pages matter most
- What the target searches are
- How progress is being measured
- What still needs improvement
I would be cautious of anyone promising:
- Guaranteed #1 rankings
- Instant SEO results
- Secret Google loopholes
- Hundreds of cheap backlinks
- Mass AI content as the entire strategy
Google itself notes that meeting its technical requirements and best practices does not guarantee crawling, indexing, or rankings. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
SEO professionals can improve the website and its competitive position, but nobody outside Google controls Google’s organic rankings.
How Can Professional SEO Help Your Business Succeed? Final Thoughts
Professional SEO is not simply paying someone to “rank keywords.”
At its best, SEO connects your website with people who are already searching for what your business provides.
It helps improve:
- Visibility
- Website structure
- Content
- Technical performance
- Local presence
- Authority
- Traffic quality
- Conversions
And just as importantly, it helps you avoid spending months working on tactics that aren’t addressing the real problem.
That’s where experience matters.
I’m Jen Ruhman, an SEO expert in San Diego with more than 20 years of experience working with websites and organic search.
I work directly with business owners to identify what’s limiting their visibility and build an SEO strategy around the actual market, competition, website, and business goals.
GET YOUR FREE SEO ANALYSIS
Call or text: (619) 719-1315
Thanks for reading,
Jen Ruhman
Founder, Jen Ruhman SEO
Frequently Asked Questions About Professional SEO
What does a professional SEO do?
A professional SEO evaluates and improves the factors that affect a website’s organic search visibility, including keyword strategy, search intent, service pages, technical SEO, content, internal linking, website architecture, local optimization, authority building, and performance analysis.
Is professional SEO worth it for a small business?
It can be, especially when potential customers search online for the services the business provides. Whether SEO is worth the investment depends on search demand, competition, customer value, geographic market, and the business’s ability to convert new leads.
Can I do SEO myself?
Yes. Business owners can handle many basic SEO tasks themselves. Professional help becomes more valuable when competition is strong, technical problems are involved, the website is large or complex, or the business needs a more strategic approach to content, Local SEO, authority, and conversions.
How does professional SEO generate leads?
SEO can generate leads by improving visibility for searches made by potential customers, directing those visitors to relevant service pages, strengthening trust and calls to action, and improving the path from search result to website visitor to inquiry.
How long does professional SEO take to work?
There is no fixed timeline. Some improvements can appear relatively quickly, while competitive SEO campaigns may require several months or longer. Website history, competition, authority, technical condition, content quality, target keywords, and available resources all influence the timeline.
What is included in professional SEO services?
Professional SEO services can include keyword research, technical SEO, on-page optimization, content strategy, internal linking, Local SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, backlink and authority building, Search Console analysis, content updates, and conversion-focused improvements.
Can an SEO company guarantee #1 rankings?
No SEO company controls Google’s organic rankings. A professional can improve the quality, relevance, accessibility, and authority of a website, but guaranteed number-one rankings should be treated cautiously.
Is SEO still important with AI search?
Yes. Search is evolving, but businesses still need a clear, credible, authoritative, and technically accessible online presence. Traditional SEO fundamentals remain valuable while businesses also adapt their content and brand visibility for AI-powered search and discovery.
Nov 24, 2022 | SEO Tips
Yes. I’d rewrite it so it stays tightly focused on Local SEO vs. National SEO, rather than becoming another general Local SEO guide. The strongest idea from your existing article is the geographic distinction: local SEO concentrates on customers in a defined market, while national SEO targets a much broader audience. Pasted text
Local SEO vs. National SEO: What’s the Difference?
One of the first questions I ask when thinking about an SEO strategy is surprisingly simple:
Where are your customers?
If most of your customers come from San Diego and surrounding communities, you probably don’t need the same SEO strategy as an e-commerce company shipping products throughout the United States.
That’s where the difference between Local SEO and National SEO becomes important.
I’m Jen Ruhman, a San Diego SEO expert with more than 20 years of experience in SEO. I’ve worked with businesses that depend heavily on local customers as well as companies trying to reach people across much larger geographic markets.
Both Local SEO and National SEO are designed to increase search visibility.
The major difference is where you’re trying to compete and who you’re trying to reach.
Quick Answer: Local SEO vs. National SEO
Local SEO focuses on improving visibility for searches connected to a specific geographic area.
National SEO focuses on reaching customers across a much larger geographic market, often throughout the country.
For example:
Local: SEO company San Diego
National: SEO company
Local: personal trainer San Diego
National: online personal training
Local: plumber near me
National: plumbing software
Neither strategy is automatically better.
The right strategy depends on who you serve, where those customers are located and how they search for what you offer.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO focuses on helping businesses become more visible when people search for products or services within a particular geographic area.
It’s especially relevant to businesses that depend on customers from a city, county, neighborhood or defined service area.
Examples can include:
dentists
attorneys
financial advisors
restaurants
gyms
medical practices
med spas
contractors
plumbers
electricians
roofers
retail businesses
and other local service providers.
If someone needs to visit your business—or you need to travel to the customer—Local SEO may be an important part of your marketing strategy.
I cover the process much more thoroughly in my complete Local SEO guide for San Diego businesses.
What Makes Local SEO Different?
Location introduces considerations that don’t apply to every SEO campaign.
A local business may need to think about:
Google Business Profile
Google Maps
proximity
local search intent
business categories
reviews
service areas
location pages
accurate business information
and the relationship between the website and the company’s real-world presence.
For example, someone searching:
dentist near me
probably isn’t looking for the most authoritative dental website in the United States.
They’re looking for a dentist they can realistically visit.
That geographic component changes the search environment.
Local SEO Can Include Both Maps and Organic Results
One important advantage of Local SEO is that a business may have multiple opportunities to appear in Google.
A local search can produce map-based business results as well as traditional organic website listings.
That’s why I don’t treat Google Business Profile optimization and website SEO as completely separate strategies.
A business’s website can explain its services, experience, expertise and locations in much greater depth.
Its Google Business Profile can provide important information about the actual business.
Ideally, the two accurately support each other.
What Is National SEO?
National SEO targets customers across a much larger geographic market.
Instead of trying to become visible within one city or service area, the company may be competing for customers throughout the United States.
National SEO can make sense for:
e-commerce businesses
software companies
SaaS businesses
online education companies
manufacturers
national professional services
online consultants
publishers
and businesses offering products or services remotely.
If someone in California, New York, Texas or Florida can become your customer equally easily, geography may play a much smaller role in your SEO strategy.
How National SEO Is Different
National SEO usually puts less emphasis on the searcher’s proximity to the business.
Instead, the competition may revolve more heavily around whether the website has the right page for the search and whether that page can compete effectively in a much larger market.
That can involve:
search intent
keyword research
strong service or product pages
technical SEO
website architecture
content
internal linking
backlinks
digital PR
brand recognition
and conversion optimization.
The fundamentals aren’t completely different from Local SEO.
The competitive environment is different.
Local SEO vs. National SEO: Search Intent
This is one of the most important differences.
Consider:
financial advisor San Diego
versus:
retirement planning strategies
The first search has obvious geographic intent.
The second doesn’t necessarily require a local provider at all.
That’s why I don’t decide whether a keyword is valuable based purely on search volume.
A smaller local keyword can be extremely valuable when the people searching it are exactly the customers the business wants.
A broad national keyword generating thousands of visits isn’t necessarily valuable if those visitors can’t become customers.
Understanding search intent helps determine which searches actually deserve your attention.
Local SEO vs. National SEO: Keyword Strategy
Local SEO frequently involves geographic searches such as:
SEO company San Diego
financial advisor San Diego
personal trainer La Jolla
plumber Santee
National SEO may target broader searches such as:
SEO services
financial planning services
online personal training
ecommerce SEO
But adding a city to a keyword doesn’t automatically make a page locally relevant.
Likewise, removing the city doesn’t automatically make a keyword a good national target.
I want to understand:
What does the person actually want?
Can this business serve them?
Which page should satisfy that search?
Those questions are more useful than simply sorting keywords into “local” and “national” spreadsheets.
Local SEO vs. National SEO: Competition
National SEO can expose a business to a much larger competitive field.
Instead of competing with businesses in one metropolitan area, you may be competing with established companies throughout the country.
But that doesn’t mean Local SEO is easy.
Competitive industries such as legal services, healthcare, home services, finance and real estate can have extremely competitive local search results.
So I wouldn’t automatically assume:
National = difficult
and:
Local = easy
The real question is:
Who currently occupies the search results you want, and what would it realistically take to compete with them?
Local SEO vs. National SEO: Website Structure
The website architecture can also differ.
A local business might organize its site around:
core services
physical locations
service areas
local customer questions
and supporting resources.
A national company might organize the site around:
products
services
industries
customer types
problems
features
and broader informational topics.
Neither architecture is universally correct.
The structure should reflect the business.
Local SEO vs. National SEO: Authority and Links
Both Local and National SEO can benefit from legitimate third-party recognition.
But the opportunities may look different.
For a local business, meaningful mentions could come from:
local publications
professional organizations
community organizations
business partnerships
industry associations
events
or sponsorships.
A national business might pursue broader industry publications, national media, research-based coverage, original data and larger digital PR opportunities.
In either case, I prefer relevant, legitimate recognition over collecting large quantities of low-quality links.
You can read more about my approach in my guide to digital PR and link building for SEO.
Local SEO vs. National SEO: Content Strategy
Content strategy should also reflect the audience you’re trying to reach.
A local business might publish resources about questions that genuinely affect customers in its market.
That could include:
local regulations
regional pricing considerations
local case studies
service-area information
or questions customers in that market regularly ask.
A national company may need content addressing a much broader audience.
But there’s an important distinction:
Local content doesn’t mean stuffing the city name into every article.
And national content doesn’t mean publishing about every possible subject in your industry.
In both cases, content should support the services, expertise and customers of the business.
Can a Business Use Local and National SEO at the Same Time?
Yes.
Local SEO and National SEO aren’t mutually exclusive.
A San Diego company might serve local customers in person while also offering another service remotely throughout the country.
The important part is making the distinction clear.
You don’t want five pages competing for essentially the same search because you’re trying to target every geographic variation.
Instead, the website architecture should reflect the different audiences and search intents.
One part of the site might support local commercial searches.
Another might develop broader national visibility.
This is where a deliberate SEO roadmap becomes useful.
What About Service-Area Businesses?
You don’t necessarily need a storefront where customers walk through the door to benefit from Local SEO.
Many businesses travel to customers.
Examples include:
plumbers
electricians
roofers
HVAC companies
landscapers
cleaning companies
mobile service providers
and contractors.
These businesses can still have strong geographic relevance because they operate within defined service areas.
Service-area SEO does require some special considerations, so I treat that as its own subject rather than trying to cover everything here.
What About Businesses With Multiple Locations?
Multi-location businesses also require a slightly different strategy.
If a company operates legitimate locations in several markets, individual location pages may make sense.
Those pages should provide useful information about the actual location rather than simply copying one page and replacing the city name.
Depending on the business, useful information could include:
address and contact information
hours
services available
staff
directions
parking information
photos
local customer information
and frequently asked questions.
The goal is to create a useful page for that location—not manufacture another URL solely to target a city keyword.
Does AI Search Change Local vs. National SEO?
AI-powered search adds additional ways for people to discover businesses, products and services.
But I don’t think that eliminates the distinction between local and national audiences.
A local company still needs search systems to understand where it operates.
A national company still needs to establish what it offers and why it is relevant to its broader audience.
In both cases, I want information across the web to clearly communicate:
who the company is
what it offers
where it operates
what it has expertise in
and why people should trust it.
I’ve written separately about how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT and AI search if you want to go deeper into that subject.
Is National SEO More Expensive Than Local SEO?
Not necessarily.
A national campaign can require substantial resources because the competitive field may be much larger.
But some local markets are extremely competitive too.
The amount of SEO work required depends on factors such as:
your industry
your competitors
your geographic market
your website
your existing visibility
the searches you’re targeting
your content
your authority
and the gap between where you are and where you want to compete.
That’s why I don’t start an SEO strategy by deciding that every business needs a certain number of blogs or backlinks each month.
I start by looking at the actual competitive gap.
Which Type of SEO Does Your Business Need?
Here’s the easiest way to think about it.
Local SEO probably deserves more emphasis if:
Your customers primarily come from a specific city or region.
Customers visit your physical location.
You travel to customers within a defined service area.
Google Maps visibility matters to the business.
People commonly search for your service with geographic terms or “near me.”
National SEO may deserve more emphasis if:
You can serve customers throughout the country.
You ship products nationwide.
Your services can be delivered remotely.
Your customers aren’t limited by geography.
Your important searches don’t depend heavily on the searcher’s location.
You may need both if:
You have a strong local customer base but also serve customers nationally.
You operate physical locations while offering online services.
Different parts of your business serve different geographic audiences.
Local SEO vs. National SEO: The Bottom Line
Local and National SEO share many of the same fundamentals.
Both need websites that search engines can crawl and understand.
Both can benefit from useful content, good internal linking, technical SEO, authority and a clear understanding of search intent.
The difference is where you’re trying to compete.
A San Diego business trying to attract customers within its service area shouldn’t automatically use the same SEO strategy as an e-commerce company selling throughout the United States.
That’s why one of the first questions I ask is:
Who is your ideal customer, where are they located and what are they searching for?
Once I know that, I can build the strategy around the customers the business actually wants rather than chasing rankings simply because a keyword has high search volume.
Frequently Asked Questions About Local SEO vs. National SEO
What is the main difference between Local SEO and National SEO?
Local SEO focuses on visibility for searches connected to a specific geographic area. National SEO targets a broader audience that may be located throughout the country.
Is Local SEO easier than National SEO?
Not necessarily. National SEO can involve a larger competitive field, but highly competitive local industries can also require substantial work.
Do I need a Google Business Profile for National SEO?
Google Business Profile is primarily relevant to eligible businesses with a local presence. A national SEO strategy can exist without relying heavily on local search or Google Maps visibility.
Can I use Local SEO if I don’t have a storefront?
Eligible service-area businesses can benefit from Local SEO even when customers don’t visit a storefront.
Can my business use Local and National SEO at the same time?
Yes. Some businesses serve local customers while also selling products or delivering services nationally. The website should clearly distinguish those audiences and search intents.
Is National SEO more expensive than Local SEO?
Not automatically. Cost depends on competition, the website’s current condition, existing authority, target searches and the amount of work required.
How do I know which SEO strategy my business needs?
Start with your customers. If customers primarily come from a defined geographic area, Local SEO is likely important. If you can serve customers throughout the country, National SEO may deserve greater emphasis. Some businesses benefit from both.
Need Help Choosing the Right SEO Strategy?
I work directly with businesses to determine where their best search opportunities actually are rather than chasing keywords simply because they have high search volume.
If your customers are primarily local, start with my Local SEO guide for San Diego businesses.
Or learn more about working directly with my San Diego SEO company.
Get found. Get trusted. Get chosen.
— Jen Ruhman
San Diego SEO Expert
Nov 22, 2022 | SEO Tips
Updated for 2026
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be one of the most valuable long-term marketing strategies for a business—but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect for every situation.
I’ve worked in SEO for more than 20 years, and one thing I think business owners deserve is a realistic explanation of both the benefits and drawbacks of SEO.
SEO can help your business attract potential customers through Google, Google Maps, and increasingly AI-powered search experiences. A strong website can continue generating visibility and leads long after an individual page was originally created.
But SEO also takes time. Rankings aren’t guaranteed. Competitive industries can require substantial investment, and your website needs ongoing attention.
So, is SEO worth it?
For many businesses, yes—especially when potential customers are actively searching online for the products or services they provide. But SEO works best when you understand what you’re investing in and have realistic expectations about the process.
Let’s look at the real pros and cons of SEO in 2026.
Quick Answer: What Are the Pros and Cons of SEO?
The biggest advantage of SEO is that it can create long-term organic visibility for your business. Instead of paying for every click, you’re building website pages, content, authority, backlinks, local visibility, and brand recognition that can continue helping customers discover you over time.
The biggest disadvantage is that SEO usually takes time. You don’t simply optimize a website on Monday and expect to dominate Google by Friday.
Here’s the simple breakdown:
Advantages of SEO
- Can generate long-term organic traffic
- Reaches people actively searching for what you offer
- Can become more valuable over time
- Reduces dependence on paid advertising
- Builds visibility and credibility
- Can improve the quality of your website
- Supports local search and Google Maps visibility
- Can support visibility in AI-powered search
- Provides measurable marketing data
Disadvantages of SEO
- Results usually aren’t immediate
- Rankings are never guaranteed
- Competitive markets can require significant investment
- SEO requires ongoing work
- Search results and algorithms change
- Poor SEO strategies can waste time and money
- Traffic alone doesn’t guarantee customers
SEO Benefit #1: SEO Can Generate Long-Term Website Traffic
This is one of the biggest reasons I love SEO.
A good webpage can continue attracting visitors long after you originally created it.
I’ve seen pages continue generating organic traffic for years because they answer questions people continue searching for.
Compare that with many forms of paid advertising.
When you stop paying for an ad campaign, the paid visibility generally stops too.
SEO doesn’t work exactly like that.
A service page you’ve improved, a useful article you’ve published, an authoritative backlink you’ve earned, and a strong internal linking structure don’t automatically disappear because a new month begins.
Of course, rankings can change and SEO still requires maintenance. But you’re building digital assets that have the potential to continue producing value.
SEO Benefit #2: You’re Reaching People Who Are Already Searching
SEO can put your business in front of people at exactly the moment they’re looking for something you provide.
That’s incredibly valuable.
Imagine someone searches:
- “personal injury lawyer San Diego”
- “spray tan near me”
- “financial advisor San Diego”
- “diesel repair Santee”
- “SEO company San Diego”
These people aren’t being interrupted while watching a video or scrolling through social media.
They’re actively searching.
That’s why search intent is so important to me when developing an SEO strategy.
Ranking for thousands of irrelevant searches doesn’t impress me nearly as much as ranking for the searches potential customers actually use when they’re considering a product or service.
SEO Benefit #3: SEO Can Compound Over Time
One of the most interesting characteristics of SEO is that different improvements can begin supporting each other.
For example, you might:
- Create an excellent service page.
- Publish helpful supporting articles.
- Add internal links from those articles to the service page.
- Earn backlinks to your useful content.
- Improve your brand recognition.
- Earn more reviews.
- Continue improving the website.
You’re not simply completing seven unrelated marketing tasks.
You’re gradually creating a stronger website and online presence.
That’s why I view SEO as a long-term investment rather than a collection of tricks designed to temporarily manipulate rankings.
SEO Benefit #4: SEO Can Reduce Your Dependence on Paid Advertising
Paid advertising can be extremely useful. I’m not anti-PPC.
In fact, there are situations where businesses should use both SEO and paid advertising.
But there’s a major difference between earning organic visibility and renting advertising space.
If nearly every website visitor comes through paid advertising, your traffic can become heavily dependent on your advertising budget.
SEO can help diversify where your customers come from.
A business with strong organic rankings, Google Maps visibility, branded searches, referral traffic, repeat visitors, and paid campaigns has a much healthier mix than a business relying entirely on one advertising platform.
SEO Benefit #5: Strong Search Visibility Can Build Credibility
Think about your own behavior when you search Google for a professional service.
If you repeatedly see the same company appearing for relevant searches, you may begin recognizing that business.
Perhaps you see its service page.
Then one of its articles.
Then its Google Business Profile.
Then you search the company name and find reviews, case studies, social profiles, and other mentions.
All of those touchpoints can help create familiarity and trust.
SEO isn’t just about getting a click. It can help your business become more visible throughout the customer’s research process.
SEO Benefit #6: SEO Can Improve Your Website
Good SEO often results in a better website.
Why?
Because many SEO improvements are also useful for visitors.
For example:
- Clearer navigation
- Better organized service pages
- Faster loading times
- Mobile-friendly design
- Helpful FAQs
- Clear page headings
- Useful internal links
- More comprehensive information
- Easier contact options
I don’t want to optimize a website only for a search engine crawler.
The person who lands on the page needs to understand what the business offers and feel comfortable taking the next step.
SEO Benefit #7: Local SEO Can Help Nearby Customers Find You
For local businesses, SEO isn’t limited to the traditional organic results.
There’s also Google Maps and Google’s local search results.
This is especially important for businesses such as:
- Attorneys
- Dentists
- Doctors
- Contractors
- Restaurants
- Personal trainers
- Financial professionals
- Med spas
- Home service companies
A strong Local SEO strategy can help improve your overall visibility when nearby customers are searching for the services you provide.
This can include work involving your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, local relevance, citations, backlinks, and location-specific search intent.
SEO Benefit #8: SEO Now Supports a Larger Search Ecosystem
Search has changed considerably.
In 2026, potential customers may discover businesses through:
- Traditional Google search results
- Google Maps
- Google AI Overviews
- Google AI Mode
- ChatGPT
- Gemini
- Other AI-powered search experiences
This doesn’t mean every traditional SEO tactic automatically causes a business to appear in an AI-generated response.
But the fundamentals of building a clear, authoritative online presence have become even more valuable.
Your website should clearly communicate who you are, what you do, where you operate, what you’re experienced in, and why people should trust your business.
That’s also why I’ve expanded my SEO work to include AI Search Optimization.
Search isn’t disappearing. The places where people search are expanding.
SEO Benefit #9: SEO Is Measurable
Another advantage of digital marketing is the amount of information available to us.
Using tools such as Google Search Console and Google Analytics, I can examine information such as:
- Which pages receive organic traffic
- Which searches generate impressions
- How rankings change
- Which landing pages attract visitors
- Which pages generate conversions
- Whether organic visibility is increasing
That information helps me make better decisions.
Instead of blindly publishing content every month, we can look at what’s gaining traction, what’s underperforming, and where additional opportunities may exist.
Now Let’s Talk About the Disadvantages of SEO
SEO has a lot of benefits, but I don’t believe in pretending there aren’t downsides.
Business owners should understand these before investing in SEO.
SEO Drawback #1: SEO Takes Time
This is probably the biggest drawback.
SEO is generally not the best strategy when your only goal is:
“I need customers tomorrow.”
Paid advertising can begin generating visibility much faster because you’re paying for placement.
SEO has to be earned.
How long it takes depends on factors including:
- Your industry
- Your competition
- Your location
- Your website’s history
- Your existing authority
- Your current rankings
- Your content
- Your backlinks
- Your technical SEO
- The keywords you’re targeting
A website already ranking on page two for an important keyword is in a very different position from a brand-new website entering an extremely competitive market.
If someone promises to rank any website #1 on Google almost immediately, I’d be extremely cautious.
SEO Drawback #2: Rankings Are Never Guaranteed
Nobody owns Google’s organic search results.
An SEO professional can research, optimize, create, improve, test, analyze, and build authority.
But nobody can legitimately guarantee exactly where Google will rank a page.
That’s an important distinction.
I can tell a client what I believe needs improvement and where I see opportunities based on experience and data.
What I won’t do is pretend I control Google’s algorithm.
SEO Drawback #3: Competitive SEO Can Be Expensive
People sometimes describe SEO as “free traffic.”
I don’t think that’s an accurate way to describe professional SEO.
You may not pay Google every time someone clicks your organic listing, but creating strong organic visibility requires resources.
Those resources can include:
- SEO expertise
- Content creation
- Website development
- Technical improvements
- Digital PR
- Link acquisition
- Tools and software
- Ongoing analysis
And the more competitive the industry, the more work may be required.
If the websites currently dominating your target searches have been investing in SEO for ten years, you’re not necessarily going to overtake them with a few inexpensive blog posts.
SEO Drawback #4: SEO Requires Ongoing Work
There are one-time SEO improvements, but SEO as a marketing strategy isn’t usually “set it and forget it.”
Your competitors keep working.
Your website changes.
Your industry changes.
Search behavior changes.
Old pages become outdated.
Links break.
New opportunities appear.
Search results evolve.
That’s why ongoing SEO can involve a mixture of:
- Updating existing pages
- Creating new content when necessary
- Improving internal links
- Monitoring technical problems
- Building authority
- Analyzing rankings and traffic
- Improving conversion opportunities
- Responding to changes in the competitive landscape
You don’t necessarily need to change everything constantly.
But you shouldn’t assume that reaching a good position means nobody can ever overtake you.
SEO Drawback #5: Google and Search Results Change
SEO exists within an environment you don’t control.
Google changes its algorithms and search-result layouts.
New SERP features appear.
AI-generated answers can change how users interact with search results.
Competitors improve.
Consumer behavior changes.
This uncertainty is one of the reasons I don’t like SEO strategies built around exploiting one loophole.
A strategy based on creating a genuinely strong business website is much more resilient than one based on a temporary trick.
SEO Drawback #6: Bad SEO Can Waste Money
Simply paying someone for “SEO” doesn’t mean you’re receiving a useful SEO strategy.
I’ve seen businesses pay every month for:
- Meaningless reports
- Low-quality backlinks
- Generic AI-generated articles
- Keywords nobody searches
- Pages that compete against each other
- Unnecessary technical changes
- Work that has little connection to the company’s actual business goals
That’s why business owners should ask their SEO provider a very simple question:
“What are you actually doing for me?”
You should be able to understand the answer.
SEO can be technical, but your SEO company shouldn’t need to hide behind jargon.
SEO Drawback #7: More Traffic Doesn’t Automatically Mean More Business
This is one of the most important lessons in SEO.
You can increase website traffic without increasing revenue.
That’s why I don’t want to chase traffic simply for the sake of producing a larger number in an analytics report.
You could rank #1 for an informational keyword and attract thousands of visitors who have absolutely no intention of becoming customers.
Meanwhile, a lower-volume commercial keyword might generate only 100 visits but produce several qualified leads.
Which keyword would you rather rank for?
I know which one I’d choose.
SEO should support business goals, not vanity metrics.
SEO vs. PPC: Which Is Better?
I don’t think SEO and PPC need to be enemies.
They solve different problems.
PPC can provide faster visibility. You can launch an advertising campaign and potentially begin appearing for relevant searches quickly.
SEO takes longer but can build organic visibility over time.
For some businesses, using both makes sense.
PPC can help generate immediate visibility while SEO develops longer-term organic visibility.
For other businesses, the economics of one channel may be significantly better than the other.
The right decision depends on your goals, margins, competition, timeline, budget, and customer acquisition costs.
When SEO May NOT Be the Best First Marketing Investment
Yes, I’m an SEO professional telling you there are situations where SEO might not be the first thing I’d recommend.
For example, SEO may not be your best immediate priority if:
- You need leads immediately.
- Almost nobody searches for what you sell.
- Your product category is completely new and customers don’t know it exists.
- Your website or business model is about to change dramatically.
- You don’t have the resources to compete in your target market.
- Your website converts extremely poorly and needs major work first.
Sometimes the smartest strategy is paid advertising.
Sometimes it’s social media.
Sometimes it’s email marketing.
Sometimes it’s fixing the website.
And sometimes it’s SEO.
A good marketing strategy starts with the business problem—not with forcing every business into the same marketing channel.
When Is SEO Worth the Investment?
SEO tends to make a lot of sense when:
- People are actively searching for your products or services.
- Organic search can produce valuable leads or sales.
- You plan to operate the business for the long term.
- You have realistic expectations about how long SEO takes.
- Your competitors are already receiving substantial organic visibility.
- You want to reduce your dependence on paid advertising.
- You want to build a stronger online presence over time.
For many established businesses, the question isn’t necessarily whether SEO has value.
The better question is:
How valuable would it be if potential customers consistently found your competitors instead of you?
Is SEO Still Worth It in 2026?
Yes, I believe SEO is still worth it for many businesses in 2026.
But the reason isn’t simply “because Google exists.”
Search behavior is becoming more fragmented.
People may discover your business through traditional Google results, Maps, AI-powered search, branded searches, articles, reviews, and other online sources.
That means I think modern SEO should be less obsessed with manipulating one ranking and more focused on building a business that is easy to find, easy to understand, and easy to trust online.
The fundamentals still matter:
- Create excellent service and product pages.
- Answer the questions your customers actually ask.
- Make your website technically accessible.
- Build useful internal links.
- Earn legitimate backlinks and mentions.
- Strengthen local visibility when appropriate.
- Demonstrate real experience and expertise.
- Track whether organic visibility is producing business results.
That’s not a quick hack.
It’s building a better online presence.
The Bottom Line: SEO Has Pros and Cons
SEO isn’t magic, and it isn’t instant.
It requires patience, strategy, expertise, and ongoing work.
There are no legitimate guarantees that you’ll rank #1 for every keyword you want.
But the upside can be substantial.
A strong SEO strategy can help your business become visible when potential customers are actively searching, strengthen your website, increase brand awareness, build credibility, and create organic visibility that can continue producing value over time.
For me, that’s the biggest benefit of SEO:
You’re not simply buying today’s traffic. You’re building an online presence that has the potential to become more valuable tomorrow.
Need Help Deciding Whether SEO Is Right for Your Business?
I’m Jen Ruhman, a San Diego SEO expert with more than 20 years of experience working with websites and search engine optimization.
I don’t believe every business needs the same SEO strategy.
Before recommending work, I want to understand your business, your competition, your current rankings, and where the strongest opportunities actually are.
If you’d like to see where your website stands, request a free SEO analysis.
You can also review my monthly SEO pricing before contacting me so you know exactly what level of investment to expect.
Call or text: (619) 719-1315
Thanks for reading,
Jen Ruhman
SEO Expert & Founder of Jen Ruhman SEO
Frequently Asked Questions About the Pros and Cons of SEO
What is the biggest benefit of SEO?
One of the biggest benefits of SEO is its potential to create long-term organic visibility. A well-optimized service page or useful piece of content can continue attracting potential customers after the initial optimization work has been completed, although ongoing maintenance and competition can affect rankings over time.
What is the biggest disadvantage of SEO?
The biggest disadvantage for many businesses is that SEO takes time. Unlike paid advertising, which can provide visibility shortly after a campaign launches, organic rankings have to be earned and can take months or longer depending on the website and competitive landscape.
Is SEO worth paying for?
SEO can be worth paying for when potential customers actively use search engines to find the products or services your business provides. Its value depends on factors such as competition, customer value, search demand, your current website, and whether organic traffic produces qualified leads or sales.
Is SEO better than paid advertising?
Neither is universally better. Paid advertising can provide faster visibility, while SEO can develop long-term organic visibility. Many businesses benefit from using both, particularly when they need immediate lead generation while simultaneously building their organic search presence.
How long does SEO take to work?
There is no universal SEO timeline. Results depend on your competition, website history, existing rankings, authority, technical condition, content, backlinks, geographic market, and target keywords. Some improvements may appear relatively quickly, while competitive rankings can take considerably longer.
Can SEO guarantee a #1 Google ranking?
No legitimate SEO professional can guarantee a #1 organic Google ranking. SEO professionals can improve a website, identify opportunities, develop strategies, and increase its ability to compete, but Google ultimately determines its organic search rankings.
Does SEO require ongoing work?
Usually, yes. While some SEO improvements can be completed once, competitors, search results, websites, algorithms, and customer behavior continue changing. Ongoing SEO may include updating content, improving pages, monitoring technical issues, strengthening internal links, building authority, and analyzing performance.
Can SEO help my business appear in AI search results?
SEO can help build the clear, useful, authoritative online presence that supports broader search visibility, including AI-powered discovery. However, no SEO strategy can guarantee that a business will be cited or recommended by a particular AI system for a specific query.
Nov 19, 2022 | SEO Tips
What is SEO in digital marketing?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of improving your website and online presence so that search engines can better understand your business, your content, and which searches your pages may be relevant for.
The goal isn’t simply to “rank keywords.”
Good SEO helps your business become more visible when potential customers are actively searching for information, products, services, or businesses like yours.
I’ve worked in SEO for more than 20 years, and the field has changed dramatically. SEO used to be explained mainly as putting keywords on pages and building backlinks.
Those things can still matter, but modern SEO is much broader.
Today, I think about:
- Search intent
- Content quality
- Technical SEO
- Website architecture
- Internal linking
- Backlinks and authority
- Local SEO
- User experience
- Conversions
- Brand visibility
- AI-powered search
Quick Answer:
SEO in digital marketing is the process of improving a website’s visibility in organic search results. It includes keyword research, helpful content, on-page optimization, technical SEO, internal linking, backlinks, local SEO, and performance analysis. The goal is to attract relevant visitors from search engines and turn that visibility into meaningful business opportunities.
Table of Contents
What Does SEO Mean?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
At its simplest, SEO means improving your website so that search engines can discover, understand, index, and potentially rank your pages for relevant searches.
But I think that’s only half the definition.
The other half is making sure the people finding those pages are actually the people your business wants to reach.
For example, ranking for:
SEO
might send me all kinds of visitors from around the world.
But ranking for:
SEO company San Diego
is much more closely connected to the service I actually provide and the market I serve.
That’s why modern SEO is not just about traffic.
It’s about relevant visibility.
How Does SEO Fit Into Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is a broad category that can include:
- SEO
- Google Ads
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Video marketing
- Digital PR
- Online advertising
- Conversion optimization
SEO is the part that focuses primarily on organic search visibility.
Organic search results are different from paid advertisements because businesses don’t pay Google each time someone clicks a traditional organic listing.
That doesn’t mean SEO itself is free.
You still invest time, expertise, content, technical improvements, website development, PR, and authority building.
The difference is that you aren’t renting every organic click from an advertising platform.
How Do Search Engines Work?
You don’t need to understand every technical detail of Google to understand SEO.
But it helps to understand the basic process.
Search engines generally need to:
- Discover pages.
- Crawl them.
- Understand and index eligible content.
- Evaluate which results are most useful and relevant to a search.
- Display those results to users.
If Google can’t access your page, SEO becomes difficult.
If Google can access it but doesn’t understand what it’s about, you may also struggle.
And even if a page is indexed, indexing does not guarantee that it will rank highly.
That’s why SEO involves both technical accessibility and competitive relevance.
How Does SEO Work?
I like to think of SEO as several systems working together rather than one checklist.
You could have:
- Excellent content but terrible technical SEO
- A technically perfect website with weak content
- Great pages but no authority
- Strong backlinks but poor keyword targeting
- High rankings but terrible conversion rates
Any one of those can limit results.
That’s why professional SEO usually touches several areas at the same time.
1. On-Page SEO
On-page SEO refers to optimizations made directly to individual website pages.
This can include:
- Page titles
- Headings
- Page copy
- Keyword targeting
- Search intent
- Meta descriptions
- Image alt text
- URLs
- Internal links
- Calls to action
One thing I would not recommend is simply stuffing a target keyword into a page repeatedly.
Your primary topic should be clear, but the page still needs to sound natural and genuinely help the reader.
2. Technical SEO
Technical SEO deals with the website infrastructure that affects how search engines access and understand your site.
That can include:
- Crawling
- Indexing
- Robots.txt
- Noindex directives
- Canonical tags
- Redirects
- XML sitemaps
- HTTP status codes
- Page speed
- Mobile usability
- Website architecture
- Structured data
A technical issue can sometimes prevent an otherwise excellent page from performing.
If you’re having indexing problems, my guide on how to get pages indexed goes much deeper into that topic.
3. Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO refers to signals and activity that happen beyond your own website.
Backlinks are a major example, but off-page SEO can also include:
- Digital PR
- Media coverage
- Industry mentions
- Professional associations
- Local citations
- Business profiles
- Brand mentions
- Partnerships
I don’t think of off-page SEO as simply “get as many links as possible.”
I prefer relevant, legitimate mentions that make sense for the actual business.
4. Local SEO
If your business serves customers in a specific geographic area, Local SEO deserves its own strategy.
Local SEO can involve:
- Google Business Profile
- Local keyword targeting
- Reviews
- Local citations
- Location pages
- Local backlinks
- Business categories
- Consistent business information
- Local content
This is especially important for businesses such as attorneys, doctors, contractors, restaurants, med spas, gyms, dentists, and other service providers.
If you’re trying to attract nearby customers, learn more about my Local SEO services.
5. Content SEO
Content is where a lot of SEO strategies succeed—or fall apart.
Google’s current guidance emphasizes creating helpful, reliable, people-first content rather than content created primarily to manipulate search rankings.
That means I don’t recommend publishing 50 generic articles simply because a keyword tool generated 50 ideas.
I want each page to have a purpose.
A content strategy might include:
- Service pages
- Location pages
- Educational blog posts
- FAQs
- Case studies
- Comparisons
- Original research
- Industry commentary
- Videos
Your content should support the topics and services your business actually wants to be known for.
Why Keyword Research Still Matters
Keyword research helps you understand how people search.
But keyword research isn’t simply:
“Find the phrase with the biggest search volume.”
I look at:
- Search volume
- Intent
- Competition
- Geography
- Business value
- Which page should target the query
A lower-volume keyword can sometimes be far more valuable if the person searching it is close to becoming a customer.
Why Search Intent Matters More Than Keyword Stuffing
Search intent is what someone wants to accomplish with their search.
Someone searching:
how does SEO work?
probably wants education.
Someone searching:
hire SEO company San Diego
has much stronger commercial intent.
Those people need different pages.
A huge part of modern SEO is making sure the type of page matches what the searcher actually wants.
Internal Linking and Website Structure
Internal links connect pages within your own website.
They help visitors move between related information and help search engines understand relationships between your pages.
For example:
Blog article → Related article → Service page
can create a logical path through a topic.
This is something I use constantly in SEO campaigns.
Read my complete guide to internal linking for SEO.
How Backlinks Fit Into SEO
A backlink is a link from another website to yours.
Backlinks can help search engines discover content and can contribute to how authoritative and trustworthy a website appears within the broader web.
But not all backlinks are equally useful.
I focus more on:
- Relevance
- Legitimacy
- Editorial value
- Real websites
- Real audiences
- Industry or geographic relevance
rather than simply trying to increase the backlink count.
If you’re trying to build authority, read my guide explaining how to get other websites to link to yours.
SEO vs. Paid Advertising
SEO and PPC can both be useful, but they work differently.
With paid search advertising, you can pay for visibility quickly.
SEO generally takes longer because you’re building organic visibility rather than purchasing placement.
Paid traffic can stop when your advertising budget stops.
Strong organic pages can continue attracting visitors after the initial work has been done, although SEO still requires monitoring and maintenance.
For many businesses, I don’t think the question has to be either/or.
SEO and PPC can work together.
I compare them in more detail in my article SEO vs. PPC: Which Is Better?
How SEO Helps a Business
Professional SEO can help a business:
- Become easier to discover online
- Reach customers actively searching for its services
- Increase relevant website traffic
- Build stronger service pages
- Improve local visibility
- Build authority
- Reduce dependence on paid traffic over time
- Educate customers
- Generate leads
- Improve overall website quality
But I don’t judge SEO success purely by rankings.
If the traffic doesn’t contribute to the business, something may be wrong with the strategy.
SEO and AI Search in 2026
This is one of the biggest additions I would make to any modern explanation of SEO.
Google Search now includes AI-powered experiences such as AI Overviews and AI Mode in addition to traditional organic results.
Google’s own guidance says the foundational SEO best practices still apply to those AI features.
There isn’t a separate secret set of technical requirements for appearing in them.
That means I still focus on:
- Helpful content
- Clear page topics
- Indexability
- Good site architecture
- Internal linking
- Authority
- Accurate information
- Original expertise
Search is evolving, but the fundamentals aren’t disappearing.
They’re becoming part of a broader search and discovery environment.
How Long Does SEO Take?
There is no universal SEO timeline.
The answer depends on:
- Competition
- Website age
- Existing authority
- Technical condition
- Content quality
- Target keywords
- Geographic market
- How much work is being performed
Some technical improvements can show an impact relatively quickly.
Competitive organic growth can take considerably longer.
If someone promises that every website will rank #1 in 30 days, I’d be skeptical.
Read more about why SEO results don’t happen overnight.
How Do You Measure SEO Success?
SEO measurement depends on the business, but I often look at:
- Organic impressions
- Organic clicks
- Keyword visibility
- Service-page performance
- Qualified traffic
- Calls
- Contact forms
- Appointments
- Leads
- Revenue when it can be accurately attributed
Google Search Console is particularly useful for understanding which queries and pages are generating visibility in Google Search.
But remember:
Rankings are a means to an end—not the business goal itself.
Common SEO Misconceptions
Here are a few misconceptions I still hear from business owners:
“SEO Is Just Keywords”
No. Keywords are only one part of a much larger strategy.
“More Blog Posts Always Mean Better SEO”
No. More content can actually create problems when pages are thin, repetitive, outdated, or competing with one another.
“SEO Is a One-Time Project”
Some SEO projects can be one-time improvements, but competitive organic visibility usually requires ongoing attention as your website, competitors, search behavior, and search engines evolve.
“You Need a Perfect Website to Rank”
No website is perfect.
SEO is about improving your competitive position and fixing the problems that matter most.
“An SEO Company Can Guarantee #1”
No legitimate SEO provider controls Google’s organic rankings.
SEO can improve your website’s relevance, technical accessibility, content, authority and overall competitive strength—but rankings are ultimately determined by the search engine.
Do You Need a Professional SEO?
You can absolutely learn and implement basic SEO yourself.
Many business owners can handle:
- Basic page optimization
- Google Business Profile updates
- Reviews
- Blogging
- Internal links
- Google Search Console
Professional SEO becomes particularly useful when:
- Your market is highly competitive
- Your rankings have stalled
- Your site has technical problems
- You have hundreds of pages
- You don’t know which keywords to target
- Your competitors consistently outrank you
- Your traffic isn’t converting
- You don’t have time to manage SEO yourself
If you’re trying to decide whether professional help is worth it, read How Can Professional SEO Help My Business Succeed?
Frequently Asked Questions About SEO in Digital Marketing
What does SEO mean in digital marketing?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of improving a website and its online presence so search engines can better discover, understand, and rank relevant pages for searches made by potential customers.
What are the main types of SEO?
The major areas commonly include on-page SEO, technical SEO, off-page SEO, local SEO, and content optimization. These areas work together to improve search visibility, website accessibility, relevance, authority, and user experience.
Is SEO part of digital marketing?
Yes. SEO is one component of digital marketing. Other digital marketing channels can include paid advertising, email, social media, video, content marketing, and digital PR.
How does SEO generate traffic?
SEO can increase traffic by improving a website’s visibility for relevant search queries. When people see and click an organic search result, they visit the website without the business paying for that individual organic click.
Is SEO better than Google Ads?
Neither is universally better. Google Ads can provide faster paid visibility, while SEO focuses on building organic visibility over time. Many businesses use both depending on their goals, competition, budget, and timeline.
Does SEO still work in 2026?
Yes. Search continues to be an important way people discover information and businesses. SEO is evolving alongside AI-powered search experiences, but foundational practices such as helpful content, technical accessibility, strong website structure, authority, and relevance remain important.
Does AI replace SEO?
No. AI is changing how people search and how search results are presented, but businesses still need websites and content that search systems can access, understand, and trust. Google’s own guidance says traditional SEO best practices remain applicable to its AI-powered search features.
How long does SEO take to work?
There is no fixed timeline. Results depend on competition, website history, authority, technical condition, content, target keywords, and resources. Some changes can show results relatively quickly, while highly competitive campaigns can take many months.
Can I do SEO myself?
Yes. Business owners can learn many SEO fundamentals themselves. Professional SEO becomes more valuable when the website or market is complex, competition is strong, technical issues exist, or the business needs a more comprehensive strategy.
What is the goal of SEO?
The goal of SEO is to increase relevant organic search visibility and help the right audience discover your website. For a business, that visibility should ideally contribute to meaningful outcomes such as qualified traffic, leads, sales, appointments, or brand awareness.
Need Help With SEO?
SEO has become much more sophisticated than adding keywords to a website and hoping for the best.
A strong strategy connects content, technical SEO, search intent, internal linking, authority, local visibility, and conversions.
I’m Jen Ruhman, and I’ve worked in SEO for more than 20 years. I work directly with businesses to identify what’s limiting their search visibility and build strategies around the searches that actually matter to their business.
If you’re looking for an experienced SEO expert in San Diego, I’d be happy to take a look at your website.
Call or text me: (619) 719-1315
— Jen Ruhman
SEO Expert & Founder of Jen Ruhman SEO
