Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is already used by countless businesses that want to stand out online. However, it is often treated as a one-time task – once the keywords, metadata, and other basics are set up, it’s expected to bring free traffic forever. In reality, you need review and refresh your SEO strategy regularly.
The main goal of SEO is to improve a website’s visibility and attract organic traffic that boosts business results in a natural way. According to US SEO marketing company BrightEdge, in industries such as retail, media and entertainment, business services, technology/internet, and hospitality, 40% of revenue comes from organic website traffic.
Moreover, 93% of online experiences start with a search engine (mainly Google searches, images, and maps). This makes search visibility crucial – the higher you appear in your potential customers’ search results, the better your chances of being found. And thus, it’s worth making an effort to optimize your website.
How Are Websites Ranked in Search Engines?
Google, the world’s largest search engine, uses over 200 ranking factors to determine search results. The top ten include:
- High-quality, relevant content
- Mobile-friendliness
- User experience
- Page loading speed
- Technical optimization
- Domain history and authority
- Number of internal links
- Number of external backlinks
- Social signals
- Security and accessibility
However, to better understand the user needs and to provide them better search results, Google (and other search engines) updates its algorithms every few months. That’s why it’s essential to stay informed and adjust your website to match the latest standards.
SEO and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an important force shaping modern SEO. It has changed how search engines understand, interpret, and rank web content.
AI helps search engines build more advanced algorithms that can better grasp context, intent, and relevance – resulting in more accurate and useful search results. It also evaluates website experience factors like mobile-friendliness, page speed, interactivity, and even AI-powered tools such as chatbots, all of which make browsing more pleasant, personalized, and interactive for visitors.
AI is also behind the rise of voice search. Virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are increasingly changing how people find information. Voice queries tend to be longer and more conversational, so websites that optimize for natural, spoken phrases are more likely to reach these users.
As mobile usage and voice searches grow, local SEO has become particularly important. Many people use their phones to find nearby businesses or ask their voice assistants for recommendations. Optimizing your website for local keywords helps you appear in mobile and voice search results. And believe it or not, it will pay off well – Google reports that 76% of people who search for a local business on their phone visit it within a day, and 28% of those searches lead to a purchase.
AI also enables more personalized search results by analyzing user data, behavior, and preferences. However, it’s important to remain aware of the risks – unchecked algorithms can create filter bubbles or lead to bias, much like on social media.
The Dark Side of SEO
Not all optimization is ethical. Some companies use “black hat” SEO techniques to manipulate rankings. In order to rank better in search engines, they may use keyword stuffing, show different content to search engines and users, copy texts from other websites, or participate in link farms, create automated searches to appear popular, etc. Such methods might provide a temporary boost, but risk serious penalties.
If caught, a website can be removed from search results altogether. Fortunately, AI helps search engines detect these manipulative tactics and reward sites that use ethical strategies, high-quality content, and relevant optimization.
Recent developments in artificial intelligence, as well as your human competitors are constantly reshaping the online landscape. To stay visible and successful, keep a regular eye on and update your SEO strategy too.
To sum up, SEO is a dynamic field in which you need to keep abreast of the news and adapt your strategies to the latest trends in order to achieve long-term success.
If you need help optimizing your website for search engines – whether you’re building your first strategy or improving an existing one – feel free to contact us at hello@hundredagency.eu or reach out via our contact form.