Think of search engine optimisation as the art of adjusting, tuning and refining bits and pieces across your website to be easily accessible to online users. In particular, this marketing method focuses on making your platform more visible across search giants, like Google. This allows your brand to access better awareness, authority and credibility – both online and offline.

When this practice is done right, your website climbs up the ladder of search results. For example, if a user inputs the query ‘digital marketing in Melbourne’ it’s likely you’ll find us right up there. That’s because we’ve worked hard at implementing both on and off-page tactics to let Google say, “Hey, these guys know what they’re talking about.” As a result, we’re given prime real estate on these results pages. If you’re lacking in leads and awareness (whether that be digitally or physically), SEO can help you gain traction.

This avenue is a long process that requires commitment and persistence. Unlike other marketing efforts, it’s not instant, but it can grant you more long-term success than any other. From refining meta tags, page titles and sitemaps, through to actioning keyword research and optimised on-page content, SEO is a step-heavy approach to digital marketing. However, because of the amount of work involved, it allows you to obtain better reach to your target audiences, and a significantly improved web presence (if your provider uses white-hat techniques).

Over time, your website will begin to rank for keywords that are relevant to your website. Adding in quality links pointing towards your target pages – otherwise known as ‘backlinks’ – you’ll see your platform begin to rise up the ranks of Google. However, the job doesn’t stop here. To keep your spot, you’ll need to constantly refresh your SEO and content to remain high up in search results.

While there’s plenty of DIY resources online for taking this challenge on yourself, there’s a lot of work that goes into keeping the whole thing functioning and performing well. While your campaign may seem like a few easy steps at the start, it will require hands-on maintenance around the click, in order to really reap the benefits. It’s not a set-and-forget marketing tactic, and can be a ‘needy’ field, compared to others.

Because of this, we always recommend opting for an expert in the field to conduct all of the hard yards for you. This will make sure you remain relevant, that your investment is well-utilised and that you receive the best possible results. In the end, you’ll gain better quality, more long-term results than if you were to dabble with it here and there when you’ve got time on your hands.