SEO
Also: SEO, Search Engine Optimization, organic search optimization, natural search, référencement naturel, référencement (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization: the practice of improving your pages' natural (unpaid) rankings in search engine results pages to attract more organic traffic.
What it is
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the discipline of improving a website's visibility in the organic (unpaid) results of search engines like Google or Bing. When a user types a query, the engine ranks pages by relevance and quality. SEO is the ongoing effort to earn higher positions for the queries that matter to your business, without paying for placement.
SEO is usually broken into three areas:
- Technical SEO: crawlability, site speed, mobile rendering, structured data, and a clean URL structure so engines can access and understand pages.
- On-page SEO: content quality, keyword relevance, titles, headings, and internal linking that match user intent.
- Off-page SEO: external signals of authority, mainly backlinks from other reputable sites.
Why it matters
Organic search is often the largest and lowest marginal-cost acquisition channel. Unlike paid ads, an SEO position does not disappear when you stop spending, though it requires sustained investment to maintain. It compounds: content and authority built today keep returning traffic for years.
- Cost structure: high upfront and fixed effort, near-zero cost per additional click.
- Trust: users often trust organic results more than ads.
- Durability: rankings are an asset, not a rented slot.
How it is used in practice
1. Keyword and intent research: identify what your audience searches and why.
2. Content mapping: create or improve pages that answer those queries better than competitors.
3. Technical fixes: resolve crawl errors, improve Core Web Vitals, add structured data.
4. Link building and PR: earn citations that signal authority.
5. Measurement: track rankings, organic sessions, and conversions in analytics and search console tools.
Concrete worked example
A B2B software firm sells invoice automation. Its blog post targeting "how to automate accounts payable" ranks position 8, getting roughly 2% of clicks on that query (about 200 monthly searches, so ~4 visits). The team improves the article, adds an FAQ with structured data, and earns three backlinks from finance publications. Over three months it climbs to position 3, where click share is around 10% (~20 visits). At a 3% conversion to demo and a known pipeline value per demo, those extra 16 visits per month translate into measurable, recurring pipeline at no per-click cost, which is the core SEO business case.
See also
Frequently asked questions
What does SEO actually mean?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of improving a website's visibility in the organic, unpaid results of search engines like Google or Bing. When someone types a query, the engine ranks pages by relevance and quality; SEO is the sustained work of earning better positions for the queries that matter to your business. It is also called organic search optimization, or référencement naturel in French.
What is the difference between SEO and paid search advertising?
Paid search rents a slot: the traffic stops the day you stop spending. SEO builds an asset: a ranking earned through content and authority keeps returning visits for years, with near-zero cost per additional click. The trade-off is that SEO requires high upfront and fixed effort, plus continued maintenance to hold positions.
What are the three areas of SEO work?
Technical SEO covers crawlability, site speed, mobile rendering, structured data and a clean URL structure so engines can access and understand your pages. On-page SEO covers content quality, keyword relevance, titles, headings and internal linking aligned with user intent. Off-page SEO covers external authority signals, mainly backlinks from reputable sites.
Where should I start if my site has never been optimised for search?
Start with keyword and intent research to identify what your audience searches and why, then map content to those queries. In parallel, clear technical blockers: crawl errors, Core Web Vitals, missing structured data. Link building and PR come next, and measurement of rankings, organic sessions and conversions runs throughout.
How do you build the business case for moving up a few positions in Google?
By converting click share into pipeline. In the worked example on this page, a B2B invoice automation vendor ranks position 8 on "how to automate accounts payable" (about 200 monthly searches, roughly 2% of clicks, so around 4 visits). After improving the article, adding an FAQ with structured data and earning three backlinks from finance publications, it reaches position 3 where click share is around 10%, or about 20 visits; at a 3% conversion to demo, those 16 extra monthly visits become recurring pipeline at no per-click cost.