Everyone in the digital industry knows that search audiences have the strongest intent compared to users coming in from other channels. And the fact that search audiences grow exponentially every year creates a massive interest amongst businesses to start their search marketing campaign.
On search marketing, there are two types of approach, the paid search approach and the organic search approach, people, called it SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Let's talk about SEO; SEO is a series of marketing activities to create, publish, and optimize the most relevant content that answers the search audience's query. The first metric of success is ranking for search queries on the search result page.
Optimization includes the on-website optimization of site architecture, load speed, HTML, and, most importantly, content optimization. As well as off-page optimization, building the online site authority.
Here is a more detailed resource for SEO https://www.google.com/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf
For businesses looking for an SEO agency to work with, here are some of my tips to avoid getting scammed by your agency
Ranking Warranty, even Google on their webmaster YouTube channel already explain that no one can guarantee to rank on any keyword. If your SEO agency is offering a warranty on keyword ranking, most of the time, it scam.
This old video from Matt Cutts explain why ranking can’t be guaranteed.
Too much focus on backlink acquisition. It may include some absurd strategy like SEO contest, SEO challenges or things like that. Here's the thing, I think the crucial first focus on SEO should be on the website optimization itself. Content in particular, if your agency didn't show enough credential in content strategy and development, then I don't think they are the right agency for your to work with.
Ranking only KPI, while I agree that ranking is the first metric you can measure as a success of your SEO, but ranked on specific keywords is not always translated into value for your business, many other metrics are more important than just ranking. Visitors, engagement or even conversion. And if your agency somehow didn't present that as their KPI, there's no value for you to work with them.
Anything to add? Let me know in the comment box below.
See where your brand stands in AI answers today, benchmarked against your competitors, no pitch required.
AI stopped reading your pages and started reading your entity graph
AI is starting to retrieve your brand as a graph of connected entities, and a lot of well-written sites are illegible in that format. Here is what GraphRAG changes and how to fix your entity legibility.
read_post →
Brand mentions or backlinks, what actually gets you cited in 2026?
Links still move Google, but a plain unlinked mention of your brand may do more for you in AI search. Here is how the two signals split in 2026, and how to build both.
read_post →
Only 276 of Every 1,000 Google Searches Now Reach the Open Web
Google now settles 68% of US searches without sending a click anywhere. What that means for your blog, your KPIs, and your next client conversation.
read_post →