R&D: SEO
Would You Go to a Party With Boring Guests?
Imagine showing up to a party where only one person you barely know was invited—and their sole purpose for being there was to give you directions that you didn’t ask for. Would you stay? Probably not.
Now, think about your website. Would you write a blog post, build a landing page, or create an entire microsite without knowing if it's what your audience actually wants or needs right now? If the answer is no, then you already understand the importance of SEO.
SEO is the path of least resistance. A solid SEO foundation offers actionable, data-driven public relations and communications campaign insights. It tells you what your audience is searching for and which conversations your brand should join to gain relevance.
Here's what nobody's talking about: SEO isn't dead—it's evolving. Don't give up because "it's always changing"; that's precisely why you must dive in and understand the latest developments on the interwebs.
Businesses that adapt to AI-driven search and optimize for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) will maintain a competitive edge. The winners will always be those who put their audience first and focus on high-quality, user-centric content. With the right analytics, you can confirm what you already know about user behavior and cater to your audience.
Yet, so many brands overlook SEO. Why? Because it's time-consuming, and you are not wrong, the digital landscape is, admittedly, always changing. You are not wrong. But so are the news narratives and viral trends.
Ignoring SEO and its overall benefits to organic growth and your high-end PR program is a costly mistake. Communication strategists and PR agencies must incorporate SEO because they focus on acquiring referral traffic through brand mentions, spokesperson features, and high-quality backlinks. When a website with authority in your industry or niche links back to your content, it sends a powerful signal of trust and expertise to Google and other search engines.
SEO Is the Foundation of Organic Growth
SEO and PR are top-of-funnel activities because they offer massive exposure and visibility. SEO provides timely, intent-driven data, while PR is the eloquent application of that data. Together, they create a harmonious, mutually symbiotic relationship:
SEO identifies what your audience is searching for.
PR generates referral traffic through backlinks and media coverage.
Your website's authority grows, and your brand's value and affinity strengthen.
It's the circle of life for digital marketing and online reputation. And it all starts with a strong SEO foundation.
The Data Doesn't Lie
The ultimate benefit of heightened visibility and brand awareness is outranking your competitors, and that's precisely what SEO tactics aim to achieve.
Not to brag, but I've been in business long enough to see trends among my clients. I've worked with multiple GA environments, and search is consistently the top channel driving volume and engagement for established sites that embrace content marketing.
Here's why:
Increased Organic Traffic: SEO helps websites rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to more organic, unpaid traffic.
Improved Brand Awareness: Higher rankings mean more visibility, making it easier for potential customers to find and remember your brand.
Enhanced User Experience: SEO best practices—like optimizing for page speed and mobile-friendliness—create a better user experience, driving engagement and conversions.
Cost-Effective Marketing: Organic traffic is free (no shade to paid advertising - we all know you are leadership's favorite child), making SEO a cost-effective way to attract and engage potential customers.
Increased Conversions: SEO drives higher conversion rates by attracting the right audience through relevant keywords and optimizing for user experience.
Data-Driven Insights: SEO provides actionable data to inform your marketing strategies and uncover audience behavior.
The VIPs: SEO in Action
Here are five recent standout SEO successes showcasing the financial impact of a well-executed digital strategy:
SEO case study: Later 147% YoY Growth
Leading social media management tool Later helps over 7 million users create, schedule, and share their content across all major social media platforms. They have over 1.8K positive reviews on the Apple store and over 5K on Google Play.
Later added a Social Media Glossary with over 200 pages of content. The impact was immediate. Shortly after going live, these pages generated an impressive 60% of the site's total traffic.
SEO Case Study: All About Cookies 3,336% YoY Growth
All About Cookies is a thought leader in online privacy and data security, covering topics like identity theft prevention, antivirus protection, and VPNs. Tutorials and software recommendations are their primary content focus, generating over half of site traffic.
In 2023, All About Cookies added almost 600 new pages to its site, segmented into five distinct categories, each catering to a different stage in the marketing funnel. This comprehensive approach assured All About Cookies met the needs of each of its customers, regardless of where they were in their buying journey, simultaneously contributing to an influx of approximately 259K new ranking keywords.
SEO Case Study: ZOE 754% Organic Growth in 6 Months
Digital health platform ZOE offers personalized nutrition programs and at-home tests to analyze how people react to different foods. Users access their personalized insights via the mobile app to make informed dietary choices and speak with a nutritional coach.
ZOE follows the strict rules around image SEO to help search engines crawl and index their images. Since search engines can't "see" images, ZOE provides context through descriptive alt text, keyword-rich file names, and informative title tags. As a result, search engines reward ZOE with 72.1K image snippets, a type of SERP feature that shows an image next to the search result.
Top Strategies to Emulate
What do these strategies have in common? User-centric, high-quality content that fulfills search intent and is tailored to each audience at various stages of the buyer's journey. Employing both technical best practices for search engines and understanding user behavior leads to strong first impressions and long-term relationships. In the most basic sense, these top-performing brands understand their audience and develop content prioritizing human beings and their human experience.
SEO Isn't Hard—It's Essential for Organic Success
Learning SEO and uncovering audience behavior is more important than ever with the rise of AI and GEO. PR is the art of building relationships, and to reach a motivated audience actively searching for your products or services, you need to have a good relationship with Google.
Let's be clear: SEO isn't complicated—it's time-consuming. Google Search Central documents the technical essentials and outlines the code requirements process perfectly; the behemoth wants its publishers to succeed. The rules are explicit, and enforcing them preserves your thought leadership and helps you outrank competitors. The benefits are undeniable: sustained organic growth, increased brand loyalty, and a bulletproof reputation.
The Search for an Engaged Audience Begins Today
Start Today: Organic growth on search takes about 6 months to see significant results. But it's worth it because organic growth is sustained growth. Small, incremental gains can start as soon as 2 months into the program to keep wind in your sails.
Assess Your Current Position: Install Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (GA) to understand your audience's behavior. Free audit tools like SEOptimizer (you get one free search per day) alert you to warnings and errors that lead to poor website health and, subsequently, poor digital performance that leads to irrelevance.
Align Your Offerings: Match your services with what your audience is actively searching for—but be authentic. There are no cheap tricks in SEO because the algorithm is smarter than you. Driving an audience to a page or experience that doesn't fulfill the promise of the click is terrible UX and bad form.
Test and Measure: Encourage your team to make data-driven decisions. Build on what's working and refine what's not. Don't be afraid to ditch an executive-pitched strategy that drains your time and budget. Thoughtful leaders will appreciate your redirection.
Invest in High-Value Media: Leverage video, paid media, and press tours to amplify your ROI once you know where your thought leadership resonates most.
Building a Bulletproof Brand
Not to be an alarmist, but it's not a matter of if but when a crisis will strike. Too many factors are outside your control, and how you respond to them dramatically impacts your digital and personal reputation. The good news is that you and your brand can weather any storm by building on your values and establishing trust now.
And here's the proof: brands with loyal customers and enviable brand recognition generally report 5.7 times higher revenue growth than their competitors, according to Harvard Business Review. Good PR isn't some ego-centric CEO gimmick; there's data to support a bulletproof brand with loyal customers and trusted relationships.
SEO Is Your Secret Weapon for Organic Growth
SEO and PR must work together to create a seamless ecosystem where data informs storytelling, and storytelling drives visibility. It's not just about impressions and traffic spikes—it's about being seen by the right people at the right time, with the right message. SEO delivers the data to refine go-to-market strategies, which inform PR efforts and a plan of action to upset your competitors.
SEO is a (complicated) relationship-building tool and a literal trendsetter. Understanding your audience's needs and delivering value content creates a foundation for sustained growth and resilience. It's even better when your endorsement comes from a credible third-party referral.
Timely Relevance
Both SEO and PR thrive on staying current. SEO leverages real-time search trends to align content with what audiences seek, while PR capitalizes on timely news cycles to position your brand as a thought leader.
Intent-Driven Strategies
SEO uncovers the intent behind search queries—whether it's informational, navigational, or transactional. PR crafts narratives that align with that intent, ensuring your message resonates with the right audience at the right time.
Building Relationships
SEO builds trust with search engines through high-quality content and backlinks. PR builds trust with people through media placements and third-party endorsements, creating a feedback loop of credibility and authority.
Amplifying Visibility
SEO ensures your brand is discoverable when people search for solutions. PR ensures your brand is talked about in the right circles, keeping you top of mind even when people aren't actively searching.
Crisis Resilience
A strong SEO foundation ensures your brand's narrative is front and center during a crisis. PR manages the narrative in real-time, ensuring your reputation remains intact.
Long-Term Growth
SEO drives sustained organic traffic, attracting visitors genuinely interested in your offerings. PR builds lasting relationships with key stakeholders, amplifying your message and fostering long-term brand loyalty.
The Bottom Line Moves Up and To The Right with SEO
SEO and PR are more than complementary—they're inseparable, especially in Digital PR. When they work together, they create a powerful synergy that drives visibility, builds trust, and ensures your brand thrives in both the short and long term. So, if you're investing in one, don't forget the other. Together, they're the ultimate power couple for your brand's success.
Not sure where to start? I highly recommend Hubspot's *free* SEO Certification Course if you don’t have the budget to retain communications consulting services. That way, when you are ready, the more data you can gain before looping in an agency, the better. Some SEO is better than no SEO.
Dive into SEO today because the sooner you do, the sooner you'll collect valuable data—and the sooner you'll see the results and become the coolest kid at the party with all the happy investors and shareholders.
