What is search engine optimisation in 2024

What is search engine optimisation in 2024? SEO stands for “search engine optimisation.” It refers to the process of improving your website to increase visitors from Google, Microsoft Bing, and other search engines whenever people search for:

Products you offer.
Services you provide.
Information on topics in which you have expertise or experience.

The better visibility your pages achieve in search results, the more likely they are to be found and visited.

This introductory guide “What is search engine optimisation in 2024?” will explain SEO in more detail and cover what it entails in 2024.

Technology constantly evolves, which means that websites – and how they are structured – also evolve. So, too, do the devices we use to access search engines.

A web search might be voice-activated, and a “click” could simply be a tap on a mobile phone screen. Even the search engine results we see are increasingly summarised by artificial intelligence (AI).

We will explore all of these different facets of SEO and provide resources to support your continued learning.

How SEO differs from SEM and PPC
Why SEO is important
Types and specialisations within SEO
How SEO works
How SEO evolves
SEO as a service
How to learn SEO

How Does SEO Differ from SEM and PPC?

SEM and PPC are other common terms you’ll encounter here on Search Engine Land and within the broader search marketing community.

It’s helpful to understand what is search engine optimisation in 2024? – and what it is not. Here, we’ll clarify the terminologies, what these abbreviations mean, and how they apply to different aspects of search marketing.

SEO vs SEM

SEM stands for search engine marketing, or simply “search marketing.”

Search marketing is a type of digital marketing and an umbrella term encompassing SEO and PPC (pay-per-click) activities that drive traffic via organic search and paid search, respectively.

How do SEO and SEM differ? Technically, they don’t – SEO is simply one side of SEM:

SEO: Driving clicks to organic results from search engines.
SEM: Driving clicks to both organic and paid results.
PPC: Driving clicks to paid results from search engines.

A good way to think of it is to imagine SEM as a coin, with SEO on one side and PPC on the other.

SEO vs PPC

PPC stands for pay-per-click, a type of digital marketing in which advertisers are charged each time their ad is clicked.

Advertisers bid on specific keywords or phrases for which they want their ads to appear in search engine results. When a user searches for one of those terms, the advertiser’s paid listing appears among the top results.

Again, if search marketing is a coin, SEO and PPC represent the two sides:

PPC: The advertiser pays when a user clicks on their paid listing.
SEO: The organic result listing has not been directly paid for, though SEO as a service requires time and investment. It’s essential to understand that organic search isn’t exactly “free.”

Some debate the value of “SEO vs PPC,” questioning which has a better return on investment (ROI). In truth, SEO and PPC complement each other and are best used together, budget permitting.

In the industry, “SEM” and “PPC” are sometimes used interchangeably. However, here on Search Engine Land, when we mention “SEM,” we’re referring to both SEO (organic search) and PPC (paid search).

For those curious about how “SEM” came to mean “PPC” exclusively, you can explore further in these articles:

Why is SEO Important?

SEO is a critical marketing channel.

Organic search accounts for 53% of all website traffic, according to a 2019 BrightEdge study. Every day, there are over 8.5 billion searches on Google, which holds 91% of the global search engine market. With such vast reach, it’s no surprise that the global SEO industry is projected to reach £122.11 billion by 2028.

SEO delivers tangible business results for brands, companies, and organisations of all sizes. The act of searching has become second nature for internet users globally – a primary means of accessing information within billions of web pages (4.3 billion indexed pages as of September 2024).

Whenever people want to go somewhere, perform an activity, seek information, research, or purchase a product or service, their journey typically begins with a search.

However, search is highly fragmented, especially for consumer-intent activities. Users may search on traditional web search engines (e.g., Google, Microsoft Bing), social platforms (e.g., YouTube, TikTok), or retailer sites (e.g., Amazon).

In fact, in the past year:

56% of U.S. online shoppers started their product searches on Amazon, compared to 46% who started on search engines like Google.
37% began on Walmart.
25% began on YouTube.
20% started on Facebook.
19% started on Instagram.
19% started on TikTok.

An interesting trend is the rise in social sources, especially TikTok, as a preferred platform for knowledge searches among Gen Z. According to a 2023 study, 51% of women in this age group favour TikTok as their go-to source of information.

Trillions of searches occur each year. Search is often the primary traffic source for websites, so ensuring you’re “search engine friendly” on any platform where people may look for your brand is essential.

Improving visibility and ranking higher than competitors can positively impact your bottom line.

SEO is crucial because search engine results pages (SERPs) are highly competitive, filled with features like:

AI-generated overviews
Knowledge panels
Featured snippets
Maps
Images
Videos
Top stories
People Also Ask sections
Carousels

Another reason SEO is invaluable: unlike other marketing channels, quality SEO work is sustainable. When a paid campaign ends, so does its traffic. Traffic from social media can be unreliable at best – and nowhere near what it once was.

SEO is the foundation of holistic marketing, where everything your company does has significance. Once you understand what your users want, you can apply this insight across:

Campaigns (both paid and organic)
Website content
Social media

Organic search drives the traffic needed to achieve key business objectives (e.g., conversions, visits, sales) and helps build trust. A website that ranks well is generally perceived as authoritative or trustworthy, qualities that Google rewards with better rankings.

Types of SEO and Specialisations

Imagine SEO as a sports team: to win, you need a strong offence, solid defence, and a supportive fanbase (or audience).

Think of technical optimisation as your defence, content optimisation as your offence, and off-site optimisation as the outreach that attracts, engages, and builds a loyal following:

Technical SEO: This focuses on optimising a website’s technical elements.
On-site SEO: Optimising content on a website for both users and search engines.
Off-site SEO: Building your brand’s authority and visibility through activities that enhance brand recognition, trustworthiness, and demand generation.

While you have complete control over content and technical optimisations, off-site SEO relies partly on factors beyond your direct control (e.g., links from other sites, platform changes). But these elements remain vital in the ‘SEO trinity’ of success.

Technical Optimisation (Technical SEO)

Optimising the technical elements of a website is essential to its SEO success.

It all starts with site architecture – building a website that search engines can easily crawl and index. As Google Trends Analyst Gary Illyes once stated on Reddit: “MAKE THAT DAMN SITE CRAWLABLE.” You want to ensure search engines can discover and access all your content, including text, images, and videos. Key technical elements include URL structure, navigation, and internal linking.

User experience is another pillar of technical optimisation. Search engines value pages that load quickly and provide a strong user experience. Core Web Vitals, mobile-friendliness, usability, HTTPS security, and avoiding intrusive interstitials all matter in technical SEO.

Structured data, or schema, is another area of focus in technical optimisation. Adding structured data helps search engines better understand your content and can enhance its appearance in search results.

And let’s not forget web hosting, CMS (content management system), and site security – each of these factors also plays a role in SEO performance.

Content Optimisation (On-page SEO)

SEO content needs to appeal to two primary audiences: people and search engines. This requires optimising both the visible content on the page and the underlying code.

The ultimate goal is to publish high-quality, helpful content, achieved by blending insights about your audience’s needs with data and guidance from Google.

When optimising content for readers, ensure it:

Covers topics where you have relevant experience or expertise.
Uses keywords that match user search terms.
Is unique and original.
Is well-written and free of errors.
Contains up-to-date, accurate information.
Incorporates multimedia (e.g., images, videos).
Outperforms competitors on the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Is structured for readability – using subheadings, short paragraphs, and lists.

Key content elements to optimise for search engines include:

Title tags
Meta descriptions
Header tags (H1-H6)
Image alt text
Open Graph metadata

A growing field, Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), focuses on enhancing content visibility in AI-driven search engines (like Google’s Gemini or ChatGPT). GEO is all about preparing content for AI-led search results, which is an emerging focus in content SEO.

Brand and Authority Building (Off-site Optimisation)

Although certain activities don’t fit into traditional SEO, they can indirectly support SEO success.

Link building, or acquiring links to your website, is most associated with off-site SEO. High-quality, relevant links from authoritative sites can positively impact rankings and drive traffic.

Quality over quantity is key with link building. A variety of high-quality links from respected sites is the goal.

How to get these links? Consider using various promotional methods that complement SEO:

Brand building and marketing: Methods to increase recognition and reputation.
Public relations: PR strategies designed to earn editorial links.
Content marketing: Examples include videos, ebooks, research studies, and guest posts.
Social media marketing and optimisation: Claim your brand’s presence on relevant platforms, and share engaging content.
Listing management: Verify and optimise your brand’s presence on directories, review sites, and wikis.
Ratings and reviews: Monitor and engage with reviews to build credibility.

Off-site SEO focuses on indirect factors that, while not purely technical, build your brand’s reputation. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is increasingly about Search Experience Optimisation or even Search Everywhere Optimisation – making your brand discoverable on any platform people might use to find you.

SEO Specialisations

SEO comprises several sub-genres, each requiring different tactics and strategies beyond ‘traditional’ SEO. Here are five key specialisations:

E-commerce SEO: Focuses on optimising category and product pages, faceted navigation, and product images.
Enterprise SEO: Large-scale SEO for sites with 1 million+ pages or high-revenue brands. Managing multiple stakeholders and development delays is often part of enterprise SEO.
International SEO: Optimising for multilingual or multi regional websites, including international search engines like Baidu or Naver.
Local SEO: Enhances visibility in local search results by managing reviews, business listings, and localised content.
News SEO: Speed is crucial, with the goal of appearing quickly in Google News, Discover, and Top Stories. Best practices include optimising for news-specific structured data and managing paywalls.

How Does SEO Work?

If you found this page via Google, you likely searched for something like [what is SEO?]

This guide ranks well on search engines thanks to its reputation as an authoritative resource, accumulating signals that demonstrate its reliability and expertise over the years.

At its core, SEO success is achieved by the interaction of:

People: The SEO team responsible for strategic and operational work.
Processes: Actions to enhance efficiency.
Technology: Platforms and tools used.
Activities: The final product or outcome.

What is search engine optimisation in 2024?

What is search engine optimisation in 2024?? SEO is a continuous journey. Search engines, user behaviours, and competitors evolve. Websites change, content grows stale, and strategies need regular updating. SEO as a discipline mirrors societal and technological shifts, continually adapting to keep up with the ways humans seek information.

Click next: Top 12 Digital Marketing Trends For 2024