SEO search optimization is one of the most important things you can do for your digital marketing. Without the right techniques, your pages can get lost in an ocean of other, similar, websites. By utilizing basic SEO techniques, you can help your website rise to the top and get seen by potential customers.

Organic search is one of the most common ways for people to find websites. This goes for everything from nearby restaurants to book stores and questions about their pets. When they type in what they’re looking for, a selection of websites are shown, ranked by how likely the search engine thinks this is what they are looking for.

If your website isn’t in the top 20, it’s unlikely they’ll ever be seen and clicked on. Luckily, knowing how search engines rank your website can help you rise to the top.

Long String Keywords

Short String Keywords, such as “phone” or “dog” involve just one or two words. They have incredibly high competition. T-mobile might be able to get ranked for phone, but your phone review website will not.

This is because there are millions of websites that potentially match this short term keyword, and google will choose the largest and most popular first. If your new and small, you’re unlikely to be able to compete.

If you’re a fresh new website looking for an edge though, there’s still hope. The secret to getting ranked even when you’re a smaller or newer website is to use long form keywords. “Review of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Phone” is an example of a long string keyword.

There is much less competition for this longer search string. Although fewer people will be searching for it, 10,000 people potentially clicking on your website is better than a billion people who never see it.

Long string keywords should be your major focus.

Avoid Keyword Stuffing

In the early years of SEO, websites could get ranked by repeating the keywords over and over again on the website. The search engine mistook the repetition of the keywords as content that went in-depth into the topic, and ranked them.

This all changed as search engines became more sophisticated. Today, keyword stuffing will get your website deranked instead. At most, websites should have the keyword in the title, the first paragraph, and no more than 1-2 more times per 500 words.

Quality Matters

All of the recent search engine updates, especially involving leading search engine Google, are aimed at sorting quality content from poor quality content. Search engines are looking for fresh takes that have not been seen before. New quotes for sources, new interviews, and fresh, original content.

Your focus should be on creating content that is as original as possible. If you’re an expert in the field, instead of copying what everyone else is doing share an insider secret. Not only will readers quickly learn you have exclusive information only your website provides, search engines will quickly figure that out too.

SEO search optimization is one of the most important things you can do for your website. It’s worth putting the time in to do something special.