An Organic SEO Strategy to Take You to the Summit of Search Results

This article is the second in our SEO Strategy series. If you haven’t read the first article, we recommend starting there to gain foundational insights into how organic SEO fits into your broader SEO Strategy. 

Organic SEO: The Lynchpin of a Winning SEO Strategy

In our previous article, we emphasized that winning the game of search engine optimization (SEO) starts with understanding the keywords your target customer is searching for when they’re on the hunt for your product or service. Here, we dig into organic SEO, which refers to the practice of optimizing your website to naturally rank higher in search engine results without relying on paid advertising.

How do you know what keywords your ideal customer types into the search engine? 

You don’t need to be a mind reader to discover what queries your audience is searching for—you need data! Conducting keyword research is an essential first step in building your organic SEO strategy. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and newer AI-powered tools provide data insights, including historical search volume, competition, and related keywords, that help you understand how customers and prospects are looking for your services or products online. Keep in mind that search intent—the purpose behind the search—is crucial. Some queries may seem relevant but could indicate intent that doesn’t align with your goals, such as informational searches instead of those signaling a purchase intent.

Expanding Beyond Traditional SEO Tactics

The SEO landscape is evolving, and with it comes the introduction of generative AI and SEO. Unlike traditional SEO methods, which largely rely on historical keyword data and manual optimization, generative SEO leverages AI to enhance keyword research and to create optimized content by analyzing search patterns and user intent more effectively than traditional tools. As AI-generated content increasingly finds its place in search results, businesses need to adapt. This trend impacts how you should approach creating content and optimizing for search.

The Importance of Positioning in Organic Search Results

Once you have identified your target keywords, your goal is to position your business at the top of the first page of organic search results. The top 9 or 10 organic spots on Google’s first page capture the majority of clicks—over 85%, according to a recent study of 12 million search queries. However, with the rise of AI-driven content and search features like generative search responses, landing within these top spots now involves more than just targeting keywords.

How to Dominate Organic Search Spots

By creating genuinely helpful content. Google’s algorithms have increasingly emphasized user experience, and with AI becoming more integrated into search engines, this focus will only intensify. AI-driven search results now extract and synthesize content from multiple sources, making it crucial to not only rank well but also ensure your content is comprehensive, accurate, and relevant enough to be cited in AI-generated responses.

Helpful content remains the cornerstone of SEO, helping your site appear in traditional featured snippets and AI-generated citations. To achieve this, focus on providing clear, insightful answers to common questions while integrating your unique business perspective. This combination can position your content as a go-to resource.

Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI Search

As search engines like Google incorporate generative AI, the way content is displayed and consumed is changing. To stay competitive:

• Optimize for AI-driven search results: Focus on structured data and schema markup that helps AI better understand and extract relevant information from your content.
• Diversify your content formats: Incorporate video, infographics, and other media to cater to how AI models may interpret and present content to users.
• Prioritize comprehensive coverage: Rather than just optimizing for individual keywords, consider holistic coverage of topics, as AI prioritizes in-depth content. For example, instead of just writing an article on ‘best running shoes,’ create a comprehensive guide that covers everything from shoe types to maintenance tips, ensuring your content meets a range of user intents.

Additional Content Considerations

Other content considerations to keep in mind when writing helpful content:

• Ensure Readability: Ensure your content is accessible by writing at a level that aligns with your audience’s reading ability.
• Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Balancing keyword placement and readability remains essential.
• Prioritize Link Building: Internal and external links continue to bolster SEO, but now with an added focus on content that provides value within an AI-generated context.
• Include Media and Section Breaks: Visuals and well-organized sections are increasingly important as AI analyzes content structure when generating responses.
• Optimize Metadata: Use metadata like optimized title tags and descriptions, which can influence how AI selects content.

Leveraging Generative AI Tools in SEO

Generative AI tools now offer capabilities that extend beyond keyword research. They can assist with content creation, generate alternate headlines and meta descriptions, and help you identify opportunities for optimization that align with AI-driven search engines. You should also use tools like Google Search Console to monitor indexing issues and optimize content performance. As we discussed in our article on the evolving search landscape, businesses need to rethink traditional SEO strategies and prepare for a future where AI monopolies influence how content is ranked and displayed.

In another guide on optimizing content for AI-driven search, we delve deeper into the steps you can take to enhance your content’s chances of being featured in AI-powered search results.

Is organic SEO strategy all about content? 

While content is critical, user experience factors like site speed, accessibility, design, and security still play significant roles. AI algorithms consider these factors as well, making it essential to maintain a holistic SEO approach.

Staying Ahead in a Competitive SEO Landscape

The search landscape is evolving rapidly, and businesses that adapt to AI-driven changes will be best positioned to capture organic traffic and remain competitive in the long run. Stay proactive and continually refine your approach as these technologies evolve.

In our next installment, we’ll explore strategies for paid placements on search engine results pages (SERPs). In the meantime, explore more digital strategy insights on our blog or learn about our SEO services.

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Courtney Turrin

Chief Work Officer at Xponent21

As the company’s number two employee, Courtney has helped guide the direction of our business, build a powerhouse team, and implement technology and workflows to improve service delivery and produce outsized results for our clients. Her current role sits at the intersection of analytics, work management, and operations. Drawing on her background in scientific research, Courtney designs efficient processes and supports our teams so they can better serve our clients. She holds masters degrees in Biology and Psychology/Neuroscience from the College of William and Mary and Yale University, respectively. Offline, Courtney is a plant whisperer, Peloton enthusiast, and proud pet mom.

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