Many business owners and marketers narrowly define search engine optimization as simply ranking higher on search results, yet true SEO encompasses a broader scope, enhancing visibility, engagement, and conversions.
Proper online optimization includes not just keywords and “checklist” SEO ranking factors, but also user experience (UX), site design, and quality content, all aimed at driving conversions. An all-encompassing SEO and UX strategy, sometimes referred to as Search Experience Optimization or SXO, is key to improving your brand’s overall digital marketing performance and driving long-term success.
“Holistic SEO” or an SXO approach is not new or a trend, it is SEO.
SEO and UX Are Inseparable (“SXO”)
Some businesses mistakenly believe that improving site speed, H1 tags, or resolving 404 errors will guarantee online success. Why? Many SEO tools present these measurable factors as “website optimization,” fostering numerous SEO misconceptions. However, effective SEO goes beyond technical elements and inherently focuses on delivering a positive, user-friendly experience.
The term SXO, or Search Experience Optimization, first introduced in 2015, was an industry attempt to rebrand the holistic blend of SEO and UX—a concept well-understood by professionals, though still misunderstood by many even today.
If an SEO agency is ethical and committed to providing high-quality services, “SXO” or “Holistic SEO” is their standard practice. Ethical marketing agencies understand the importance of not just ranking well in search engines, but also ensuring that the user experience is valuable. Meaning your website redesign project will consider SEO from the start, and your request for SEO help might prompt a site refresh.
Key Elements of “Holistic SEO”
Often, what many believe to be a classic “ranking” issue, actually stems from underlying usability and design flaws. Our case studies demonstrate that a detailed, holistic SEO approach not only improves user experience but also drives superior rankings, quality organic traffic, and increased conversions. Here are some key components:
On-page basics: Cover foundational SEO items like title tags, SEO-friendly URLs, and optimized images and headings.
Technical SEO: Ensure proper indexing, use of structured data, HTTPS, mobile-friendliness, and optimized site speed.
Trust and security: Maintain secure browsing with SSL certificates, clear policies, and transparent data handling.
Site structure and UX: Opt for logical design and easy navigation. Focus on responsive and fast-loading interfaces. Subpar site performance is often due to poorly built sites or confusing UX.
Content quality: Prioritize high-quality SEO content creation that delivers genuine value to your users. Understand search intent to ensure content aligns with what users are looking for. But note that business blogging is not a fit for every industry.
Conversions: Ensure a seamless journey from search to user action.
Branding: Develop a strong, consistent brand across all platforms. Seemingly small visual elements like your favicon and site name play a part.
Off-page: Optimze your Google Business Page and other profiles, engage on social media, and seek PR opportunities when applicable.
By integrating SEO and user experience into a cohesive user-centric framework, your business can build long-term brand authority and achieve sustainable online success.
The Broader View of Digital Presence
Website design, SEO, content strategy and other digital marketing activities are so interconnected that they should not be considered separate projects. This is why businesses that regard SEO as a siloed task, rather than as part of a broader strategy aligned with business objectives, quickly fall behind.
Your business must approach its online presence holistically, considering all digital touchpoints and the entire search experience. This includes adapting to changes in search behavior across various channels, such as traditional search engines, social media, online marketplaces, discussion forums, and AI-powered platforms.
Embrace a Comprehensive Strategy
As you refine your digital marketing roadmap, keep an eye on advancements in artificial intelligence. Remember, emerging terms like “AIO” (AI Optimization or AI Overviews) or “GEO” (Generative Engine Optimization), both coined in 2023, simply affirm that a thorough and strategic plan is key to future-proofing your organic online visibility.
Whether your focus is thought leadership, local search, e-commerce, or another area, a comprehensive and adaptable approach to online optimization is needed. And whether you call it SEO, SXO, Holistic SEO, AIO, GEO, OSO (Organic Search Optimization) or some other new acronym, your business should expect digital marketing professionals to focus on improving the entire search journey, not just “ranking higher on Google.”
Bottom line: Online success requires you to think well beyond “keywords.”
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