What is SEO Visibility?

In today’s digital age, simply having a website is not enough. To truly benefit from your online presence, your website needs to be easily found by your target audience. This is where SEO visibility (also known as organic search visibility or search engine visibility) comes into play. SEO visibility measures how likely it is that users will see and click on your website in organic search results. Your search visibility indicates how prominently your website appears in search engine results versus other websites. For businesses, a high SEO visibility score means more traffic, better brand recognition, and increased potential for sales and growth.

Search Visibility Score

Your search visibility score reveals how well your website is performing as a whole by estimating how many times your brand or product is shown in search engine results pages (SERPs). It considers two main factors: how high you rank for relevant keywords and how many people search for those keywords each month. Scores are usually calculated by adding up the estimated click-through rate (CTR) for each of your tracked keywords (based on their search volume and position in SERPs) and then dividing by the total number of keywords. 

As an illustration, if you have a single keyword that appears in position 2 of a Google search, it gets approximately 24.7% of all clicks for that keyword.  So if search visibility was calculated using only one keyword, your search visibility would be 24.7%. 

Higher ranking keywords and keywords with more searches contribute more to your overall visibility score. There are several SEO tools that can measure this score and provide insights into areas for improvement. If your visibility score is 0%, none of your keywords appear in the top 50 positions of the SERPs.

Keep in mind that a website’s search visibility score is constantly changing. This is because it depends on two fluid factors: your website’s ranking for keywords and the search volume for those keywords which change over time based on trends and user interests. Your ranking can also fluctuate due to SEO efforts made by your or your competitors as well as frequent (often daily) algorithm updates by search engines. Keep reading to learn more about SEO visibility and to get some actionable strategies to enhance it, ensuring your website stands out in search results.

Keywords & Search Intent

Keyword Research

Keyword research, the foundation of strong search visibility, involves identifying the words and phrases that potential customers use when searching for products or services like yours. It’s like having a roadmap to where your target audience is searching online. By understanding the terms and phrases people use to find information on your site, you can tailor your website’s content to those keywords. This not only increases your chances of ranking higher in search results, but it also ensures you’re attracting visitors genuinely interested in what you offer. Effective keyword research helps you create content that resonates with your audience, ultimately driving more qualified traffic and boosting your overall search visibility score.

You can brainstorm some keywords you think your customers use to find you, then use online tools like Google search suggestions to check their search volume and find more related terms. You can use other free tools to analyze your keywords to determine which keywords are used most often, which are most competitive (and therefore the most difficult to rank for), and other factors that will help you determine which keywords to focus on. 

Your most important keywords will be your primary keywords which will represent the core topic or concept of your content. Secondary keywords, also called supporting keywords, are closely related to your primary keywords and provide additional context. Long-tail keywords are phrases that contain several words. They are typically more specific searches that are easier to rank for but have fewer searches. You will want to identify some keywords in each category to use on your web pages.  When choosing keywords, it is also important to consider the user ‘s search intent.

Search Intent

Understanding what keywords your customers use to search for your products and services is essential for effective SEO. Some potential customers may begin doing online research long before they are ready to make a purchase decision. Others who perform searches that are related to your product may have no intention of buying your product now or any time in the future. This is when search intent becomes very important.

Online searches can be categorized into several types:

1. Informational: Users are seeking information or answers to questions (e.g., “Can you plug a leaky tire at home”).
2. Navigational: Users are looking for a specific website or page (e.g., “Wikihow.com fix a hole in tire DIY”).
3. Commercial: Users have a commercial intent, but are doing research (e.g., “reviews of tire stores”)
4. Transactional: Users are searching with the intent to complete a transaction (e.g., “stores that sell tires near me”).

The four searches described above are very different. If you have a store that sells tires, and you are interested in driving traffic to your website, you will probably first want to focus on transactional keywords. Once your website is optimized for primary, secondary and long tail transactional keywords, you may also want to pursue commercial keywords next.  You may even pursue informational keywords which can play a role in establishing awareness for your business.

Improving Search Visibility: On-Page Factors

So once you’ve identified the keywords you will focus on, based on search volume, difficulty, and search intent, what next?  

Optimize Website Content

To improve SEO visibility, your website content should be relevant, informative, valuable, and engaging to your target audience and should incorporate your keywords in a natural, organic way.  Optimize content with your target keywords without overusing them—a practice known as keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing occurs when the same keywords are used over and over again in your content. Some ways to avoid keyword stuffing is by using multiple keywords.

Header Tags and Content Structure

Header tags and good content structure are like a roadmap for search engines and users alike, significantly impacting your search visibility. Clear headers, formatted in a hierarchy (H1, H2, H3 etc.), act as signposts, guiding search engines to understand the main points and subtopics of your content. This helps them classify and rank your web pages effectively. For users, well-structured content with descriptive headers is easier to scan and navigate. They can quickly grasp the key takeaways and find the information they seek faster. This positive user experience can also be a factor considered by search engines, ultimately boosting your website’s overall visibility in search results.

Title Tags & Meta Descriptions

Title tags and meta descriptions are critical for garnering clicks from search engine results pages (SERPs). Title tags (60 characters or less) are an important search engine ranking factor, and should use your primary keyword(s). While not technically a ranking factor, the meta description (displayed under the title tag) plays an important role in enticing readers to click on your website’s link on the SERP. 

Content Quality & Relevance

When new content is added to a website, this is a signal to search engines that your site is active and relevant. That’s why it’s important to freshen up your content and website with new, engaging content to stay relevant to your audience. High-quality content that addresses your audience’s needs will improve both user experience and SEO visibility score.

Image Optimization

Using relevant alt text for images and optimizing file sizes improves accessibility and helps search engines understand your content better. Using high quality images can improve the look of your content and appeal to users more. Optimize your images according to Google’s best practices for image optimization so their file size doesn’t slow page load speed. 

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the process of ensuring that a website meets the technical requirements of modern search engines. Strong technical SEO is essential for achieving good organic search rankings and top search visibility. Addressing technical issues that hinder search engine crawling and indexing is vital for SEO success. 

Site Architecture & Navigation

An organized and easy to navigate website is essential for both users and search engines. The hierarchy of your website should fit its purpose. Don’t over complicate your site’s hierarchy by creating more layers (and more clicks) than necessary. Create a strong URL structure that helps users find what they’re looking for and allows search engines to crawl and index your site effectively. A website with strong architecture allows search engines to easily analyze your content and show it to the right readers. If your website is not easy to navigate, users may become overwhelmed and look elsewhere.

Page Speed 

Many technical SEO factors such as page-load speed play a vital role in your SEO rankings and therefore search visibility. When pages are slow to load, impatient users will click away. Fast loading times create a positive user experience and increase the likelihood of a multiple-page visit and a longer dwell time. 

Mobile Friendliness

With approximately 60% of all searches performed on mobile devices, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is more important than ever. No one wants to pinch and scroll to view your site’s content. Ensure your site has a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes including tablets.

Internal Linking

Internal links are the glue that holds your website together, benefitting both search engines and human visitors. They act like pathways, guiding users to relevant content and search engines to understand your site structure. This creates a clear hierarchy, similar to an organizational chart, that both users and search engines can follow.

Structured Data

Structured data is like a filing system for your website, helping search engines understand what your content is all about. It uses a standardized format to categorize your pages, making it easier for search engines to decipher your content and potentially show it in richer search results, like with recipe snippets or product ratings. Since search engines have to process tons of information, anything you can do to make their job easier (like adding structured data) is a big win for your website’s visibility.

Other Technical SEO Factors

This includes fixing broken links, adding redirects, correct use of HTML, and ensuring proper use of XML sitemaps, and robots.txt files. 

Off-Page Optimization & Building Authority

Backlinks

Building backlinks is an off-page SEO optimization strategy. Backlinks are links to your website from another reputable, high-quality website. These links can improve your rankings and your visibility score because they are a signal of your site’s authority and credibility. Not only is backlinking a good way to improve your SEO visibility but also good for brand awareness. 

Link-Building Strategies

Obtaining high-quality backlinks can be a challenge. Some effective strategies include, guest blogging, directory listings, and partnerships with relevant sites. Guest blogging is an effective link building strategy, but it’s essential to find a reputable site with high standards. The site’s content must also be relevant and congruent with your brand’s image. Focus on quality over quantity when building links. 

If you’d like help with link building strategies, GlobeRunner has link building experts that would love to help your website have relevance and authority in your field, contact us to learn more. 

Online Reputation Management

Online reputation management is all about taking control of online conversation about your brand. This can include, responding to reviews, posting on social media, and interacting with online communities. Online reputation management is all about building your brands trust and creating a positive impact on your SEO visibility score.

Frequently Asked Questions on SEO Visibility

Improve Your SEO Visibility with Globe Runner

In today’s digital landscape, where websites compete for attention, simply having an online presence isn’t enough. To truly thrive, your website needs to achieve a SEO visibility score that dominates that of your competitors.  Incorporating the on-page, technical, and off-page SEO strategies we’ve discussed today is the best way to boost your visibility score and ultimately achieve your business goals. For a comprehensive SEO strategy tailored to your business needs, contact Globe Runner for a free consultation. Let our experts help you navigate the complexities of SEO and achieve a higher search visibility in search results. Book a call today!