Nowadays, in the world of digital marketing, SEO is no longer just a nice-to-have: it is one of the fundamental pillars if you want your business to appear when your ideal customer searches for you. Investing in SEO in digital marketing helps you increase your online visibility, attract new qualified customers, grow your business and, ultimately, generate more revenue.
In this article you will learn exactly what SEO in digital marketing is, why it is so important, which key factors need to be worked on and how you can design a step‑by‑step strategy —with concrete examples— so you can implement it straight away.
Ready? Let’s go.
What is SEO in digital marketing?
The expression ‘SEO in digital marketing’ encompasses the set of actions you must carry out so that your website appears higher organically (that is, without having to pay) in search engine results like Google.
Technically, SEO (from its initials in English Search Engine Optimization) is defined as what determines the position of a website in the SERPs (search engine results pages).
But —and this is what really matters—: what you are aiming for is for your brand to be one of the first to appear when someone searches for what you offer.
To help you picture it: imagine that your website competes on the internet for a share of ‘search share’ similar to market share in the physical world. When you do SEO, you are gaining visibility over your competitors.
For example, if someone types “toothpaste”, which brand or result comes to mind first? That is the competition you face online.
Getting clicks, being found, being remembered… all of that depends on how high you are in the SERP.
Here is a revealing fact: according to data from Zero Limit Web, the top five organic results on Google’s first page receive 67.6% of all clicks, while positions 6–10 get barely 3.73% of clicks. That means that if you are off the first page, you are practically invisible.
So yes: SEO in digital marketing is not an option, it is a necessity.
Why is SEO so important within a digital marketing strategy?
In a digital ecosystem that changes very quickly —and where more and more people trust what they find online— a business’s success can depend on how well visible and positioned it is on the web.
Here are three key reasons why investing in SEO in digital marketing makes a lot of sense:
1. Integration between SEO and SEM to multiply results
Although we often view SEO and SEM (that is, pay‑per‑click campaigns) as separate channels, ideally they should work together.
For example:
- If you already know which keywords perform well in your paid campaigns, you can also use them to position your pages organically.
- If your PPC campaigns perform well, that learning can serve your web content and help optimise the user experience.
The result: greater efficiency, lower acquisition cost and better overall results.
2. SEO as the core of Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is based on attracting people rather than going straight to sell to them. Here, SEO acts as the engine of qualified traffic.
Think of this as a funnel or ‘flywheel’ of growth:
- You attract strangers to the site through content and SEO optimisation.
- Then that audience becomes recurring visitors, leads, opportunities and finally customers.
If you do SEO well, that flow works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
3. Sales thanks to traffic of the right kind
It’s not just about attracting lots of visits, but quality visits: those that are interested in what you do.
Practical example: if you are a travel agency, it’s not the same to rank for ‘cheap flights’ as for ‘all‑inclusive accommodation packages in Guadalajara’.
The second phrase may have less volume, but it can bring customers with greater purchase intent and more value for you.
So SEO = visibility + quality + conversion.
Key factors of SEO in digital marketing in 2025
Although search engine algorithms change continuously, there are principles that remain valid —and others that are gaining weight—. Also, in 2025, certain emerging factors become essential. SEO.com+2Ahrefs+2
Here is a practical list of the most relevant:
- Keyword research: volume, competition, intent (informational, transactional, branded).
- Site structure: accessibility, usability, clear architecture.
- On‑page elements: titles (H1), meta descriptions, alt tags on images, clean URLs, quality content. Ahrefs+1
- Domain and page authority: quality backlinks, number of links, internal linking.
- Technical factors: HTTPS, loading speed, mobile optimisation (mobile‑first), suitable hosting. SEO.com+1
- User‑centred content: not so much what you want to say, but what the user wants to know.
- Emerging trends for 2025:
- E‑E‑A‑T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) increasingly important. SEO.com+1
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning in search. SEO.com+1
- Voice search and conversational formats. konverto.cl
- Visual content, multimedia, interactive formats.
- Optimisation for what are becoming ‘direct answers’ in SERPs, not just a click to a link.
How to design an SEO strategy in digital marketing – step by step
Here’s a practical plan, as if you were telling it to a friend, so you can apply it yourself or with your team.
Step 1: Initial audit
As an essential first step, carry out a diagnosis of your website:
- Analyse your current state (organic traffic, conversions, keyword positioning).
- Review technical factors: speed, mobile, HTTPS, 404 errors, crawlability.
- Identify your main competitors in search engines and which keywords they are using. lacaja.company+1
Example: “My site appears on page 3 for ‘agencia marketing digital Málaga’ and my mobile speed is 4.2 seconds.” OK, you already have two points to improve.
Step 2: Define objectives and audience
What do you expect to achieve with your SEO in digital marketing? Some examples:
- Increase organic traffic by 30% in 12 months.
- Generate 100 leads/month through high‑value content.
- Rank 5 high‑intent keywords before the end of the year.
And define your audience well: who searches for you? what problem do they have? what solution do they need?
Step 3: Keyword research and search intent
- Create separate lists: informational keywords (how to…), transactional (buy…), branded.
- Analyse volume and competition.
- Align each keyword with the intent of actual search. If the intent is to learn, do not use a sales page. Ahrefs+1
Example: ‘improve website positioning‘ (informational intent) vs ‘servicios SEO Málaga’ (transactional intent).
Step 4: On‑page optimisation and content creation
- Ensure each page has an attractive title (maximum ~60 characters) and a meta description that invites a click. Ahrefs
- Use H1, H2, H3 headings to structure the content.
- Introduce keywords naturally (and without overdoing it). Also use synonyms and related topics. konverto.cl
- Create content that answers your audience’s questions: guides, case studies, lists, examples. Example: ‘How to choose a digital marketing agency in Málaga: 5‑step checklist’.
- Optimise images (alt text, reduced size, modern formats). Google for Developers
- Create internal links so that users and Google can better navigate your site.
Step 5: Technical optimisation and user experience (UX)
- Improve loading speed: ideally less than 2–3 seconds. konverto.cl
- Ensure your site is fully responsive (mobile, tablet, desktop).
- Improve the information architecture: clear menu, logical categories, easy to use. Example: ‘Services’ → ‘SEO Marketing’ → ‘SEO for ecommerce’.
- Verify you have HTTPS, good URL structure, sitemap, robots.txt.
- Avoid intrusive pop‑ups that may penalise the user experience.
Step 6: Authority and backlinks
- Create content that others want to link to: studies, original guides, infographics.
- Collaborate or guest‑post on relevant sites in your niche.
- Regularly check for toxic links that may be harming your authority.
- Remember: it’s not just about the number of links, but their quality.
Step 7: Measurement and continuous adjustment
- Define indicators that make sense for your objectives: organic traffic, clicks, keyword rankings, organic conversions.
- Track monthly or quarterly and adjust: which pages are performing? which need improvements?
- Don’t obsess over irrelevant metrics if you are not taking actions to improve them.
Example: if you measure the bounce rate but are not improving the user experience, it makes little sense to focus solely on that metric.
Extra: SEO trends you should take into account for 2025
To finish, I share what is coming and what you should incorporate into your strategy now so you don’t fall behind:
- An increasingly strong focus on E‑E‑A‑T: demonstrate experience, authority and trustworthiness. SEO.com
- Optimisation for voice search and assistants: think about how your customer speaks, not just how they write. konverto.cl
- Use of AI and machine learning: both to analyse your data and to create relevant content. webhosting
- Page experience (Core Web Vitals): technical performance is already part of SEO. SEO.com
- Search across diverse platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest are already ‘search engines’ in themselves. Publisuites
Time to put it into action!
If you’ve made it this far, you already have a complete view of what SEO in digital marketing is, why it’s key, which factors are relevant and how you can start designing your own strategy.
Now it’s your turn: choose a goal, define your keywords, review your site, start optimising and check results every two weeks. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see results — and although results don’t come overnight, they will become increasingly solid.
Are you up for taking the first step? Let’s go for it!