What is SEO and why you should do it

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Have you ever wondered why some websites appear at the top of Google while others seem buried in digital limbo? The answer lies in three magical letters: SEO. But don't worry, if you still don't know exactly what this means or how to apply it to your business, stay with me until the end of this article. We'll unravel this universe step by step.

What is SEO?

SEO, acronym for Search Engine Optimization, is the set of strategies that aim to improve the visibility of a website in search engines — mainly Google. In other words: SEO is what makes Google love your content.

If you have a beautiful website with a great product or service, but it doesn't appear in the top positions on Google, I'm sorry to tell you: it's like having an amazing store in the middle of the desert. In other words, no one will pass by there. SEO is the map that takes the user to you.

Unlike paid traffic (like Google ads), Google Ads), SEO is a medium to long-term strategy. In this sense, it builds authority, trust and relevance over time. And better yet: the traffic it generates is organic, that is, free.

How Google Really Works (in 2025)

Before you start optimizing your entire website, it’s essential to understand how Google organizes information on the internet. Spoiler: it’s not magic, it’s an algorithm — and a very complex one at that.

The role of the algorithm

Google uses robots called crawlers (or spiders) that crawl the web 24/7, reading pages, analyzing code, understanding context and classifying content. But how does it decide who appears at the top?

The answer lies in the algorithm, which evaluates more than 200 ranking factors. That's right, there are hundreds of criteria analyzed simultaneously. Some of them:

• Relevance of content to the searched keyword
• Domain Authority
• Charging speed
• User Experience (UX)
• Backlink quality
• Mobile Optimization
• Search intent

And yes, the algorithm is constantly changing. In recent years, Google has released major updates such as Helpful Content Update, Core Web Vitals, BERT, and the mighty MUM (Multitask Unified Model) — which brought an even deeper understanding of natural language, images, and even videos.

What about Artificial Intelligence?

Since 2023, Google has stepped up its use of Generative AI in search results. Therefore, answers are now more contextual, personalized, and often delivered directly without the user having to click on a link.

But don’t worry: this didn’t kill SEO — it just changed the rules of the game. As a result, content with direct, structured answers that demonstrate authority is being highlighted in the new AI blocks. In other words, it’s time to think of SEO as optimization for humans + AI.

Why is SEO still (and will be) indispensable?

You might even think: “But I invest in paid traffic, why should I worry about SEO?”. Simple: because Paid traffic is rent. SEO is your own land.

Constant and lasting traffic

With SEO, you build a steady stream of qualified visitors, even when you’re not paying for clicks. This way, it works while you sleep, without having to top up your campaign balance.

Cost reduction per acquisition

With a good SEO strategy, your cost per lead tends to decrease over time. The initial investment may be higher, but the return is exponential. What's more, leads coming from organic search tend to have greater purchase intention.

Trust and authority

Being at the top of Google isn't just a technical issue — it's perception of authority. People trust more those who appear in the first results. This improves your brand image and increases your conversion rate.

Synergy with other strategies

SEO also boosts the performance of paid traffic campaigns, email marketing, inbound marketing, social media and more. Thus, well-ranked content can be boosted with ads and yield much more.

The Pillars of Modern SEO

To reach the top positions in 2025, it is not enough to use keywords willy-nilly. SEO today is based on three main pillars: Content, Technique and Authority.

Content is king (but now it needs to be useful, not just optimized)

If before it was enough to write a 500-word post full of keywords, today that doesn't work anymore. The content needs to be:

• Useful and relevant
• Original and well written
• Answer user questions
• Easily scannable (use of subheadings, lists, highlighted excerpts)

The answer phrase has become SEO gold. For example:

“SEO is the set of strategies to better position a website in Google results, increasing its organic traffic and authority.”

This type of direct phrase is often used by AIs to generate automatic responses — and guess what? It can bring even more visibility to your website.

Technique: without structure, nothing works

There's no point in having one great content If your website is slow, disorganized or difficult to navigate. The technical side of SEO ensures that Google understands and values your website. Key points:

• Updated XML Sitemap
• Robots.txt configured correctly
• HTTPS enabled
• Optimized loading speed (especially on mobile)
• Use of heading tags (H1, H2, H3…) in a hierarchical way
• Friendly URL Structure

Furthermore, by 2025, the Core Web Vitals are decisive: metrics such as LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID (First Input Delay) and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) are at the heart of technical ranking.

Authority: Backlinks and Reputation

The internet is a huge recommendation system. So the more trustworthy sites link to your content, the more Google understands that you are relevant.

But be careful: quantity is not quality. A single link from a relevant portal is worth more than 100 from obscure blogs.

Practical tip: invest in strategies ethical link building, guest posts on trusted websites and partnerships with digital influencers in your niche.

SEO vs SEM: Rivals or Allies in Digital Strategy?

Many people confuse the terms, and it's no wonder: SEO and WITHOUT walk side by side in the digital marketing universe. But, after all, are they the same thing? Are they competitors? Or do they complement each other?

Let's clarify.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of practices that aim to position your website organically in search engines — that is, without paying for clicks. SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is broader: it encompasses both SEO and paid campaigns, such as the famous Google Ads.

Think of it this way: SEO is a long-term investment, like planting a fruit tree. It requires care, time, and strategy, but the results will come for many years. Paid SEM, on the other hand, is like renting a tent on the beach for the weekend — you pay, you show up, but if you stop investing, it disappears from the landscape.

But the great thing is that SEO and SEM are not competitors — they complement each other. Therefore, the ideal is to combine them strategically. While SEO builds authority and attracts ongoing traffic, SEM can bring immediate results and visibility for launches, seasonal campaigns or keyword tests.

“SEO is the solid foundation of your digital presence. SEM is the megaphone that amplifies your message.”

Therefore, the question should not be “which one to choose?”, but rather: How to integrate SEO and SEM to get the best of both worlds?

SEO Trends for 2025

SEO is constantly evolving — and those who don’t keep up will be left behind. Here’s what’s trending this year:

Optimization for voice and image searches

With the rise of voice assistants and visual search, adapting your content to these types of searches has become essential. Therefore, use natural language, questions and direct answers.

Multimodal content

Texts continue to be the basis, but images, videos and even audio are gaining weight in the results. Short videos with optimized descriptions can rank even better than long articles.

Reinforced EEAT

Google continues to reinforce the concept of EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). In other words: show that you have real experience, are an expert, trustworthy and an authority on the subject. Author biographies, social proof, reviews and security seals help with this.

Generative AI and Optimization for Snippets

Content generators are everywhere, but be careful: Google can already identify generic artificial content. So, choose unique content, with a human tone, real stories and exclusive insights.

Also, optimize your text to featured snippets — the snippets that are highlighted in searches — with clear answers, lists, definitions, and common questions from your audience.

Common SEO Mistakes You Should Avoid

Even in 2025, many people still make basic mistakes. So, be aware of these mistakes that can ruin your strategy:

• Ignore user search intent
• Focusing only on generic and difficult keywords
• Using duplicate titles and meta descriptions
• Not adapting the site for mobile
• Forgetting to update old content
• Buying backlinks (this can lead to penalties!)

How to start your SEO strategy?

Now that you understand the importance of SEO and how it works, you may be wondering: where do I start?

Here is a practical step-by-step guide:

1. Perform an SEO audit: identify technical issues and opportunities.
2. Research keywords with search intent aligned with your audience.
3. Create rich, structured content that is optimized for users and search engines.
4. Improve the your website experience, especially on mobile devices.
5. Build authority with relevant backlinks and mentions.
6. Monitor results with tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and SEMrush.
7. Continuously optimize: SEO is not an end-to-end project, it is a process.

Conclusion: SEO is the digital soul of your business

If you want to attract more visitors, generate qualified leads and increase your sales without relying solely on ads, SEO is the way to go. And the sooner you start, the more advantage you'll have over your competition.

Remember: SEO isn't about tricking Google, it's about helping Google understand that your content is worth seeing.

Want one final tip? Start small, but start today. And if you need an agency that specializes in content and strategic SEO, talk to the Vero ContentsWe understand algorithms, but we speak human language.