Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of interconnected steps that help your website show up organically in a Google search.
When done methodically and strategically, SEO can connect more qualified visitors to your site, build credibility for your brand, and help keep you competitive in your market.
The fundamentals of SEO are critical for any website that needs to compete well on Google search — and this is even more true now with the advent of Google’s AI Overview. Here’s a look at the five essential steps of SEO and why each one matters for your website’s success.
Step 1: Keyword Research & Analysis
Everything in SEO starts with understanding how your audience searches. Keyword research and analysis reveal the exact words and phrases your potential customers are using to find products or services like yours.
An SEO audit of your site provides insight that sets the stage for meaningful results. We examine your rankings compared to your top competitors, analyze key metrics, and explore new keyword opportunities. Finally, we develop a list of high-value keywords that align with your goals and have the best potential for strong rankings.
Step 2: Page Optimization
On-page optimization involves adding those high-value keywords naturally within your content while maintaining proper readability and flow. It also involves adjustments that make your page more engaging and authoritative in the eyes of Google.
When done well, optimization improves your search visibility and enhances the user experience. When done badly, it can turn people off and even cause search engines to downrank you. This is because good SEO isn’t about simply stuffing in keywords — it’s about making your content relevant, engaging, and easy to navigate.
Our page optimization work has helped many websites achieve top organic rankings, as well as appearances in Google’s AI Overview.
Step 3: Technical SEO
A high-performing website starts with a solid technical foundation. Technical SEO ensures that your site loads quickly, performs well on mobile devices, and follows Google’s standards for structure and usability.
By addressing issues like metadata problems, poor code, or slow load times — and by providing shortcuts to your content with structured data — we help search engines crawl and understand your site more effectively. The better your site functions behind the scenes, the better it performs in search results.
Step 4: Local SEO
For small and mid-sized businesses — especially here in Vermont — local SEO is essential. It helps you appear in searches when people nearby are looking for your type of offerings, like “marketing agency Burlington VT” or “branding firm near me.” It also optimizes your business’s appearance on Google Maps.
There are a few highly effective strategies that can improve your local rankings. We zero in on your specific areas that need improvement, which may be on your website, on Google, and/or across the web. The result? More online visibility where it matters most — in your local community.
Step 5: Ongoing SEO
SEO isn’t a one-and-done project — it’s an ongoing process. Search trends shift, competitors evolve, and Google continues to change. That’s why ongoing performance tracking and adjustments are key.
Our Ongoing SEO Plans provide an easy way for you to stay on top of your SEO performance. Talk to us about any specific goals you may have, and choose a plan with the depth and frequency that works best for you. Whatever you choose, ongoing attention to your rankings is the right way to maintain and grow search visibility over time.
Be aware that organic SEO improvements don’t happen overnight — they do take time, especially when the competition is fierce. If you’re looking for immediate ranking improvements on Google, consider Google Ads as part of your overall SEO strategy.
Bringing It All Together
SEO is a complex undertaking, but the steps to success are straightforward. And when they all come together, your website can become a powerful marketing tool that attracts, engages, and converts your ideal audience. At Stride, we help Vermont businesses get on the right path of search visibility — and go the distance.
Want to know more? Visit our SEO page or contact us today.
