Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of interconnected steps that help your website show up in a Google search. When done strategically, SEO brings more qualified visitors to your site, builds credibility for your brand, and keeps you competitive in your market.
Here’s a look at the five essential steps of SEO and why each one matters for your website’s success. Let’s dive in!
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 then examine your rankings compared to your top competitors, analyze key metrics, and explore new keyword opportunities. The result is a list of high-value keywords that align with your goals and have the best potential for strong rankings.
2. Page Optimization
Once you’ve selected your priority keywords, the next step is to add them to your site. On-page optimization involves adding targeted keywords naturally within your content, especially high-impact areas, while maintaining proper readability and flow.
When done strategically, 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 countless websites achieve top organic rankings on Google, as well as critical appearances in Google’s AI Overview.
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.
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 services, like “marketing agency Burlington VT” or “branding firm near me.” It also optimizes your business’s appearance on Google Maps.
There are several highly effective strategies that can improve your local rankings. We zero in on your most important areas of improvement, on your website, on Google, and across the web. The result? More online visibility where it matters most — in your local community.
5. Reporting & Maintenance
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.
Through regular reporting and SEO maintenance, we help you understand what’s working and where you can improve. This attention ensures your rankings stay strong and continue to grow over time.
Be aware that organic SEO improvements don’t happen overnight — they do take time. 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 path and go the distance.
Want to know more? Visit our SEO page or contact us today.
