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March 14, 2025 | 9 min read
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Most customer journeys begin with search, says Felina Tan of Kaizen. Which is why brands should put SEO at the center of their marketing strategy, rather than treating it as an add-on.
Invest in SEO to build brand equity, while paid search offers more short-term results, explains Tan / NisonCo PR and SEO via Unsplash
Every marketer knows SEO. It’s been a cornerstone of digital marketing since the ‘90s, helping brands stay visible and relevant. And yet, when budget season rolls around, SEO often gets shoved to the bottom of the priority list despite its undeniable impact on visibility, brand equity, and revenue.
Why does this keep happening? Is it a lack of understanding? A bias toward short-term wins? Or do marketing and procurement teams not fully grasp just how much SEO influences brand positioning and the bottom line?
The way people buy today is anything but linear. Customers don’t just see an advert and immediately purchase. Instead, they search, compare, validate, and then decide. In fact, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. That means if your brand isn’t showing up at key moments, you’re missing out. Big time.
Think about someone looking for a new skincare product. They might start with a broad Google search like ‘best moisturizers for dry skin’ and click on a top-ranking blog post. Then, they browse Instagram for user-generated content and influencer recommendations. Next, they might dive into Reddit or a beauty forum to read real user reviews before finally heading to Amazon, Space NK, or a brand’s website to make a purchase.
And it’s not just skincare. This journey plays out across every industry – tech, finance, homeware, B2B solutions, you name it. Search is the invisible thread connecting consumers to the brands they trust. If you’re not showing up at those decision-making moments, you’re handing business to your competitors.
SEO is often mischaracterized as a purely technical discipline, but in reality, it is just as creative as it is analytical. It’s not simply about stuffing keywords into content – it’s about crafting compelling, valuable, and strategically optimized material that speaks directly to both search engines and human audiences.
At its core, SEO is built on three pillars: technical SEO, onsite SEO, and offsite SEO. Understanding how these elements work together is key to maximizing search visibility and, ultimately, your marketing ROI.
1. A website built for performance
Technical SEO ensures that your website is built for both users and search engines. A slow site, broken links, or a clunky mobile experience can tank your rankings, no matter how great your content is.
Real-world impact: A leading fashion retailer revamped its website’s structure, improving site speed and reorganizing its product filters. Within months, their rankings improved, website traffic jumped 35%, and sales increased.
2. Content that sticks and converts
Onsite SEO encompasses all content on a brand’s website – product pages, blogs, FAQs, and everything in between. Google rewards content that’s relevant, well-structured, and aligned with what users actually want. But beyond search rankings, great content builds trust and keeps visitors engaged.
Real-world impact: A B2B SaaS company optimized its blog with targeted content that addressed common industry pain points. The result? A 50% increase in inbound leads, purely from organic search.
3. Earning authority
Offsite SEO involves link building, digital PR, influencer collaborations, and expert commentary – all of which establish credibility. When reputable sites link back to yours, search engines recognize you as a trusted source.
Real-world impact: A health and wellness brand launched a data-driven PR campaign on sleep habits, landing coverage in major publications. Not only did this drive referral traffic, but it also lifted their domain authority, pushing their rankings higher.
SEO doesn’t operate in a vacuum – it intersects with every aspect of marketing:
Paid Media? Performance improves when organic and paid strategies align.
Social Media? Trending topics often stem from search queries.
PR? Digital coverage strengthens offsite SEO, enhancing domain authority.
Yet, when budget discussions arise, SEO often gets overshadowed by short-term tactics like paid ads, despite its long-term value. Unlike paid search, where visibility disappears the moment ad spend stops, SEO builds lasting equity that continues to deliver results over time.
Brands that consistently invest in SEO don’t just rank more highly – they own their space, reduce reliance on paid media, and gain deeper insights into customer behavior. It’s time to rethink SEO’s role. Not as a side project, but as a core part of a well-rounded marketing strategy.
The search landscape is only getting more competitive. The question is: will your brand be found when customers are searching, or will it be overlooked at the moments that matter most?
At Kaizen, we believe in creating lasting impact for your brand and bottom line. Our promise to all brands we work with is simple: we get you noticed, considered, and chosen.
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