Why should website owners learn search marketing?

If a website’s goal is to build brand awareness and introduce more people to the business, learning search marketing—especially the basics of search engine optimization (SEO)—is worthwhile for its owner. It connects running a website with how people find it through search. However, whether to study it in depth should depend first on whether attracting visitors through search is a business goal, and then on the tools and knowledge required. Rankings being a popular topic does not mean every website needs to devote the same amount of effort to them.

Beyond building a website, consider how people will find it

Yoast’s introductory article clearly identifies its intended audience: people who already have a website or plan to build one and want to attract more people to their business should include SEO in their marketing. The reason is not simply to pursue rankings, but to use search visibility to create more opportunities for people to discover the brand and visit the website.

How a website appears in search results is also part of running it. In a 2023 article, Semrush notes that improving page titles and descriptions can make pages more appealing in search results. For example, website owners can start by reviewing how their page titles and descriptions present the content, rather than making “ranking first” their only learning goal. This is something they can work on improving, but making changes does not guarantee a particular ranking or level of traffic.

A website owner’s interpretation of keywords may not match a search engine’s

A forum post on DomainClub humorously describes a frustration: an owner thinks a keyword should be interpreted a certain way, but the search engine may not agree. This is a user’s account of their experience, not a ranking rule published by a search engine. Still, it reminds website owners that their own understanding of keywords is not a basis for assuming search results must turn out a particular way.

One practical focus when learning SEO, then, is distinguishing between what owners can adjust themselves, such as page titles and descriptions, and what cannot be determined by expectations alone, such as the rankings a search engine ultimately assigns. Being able to improve how a site appears in search and being able to control search results are two different things.

Assess your needs before deciding how deeply to study

To decide whether to start learning, consider the following questions:

• Do you want more people to discover your business through search?If so, you meet the condition behind Yoast’s recommendation to include SEO in your marketing.
• Are you willing to start by learning the basics?Semrush suggests that although there is a lot to learn about SEO, with suitable tools and resources, almost anyone could make a meaningful difference to organic rankings and search visibility.
• Do the tools suit your current skill level?The same article notes that many tools offer easy-to-understand information, tutorials, and customer support, but some advanced tools still require a stronger foundation in SEO.

These points support starting with the basics. They do not mean no learning is required, nor do they guarantee results. When choosing tools, look beyond their features to consider whether you can understand the information they provide and whether you need to build up relevant knowledge first.