Less reliance on advertisements As a business, you don’t want to be completely dependent on visitors who come to your website through paid ads. Because if you stop paying, the search engine will no longer show you in the search results. You’ll then be impossible for your target audience to find. With SEO, you build a sustainable foundation for your online visibility, making you less dependent on paid ads. This not only reduces advertising costs but also ensures that your website remains discoverable, even if advertising budgets are cut. To break free from the reliance on paid ads and visitors, your website needs to be easy to find using relevant search terms. If people can find you easily this way, you’ll attract more relevant visitors. And more relevant visitors mean potential revenue.
Higher Long-Term ROI SEO delivers results that continue to grow. Through strategic optimizations, you not only attract more visitors but also the right visitors. As a result, SEO delivers a higher ROI in the long term than short-term campaigns, while the investment pays for itself time and time again.
Stronger brand positioning A high ranking in search engines shows that your company is an authority in the industry. This builds trust with your target audience and strengthens your brand. With SEO, you secure a prominent position in the market and set yourself apart from the competition in a way that has a lasting impact.
Support for Other Marketing Channels SEO not only improves your online visibility but also takes other marketing channels to the next level. A well-optimized website delivers better results for paid campaigns, email marketing, and more. This helps you build a strong, integrated marketing strategy.
Understanding Customer Behavior SEO provides valuable insights into the search behavior and needs of your target audience. With this data, you can not only improve your website but also refine your marketing and business strategies. This allows you to make fact-based decisions that deliver results.
Positive Impact on the Customer Experience SEO not only makes your website easier to find, but also more user-friendly. By investing in speed, clear navigation, and relevant content, you improve your visitors’ experience. The result? Satisfied leads or customers who take action faster.
Online Introduction We’ll get to know your organization and goals during a personal introductory meeting. This will give us immediate insight into how we can best help you.
Presentation of the Approach During a presentation, we discuss opportunities and present a customized strategy. This plan forms the foundation for a successful partnership.
SEO Blueprint® Within a month, we'll develop a detailed SEO plan based on a thorough analysis. This plan will include specific steps to improve your online visibility.
Presentation of the SEO Blueprint® We'll clearly explain our plan to you and discuss the key steps. That way, you'll know exactly what to expect from us.
Monthly optimizations Every month, we focus on making improvements to your website and measure the results. This approach ensures that your visibility continues to grow.
Supspace +434% SEO market share & 1,571 search terms in the top 3 E-commerce SEO GEO Since March 2021, we’ve been driving growth for Supspace in a highly competitive supplements market. The collaboration resulted in a 434% increase in SEO market share, a 196.27% increase in organic visitors,...
Public information about the algorithm Google regularly shares information about SEO and its algorithm through various channels, including the Google Search Central YouTube channel, John Mueller’s Twitter account, and documentation and information on the Google Search Central website. Google’s algorithm determines your website’s keyword rankings based on about 200 different factors [3]. These factors vary widely, and each factor is assigned a weight, which is often determined algorithmically. This weighting depends on various factors, such as competition, industry, website layout, and search intent. As a result, a website optimized for your target audience ranks higher than one that isn’t (or isn’t as well optimized).
Weighting of Factors in the Google Algorithm For Google’s algorithm, it’s important to have high-quality, relevant content on your website. You should also fill in the meta title and meta description for each page, ensure your website loads quickly, and make sure it’s mobile-friendly. When determining search results, Google places greater emphasis on the quality of the content than on the metadata provided. Therefore, a website with content but without metadata will rank higher than a page with mediocre content that does have metadata. Of course, it’s important to note that this example involves only two factors. Search result rankings are determined based on many more factors and are calculated algorithmically. As a result, what works well for one website isn’t always a guarantee of success for another.
Changes to Google's Algorithm With its algorithm, Google has one goal: to show the most user-friendly and relevant websites to users who perform searches on Google. Google wants to continue improving that relevance and user experience. That’s why Google’s development teams release more than 3,600 algorithm updates every year [4]. All of this is done with the goal of improving relevance and the user experience for Google’s users. As a result of these changes to the algorithm, the factors that determine the ranking of search results are constantly changing.
Google Core Updates Three to four times a year, a major update takes place; these updates are usually Google Core Updates or Helpful Content Updates. When these major updates are announced (via Twitter), they are rolled out the very same day. The rollout of these updates takes two weeks and applies to all languages and all continents. During this period, you’ll see a great deal of volatility in the search results, so it’s important not to panic right away.
Niklas moved to the Netherlands from Germany in 2019 and has been working in cross-border marketing ever since. At SmartRanking, he is our technical SEO specialist and team lead. His expertise lies in technical audits, structured data, SEO migrations, and supporting his team with a wide range of SEO questions and strategies. Niklas Lührs
Lotte is Head of Operations & HR and an SEO consultant. She wants not only her clients to rank number one, but her colleagues as well. She works on various SEO projects and mentors her colleagues. Her favorite aspects of SEO are developing a strategy and building topical authority. Lotte Janssen
Melvin is an SEO consultant and team lead. He has been fully focused on SEO since 2017. With experience in both agency and in-house settings, he is able to empathize with clients’ needs and is an excellent conversationalist. His interests in SEO focus primarily on strategy, technical analysis, and authority. Melvin Achter
Vroni is an SEO consultant; her strength lies in communication. This is evident in her strong relationships with clients and colleagues. She also loves to write. Her copy perfectly addresses the needs of prospects at the various stages of the customer journey. Vroni Huisman
Frank has been active in online marketing since 2014 and works as an SEO consultant and team lead. After initially working in SEA, SEO, and social media, he has focused entirely on organic search visibility since 2019. His interest in SEO lies primarily in conducting (technical) audits. A pragmatic approach is what sets him apart. Frank van de Streek
With a passion for SEO and an unmatched drive to achieve results, Jarik Oosting is the driving force behind SmartRanking. With more than 15 years of experience in the field, Jarik has built up a wealth of knowledge, ranging from technical SEO to complex migrations. As the founder of SmartRanking, he has assembled a team of like-minded SEO specialists who help companies achieve their online growth goals. He is also the author of the book *GEO – Being Visible in AI Answers*, which explores how companies can remain discoverable as AI search engines reshape the search landscape, and he is a frequent speaker. His favorite aspects of SEO are automation, consulting, and strategy. Jarik Oosting
Marthijs has been working at SmartRanking as an SEO specialist since 2019. At SmartRanking, he serves as a Search Quality specialist and acts as the voice of the user. His areas of expertise include analyzing and building authority, ensuring a smooth user experience on the website, creating user-friendly content, and conducting comprehensive E-E-A-T analyses. He knows the Search Quality Guidelines by heart. In addition, he is currently pursuing the Google UX Design professional certification to further develop his skills in the field of UX. Marthijs Wijngaarden
Trudy is an experienced copywriter with more than 4 years of experience in content writing. As a content specialist with a passion for SEO, she constantly strives to produce content that is not only high-quality but also easily discoverable. Trudy Havinga
After years away from marketing, Myrna has returned to the field she’s passionate about. In addition to being a workaholic, you could call her a language enthusiast. As a result, her favorite aspects of SEO are always content-focused. Analyzing, writing, and editing content are at the top of her favorite to-do list. She’s happy to help your website rank higher by creating valuable, accurate, and high-quality content. Myrna Bekkering
Bas has been working as an SEO specialist at SmartRanking since November 2022, focusing on on-page optimization. He focuses on optimizing websites to help visitors find the products or services they’re looking for. He is also working on developments in the field of AI, which he is actively experimenting with. This enables SmartRanking to take its content to the next level. Bas Hettinga
Saïdou is a passionate SEO consultant who is ready to boost your online visibility. As a strategic partner, he combines his expertise with effective relationship management. Working closely with clients, Saïdou develops effective SEO strategies to help brands stand out in the digital world and achieve their business goals. Saïdou Godje
Shawn joined SmartRanking as a technical SEO specialist on July 1, 2024. A personal narrative will follow. Shawn Buckles
Lennard started as a trainee at SmartRanking in 2020. With a background in communications and a passion for language, his path within the company was quickly set: content writing. Now, as an on-page SEO specialist, he creates new content, optimizes existing pages, and handles everything that goes along with it. His motto? Language is easier than you think. Lennard Mulder
Jasmijn is an SEO consultant with more than 5 years of experience in the field of SEO. She is known for her proactive collaboration with clients, which is what drives her. Only by joining forces can we secure that coveted #1 ranking. In addition to fostering a positive working relationship, she is responsible at SmartRanking for developing and monitoring her clients’ SEO strategies. But make no mistake—she also occasionally contributes to content creation within the team. Jasmijn is, after all, a content specialist by training and therefore knows how to tailor her writing to perfectly meet the needs of different target audiences. In the past, her fast writing style earned her the nickname “content machine.” Want to know when the next Google core update is coming? Then there’s a good chance Jasmijn knows, because her predictions are almost always spot-on. Could she secretly have an insider at Google?! Jasmijn van der Wijk
Payt 5x ROI & +762% SEO market share International SEO SEO migration B2B SEO Together with the Payt team, SmartRanking is working to improve discoverability and generate leads in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
How long does it take for SEO to yield results? The first SEO results typically become visible within 4 to 6 months. This varies depending on factors such as competition, website quality, and strategy. For competitive keywords, it can take 6 to 12 months to achieve consistent visibility and traffic.
Can I do SEO on my own? You can do your own SEO with a basic understanding of keyword research, technical SEO, content optimization, and link building. Free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help. Complex strategies or technical issues may require the expertise of a professional.
How does search engine optimization work? Search engine optimization (SEO) improves your website’s visibility in search engines by: Technical SEO: optimization of page load speed, mobile compatibility, and site structure. Content: Creating relevant, keyword-rich content. Link Building: Acquiring high-quality external links. User Experience: Improving Navigation and Interactions.
How much does search engine optimization cost? Every SEO project is a custom project. That’s why we always create a tailored proposal. For most of the SEO projects we work on, the budget is at least €2,160 per month. To help you understand our clear plan of action, we’d be happy to walk you through our findings during a no-obligation presentation. In it, we’ll show you: What is the current status of your website or online store in terms of SEO? How visible you are compared to your competitors. Areas for improvement in terms of technology, content, external authority, and UX. What a plan of action for your situation. What a partnership will look like. Here is our advice on investing to achieve your goals. Are you interested in working with us? Contact us for more information and to learn about the steps needed to achieve SEO results.
Why is search engine optimization important? Search engine optimization (SEO) is important because it increases a website’s online visibility. This leads to more organic traffic, higher conversion rates, and greater brand trust. Effective SEO yields sustainable, cost-effective results by improving a website’s discoverability on search engines such as Google.
What is a disadvantage of investing in search engine optimization? One drawback of investing in search engine optimization is that results take a long time to materialize. It can take months for these efforts to have an impact. Furthermore, SEO requires ongoing effort and expenses due to changing algorithms and competition, which can reduce its cost-effectiveness for companies with limited resources.
What is the first step in the search engine optimization process? The first step in the search engine optimization process is a keyword analysis. This involves identifying relevant keywords that align with the target audience’s needs. This forms the basis for content creation, technical optimizations, and link building, and ensures targeted efforts to increase organic traffic.
Is SEO necessary? SEO is essential for businesses that want to increase their online visibility. Without SEO, it’s harder to generate organic traffic, which can result in losing potential customers to competitors. Optimizing content and technical aspects is important for ranking higher in search engines and remaining relevant.
Is SEO just for Google? When you talk to SEO specialists or marketing agencies, you often hear only Google’s name mentioned when it comes to SEO. As you probably know, there’s only one search engine that sets the standard worldwide: Google. In the Netherlands, about 93% of internet users use Google as their search engine [1], and only 3.5% of Dutch people use Bing [2]. Search engine optimization is therefore primarily used to improve your visibility on Google. Google’s algorithm determines your website’s position in the search results based on a variety of factors. However, “SEO” does not stand for “Google optimization,” but for “Search Engine Optimization.” When you start working on search engine optimization, you don’t have to limit yourself to Google alone. The algorithms of other search engines work the same way at their core, but they’re often less sophisticated than Google’s. This means we can say that Google sets the standard and, to some extent, determines the direction in which other search engines are evolving. So optimizing for today’s Google means optimizing for other search engines in the future. And that means SEO isn’t limited to Google alone; it’s also important to improve your visibility across all existing search engines.