SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the discipline of improving a site's ranking in organic search — primarily Google. The goal: capture as much free, high-intent traffic as possible for the keywords your audience uses.

SEO breaks into three pillars: 1) Technical SEO (Core Web Vitals, mobile-first, structured data, clean HTML, fast TTFB). 2) Content SEO (relevant pages, well-written copy, topical depth, clear structure, internal linking). 3) Off-page SEO (backlinks, brand mentions, trust signals like reviews).

For affiliate, ecommerce, and SaaS marketers: SEO is usually cheaper than paid in the long run, but it takes months to years to compound. A balanced mix of SEO + paid acquisition is almost always the right play.