Search Engine Optimisation: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

What Is Search Engine Optimisation?

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is about making your website more visible in search results so you can drive organic traffic, attract qualified prospects, and boost brand credibility. Core activities include on-page improvements, building authority with external links, and creating quality content.

For more on where SEO fits into your overall marketing mix, see our introductory article on What Is a Marketing Channel?

Marketing Channel Strategy

Before you invest in a channel, clarify your objectives, your target customer's challenges, and your internal capabilities. That is the core of channel strategy—do what truly matters and deliberately avoid what does not.

"The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do." — Michael Porter

If you are seeking a more structured approach to planning, read our dedicated guide on marketing channel strategy.

Is Search Engine Optimisation Right for You?

SEO is not for everyone. Ask yourself these questions to decide if it suits your business goals:

• Goal fit: Will rankings and organic traffic noticeably impact your revenue or brand awareness?

• Customer fit: Are customers actively searching for terms you plan to rank for?

• Founder/team fit: Do you have the SEO expertise in-house or via partners to handle everything effectively?

• Model fit (ARPU and CAC dynamics): Will your average revenue per user justify the many months and costs involved in SEO?

• Unique advantages: Can you harness proprietary data, user-generated content, or strong brand equity to set yourself apart?

Our Opinion on Search Engine Optimisation

SEO remains a powerful channel, but it is becoming more competitive. Paid ads often dominate top positions, AI-generated overviews can lower click-through rates, and there is more content than ever. Nonetheless, if you invest consistently, building domain authority can create a strong moat that continues to bring organic traffic over time.

Keep in mind, SEO usually takes at least six months to deliver tangible results. If you want rapid returns, it may not be right for you. But if you can offer unique data, publish content at scale, or encourage user-generated insights, SEO could become a major driver of long-term growth.

Other Growth Channels to Consider

There are numerous ways to engage and convert potential customers. As Brian Balfour, former VP of Growth at HubSpot, aptly said:

"Don't diversify yourself in too many channels; it's like a death sentence. You should be focusing on the single and most efficient one." — Brian Balfour

If you want to explore other options, check out our guides on acquisition channels or traction channels. No matter which approach you choose, marketing success ultimately comes down to efficiency and clear return on investment.

How Growth Method Helps

Growth Method is the only work management platform built for growth marketers. We streamline your entire marketing function—ideation, experimentation, analytics, and reporting—under one roof. Rather than juggling multiple tools, you can manage your growth marketing process in one place.

We focus on:

• Ideation: Our system captures ideas, automatically categorises them, and ensures each idea includes a proper hypothesis.

• Experimentation: We integrate best practices from high-performing growth teams. Experiments move through stages with enforced timelines, increasing velocity and learnings.

• Reporting: Generate sleek, shareable reports at both the strategic and tactical level, making it easier to show real progress to your team and stakeholders.

We believe a good growth marketing platform should minimise the time you spend in the tool, so you can focus on execution. Growth Method stands out through:

• AI-powered categorisation and experiment summaries

• Integrations with Google Analytics, Amplitude, and Mixpanel

• Fast, always-human support

• Industry-leading reporting

• Free white glove migration service

"We are on-track to deliver a 43% increase in inbound leads this year. There is no doubt the adoption of Growth Method is the primary driver behind these results." — Laura Perrott, Colt Technology Services

We help companies implement a systematic approach to grow leads and revenue. Book a call today.