Natural Vs. Organic SEO: What’s the Difference?

From marketing gurus to business owners to the college intern next door, everyone seems to be using the terms natural SEO and organic SEO these days. However, the words “natural” and “organic” are practically synonymous in some aisles of the grocery store and have minor – but significant – differences in others (think natural produce vs. organic produce). So, what is the difference between the two, and why should you care

Natural SEO vs. Organic SEO

For starters, both natural SEO and organic SEO mean the exact same thing. It's like the old tomato/tomato analogy – whether you call it a “tomato” or a “tom-ah-toe”, you're still getting the same juicy red slices for your burger. Similarly, when it comes to natural and organic SEO, whichever term you prefer, they both refer to getting yourself to the top of the search results by optimizing your content and website copy. You'll be using engaging blog posts, appropriate keywords, and properly placed backlinks to rank higher and draw users to your website instead of simply paying for the prime real estate using a service like Google Ads.

That being said, organic SEO often doesn't exactly come for free – unless you are an SEO expert and a skilled writer, you are probably going to have to pay for something; it just won't be in the form of Google Ads or the like. Instead, you'll likely need to hire an SEO company a minimal fee for content creation, keyword research, linking strategies, and more. So, if you have to invest money either way, why should you even worry about incorporating organic SEO into your website? Here are a few key reasons:

Natural SEO vs. Paid Ads for Long-Term Results

If you have the money in your budget, it can seem pretty tempting to just give Google a share of your earnings to continually see yourself at the top of the results. There's just one problem: When you stop paying, you will essentially be invisible to the millions of internet users because you have ignored the value of organic SEO. In contrast, when you invest the time (and money) into creating quality content – whether it's a blog post or video SEO – it will stay on your site forever and continue to add the coveted experience, expertise, authority, and trust (E-E-A-T) that is so highly touted by Google's search engine raters. While you need consistent and relevant postings to keep up your rankings, that informative YouTube video your YouTube SEO service helped you craft last year can still earn you visitors if the right keywords are searched.

By focusing on natural SEO, you create content that remains a valuable to your website over time. Even if you stop actively working on your SEO for a while (which we don’t recommend), well-optimized, quality content can still bring in traffic. This is not the case with paid ads, which immediately stop bringing in traffic once the budget runs out or the ad is turned off.

Organic Marketing is More Legitimate to the Searcher

Have you done a natural search on Google lately? If not, open up a new tab and give it a go – enter whatever you want, it doesn't matter (like electricians in Colorado, or plumbers in California). The first few results you see are going to be tagged as ads (if there are paying customers with these keywords), as are the results showing up on the right-hand column. Sure, people do click on these (otherwise Google Ads wouldn't be in business), but because these paid results are clearly labeled as such, many people skip over them and go to the first organic listing. Why? Because, in their mind, it is more likely to offer the value they are looking for; strategies like local SEO capture users entering searches for products and services in your area. Such users are much more likely to click on a local company than a paid ad that's likely much less relevant.

Organic Search is Google's (and Every Other Search Engine's) Staple

To continue with the grocery store analogies, if you take a moment to view Google (as well as YouTube, Amazon) as the supermarket of web search, organic SEO is a staple – Google's bread and butter as compared to the fancier, but not as essential, toaster pastry. Simply put, it's what Google does best. Google must interpret what users intend to find with an organic query and supply relevant pages that adhere to SEO responsive design (i.e., a design that ensures a webpage renders correctly whether people access it via desktops or mobile searches). Organic SEO focuses on delivering content that matches user intent, a critical factor for ranking well in search engines. In other words, taking the time to show Google (and, by extension, its users) precisely what you have to offer will return you more relevant traffic composed of users who will stick.

Search Engine Optimization Can Offer a Better Conversion Rate

In order to achieve a top ranking using organic SEO, you have to fill your webpage full of valuable content. Why? It's not enough to attract users and page views – you have to keep them there long enough to convert. By providing content that addresses user needs and aligns with their search intent, you increase the chances of higher engagement. While this does take more time than merely paying Google, it also makes your website a lot more likely to have repeat visitors. Paid clicks only guarantee a one-time visit, but it's your efforts to build backlinks, hone keywords, and create amazing content that earns organic clicks and keeps them coming back time and time again. Your organic SEO techniques will gain your readers trust while building your brand, resulting in loyal customers for years to come.

In an ideal world, you would employ both paid and natural SEO techniques. This way, you can get the benefit of immediate results while building up a strong foundation for the future.

Need it broken down SEO For Dummies-style? Check out these organic and natural SEO FAQs:

FAQs