The digital marketing world has birthed another acronym. Because, apparently we needed one.
Hello ‘OSO’ – Organic Search Optimisation. The concept itself isn’t entirely new, but it’s gaining traction faster than ‘Ray Gun’ repping Australia on the world-stage. Let’s break down this latest buzzword, and what it might mean for your digital strategy.
What’s OSO All About?
OSO, or Organic Search Optimisation, is an evolution of traditional SEO that takes a more holistic approach to digital visibility. While SEO’s primary concern is catapulting your website to Google’s coveted first ranking position, OSO aims to optimise your content across multiple channels. Think of OSO as Oasis, and SEO as Liam Gallager’s solo act – both had a similar idea, one performed to a much larger audience.
The goal of OSO is to increase a brand’s overall ‘search share’ – its visibility and accessibility across various digital touchpoints. Unless you’re selling encyclopaedias, your audience’s journey most likely doesn’t start and end with a Google search. They’re watching YouTube videos, scrolling through Instagram, asking questions on Reddit, and even getting their daily dose of news from TikTok (really). And if you’re not there, your competitors most likely will be.
Why Should You Care?
- AI is Taking Over: Despite its not so memorable launch in select countries (more on that here), Google’s new AI search generative experience (SGE) is on the horizon, and the way people find information is changing. These AI-powered snippets will sit above traditional SERP results, and lean on content from all platforms.
- Your Audience is Everywhere: Your audience isn’t just Googling anymore. They’re on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and probably some other platform you’ve never heard of. OSO is your best bet to catch them wherever they decide to spend their time online.
- Rankings Aren’t Enough: OSO aims to increase your overall ‘search share’. In other words, ranking on Google isn’t going to cut it if no one’s heard of you anywhere else. OSO positions your brand to be an accessible source of information, regardless of where that information is being sought.
- Future-Proofing: The digital world evolves faster than most of us change our passwords. Algorithm updates, shifting users trends, and AI advancements have the potential to render your most visible channel useless overnight. OSO is a step towards safeguarding your online presence, and keeping your eggs in more than one basket.
- User-Centric Approach: OSO encourages us to think beyond keywords and algorithms. Gone are the days of unethical SEO ruling the internet – computers spamming website clicks, whited-out keyword stuffing, and targeted malicious backlinks. OSO encourages you to understand user intent, provide value, and create content that resonates across different platforms and formats.
So, how does one ‘OSO’ ?
- Diversify Your Content: Don’t just blog. Create videos, podcasts, social media content. Start a bird watching series on TikTok if that’s where your audience is. A how-to guide might work just fine as a blog post, but it could be even more effective as a YouTube tutorial or a series of Instagram reels.
- Think Like Your Users: While keywords are insightful, focus on user intent and perspectives on your topics. What are they really looking for? What keeps them up at night (besides doom scrolling)? Create content that addresses these needs, regardless of the specific keywords used.
- Optimise for AI: With tools like SGE on the horizon, structure your content to be easily understood and cited by AI systems. Use clear headings, provide succinct summaries, and ensure your content is well-organised. It’s like you’re explaining tech to your grandparents, but less frustrating.
- Monitor and Analyse: Being active across channels is definitely a start, but be sure to keep a close eye on performance. Use analytics tools (GA4, GTM, GSC, Semrush etc.) to understand where your audience is coming from, and what content is resonating with them the most. Harness these insights to refine your OSO strategy continually.
- Stay Adaptable: The digital landscape is always changing. Be prepared to pivot your strategy as new platforms and technologies emerge. Remember MySpace? Exactly. If an avenue of your strategy isn’t delivering the results you’re after, drop it and allocate those resources somewhere that will.
OSO Doesn’t Replace SEO – It Amplifies It
By optimising across multiple platforms, you’re not depleting your SEO efforts, but instead watering them. Google’s algorithms consider signals from a range of platforms when ranking content. A well structured Instagram post has just as much chance to appear in Google SERP’s as your keyword-dense blog post does. By adopting a multi-channel approach, you’re aligning with Google’s overarching focus on user intent and experience.
Creating valuable, platform-appropriate content that addresses user needs is likely to earn backlinks, social shares, and engagement signals that SEO algorithms eat up. This approach also prepares you for AI-powered search experiences like Google’s SGE, which provides multi-format answers to queries.
Agencies – Time for a change?
Not quite, but it’s definitely time for a rethink. The days of being ‘just’ an SEO agency are numbered. The impending shift towards OSO necessitates a broader, more integrated approach to traditional service models.
- Broaden Those Horizons: Time to become experts in… well, everything. No pressure.
- Integrated Strategies: No more working in silos – your digital strategy needs to work together. Your SEO road map should shake hands with your social media schedule, which should high-five your EDM approach, and so on..
- Flexible Service Models: The old retainer model might not cut it anymore. Agencies need to be as adaptable as the strategies they’re selling. Consider project-based approaches or hybrid models. If your service model can’t bend, it might just break.
- Data, Data, Data: With content spread across multiple channels, tracking and analysing performance is more crucial (and complicated) than ever. Centralised analytics and reporting platforms will help simplify this, and provide transparency to your clients.
- Time To Collaborate: Agencies might need to build relationships to cover all aspects of OSO. Time to make some friends in the industry!
The Bottom Line
So, it turns out that OSO represents more than just another acronym in the digital marketing lexicon. It’s a paradigm shift that reflects the evolving nature of online information consumption. While adopting an OSO approach might seem like an additional challenge, it’s really about working smarter, not harder.
The future of search is far more dynamic and interconnected than anything we’ve seen yet, and OSO is a step towards that reality. As we like to say – ‘Never Stop Starting’; standing still is the same as moving backwards. And nobody wants to be the Blockbuster in a Netflix world.