Learn how HubSpot simplifies Search Engine Optimization with easier keyword research, on-page optimization, content creation, analytics, and more.
Picture this: You’ve just launched your organization’s dream website. It’s sleek, visually stunning, and packed with content your target audience will genuinely find helpful. You hit publish—and wait for the traffic to roll in.
But instead of a steady stream of visitors, you’re met with silence.
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Sound familiar?
For years, success in search came down to one thing: ranking on Google. But today, the way people find information has fundamentally changed. They’re no longer just typing keywords—they’re asking questions, expecting instant answers, and often getting them without ever clicking a link.
That means your content isn’t just competing for rankings anymore. It’s competing to be the answer.
This is where modern search strategies come into play.
In this article, we’ll break down the fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), introduce the shift toward Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and show how HubSpot helps you stay ahead by making both easier to execute.
Here's what's covered in this article - just click to jump to the section you're most interested in:
What is SEO?
Before we jump in too far, let’s quickly cover the basics. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of optimizing your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The better your SEO, the more visible your website becomes, leading to increased organic traffic and potential customers.
What is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of creating content that is designed to be directly surfaced as an answer - whether in search engine features like snippets or in AI-generated responses.
Instead of focusing only on ranking higher in search results, AEO focused on getting selected.
Today's search experience includes:
- Featured Snippets and AI Overviews
- AI-Generated summaries in search engines
- Conversational responses from LLM tools like ChatGPT
In these environments, users often get what they need without clicking through to a website. That's what's known as a zero-click search, which is becoming more common.
So, what does this mean for your content?
It needs to be:
- Clear and direct
- Structured around real questions
- Easy to scan
- Built with intent, not just keywords
The good news: AEO doesn't replace SEO - it builds on it.
A strong SEO foundation ensures your content is discoverable. AEO ensures your content is usable as the answer.
And when you combine the two, you're not just driving traffic, you're building visibility everywhere your audience is searching.
Why HubSpot?
HubSpot, a leading CRM platform, offers a range of tools and features specifically designed to make SEO, AEO, and ranking on search engines like Google, easier. From keyword research and on-page optimization to tracking and reporting, HubSpot has got your back with many tools and features to make it easy.
So for the purpose of this post, we’ll be digging into how HubSpot can help you with SEO. However, many of these represent the foundation of SEO and can carry over to other marketing tools.
For more on Why HubSpot - check out this article.
5 Ways HubSpot Makes SEO Easier
Now, let’s take a look at some ways HubSpot makes carrying out a Search Engine Optimization strategy easier:
1. Keyword Research
Keywords are the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. By identifying keywords relevant to your business and integrating these keywords into your content, you increase your chances of ranking higher in search results.
If you’re a HubSpot customer (Content Hub Professional and above), take advantage of the Content Strategy tool by navigating to HubSpot Content Strategy and clicking on the Create Topic Cluster button.
As you start typing a topic in the main box, Content Strategy will work its magic, suggesting relevant terms and topics based on your existing site content and your targeted objectives. With these intelligent suggestions, you can refine your keywords.
This is just one of many ways HubSpot can support your keyword research.
2. On-Page Optimization
Optimizing your website’s content is crucial for SEO success. HubSpot understands this and has built SEO into the standard page set-up process.
That means whenever you’re creating a landing page, blog post, or web page; HubSpot’s helpful SEO recommendations are provided on screen.
HubSpot’s SEO recommendations include actionable tasks to improve your pages, ensuring it’s fully optimized for search engines. From meta tags and headers to formatting, this tool covers it all with helpful suggestions.
All HubSpot accounts have access to SEO recommendations in the page editor which can be used to view recommendations for all of your pages, a specific page/blog post you’re working on, or even an existing page with recommendations to optimize.
3. Backlink Building
Backlinks, or inbound links, are like votes of confidence from other websites. HubSpot’s referral sources tool helps you identify where your traffic is coming from, a helpful step to secure high-quality backlinks, boosting your website’s authority and improving its chances of ranking higher.
Building high-quality backlinks for SEO purposes requires strategies for building meaningful relationships to acquire backlinks over time.
HubSpot offers a full, free course on Link Building in the HubSpot Academy.
4. Content Creation
Creating valuable and engaging content is a vital SEO strategy. HubSpot’s content creation tools allow you to generate relevant and optimized content that resonates with your target audience. From blog posts and landing pages to social media content, HubSpot streamlines your content creation process. They are constantly adding new tools and features – like their new generative AI tools. Tools like these can revolutionize your content creation process.
Content creation is an area where HubSpot really shines! HubSpot offers a comprehensive suite of tools for content creation, including:
- Blog tool to create and publish blog posts. It provides a user-friendly editor, SEO optimization suggestions, and the ability to schedule and promote your content.
- Website tool to create and manage web pages. It includes features like drag-and-drop editing, SEO optimization, and mobile responsiveness.
- Social Media tool to create and schedule social media posts to promote your content across various platforms.
- Email Marketing tool to create and send engaging email campaigns to your audience.
5. Analytics and Reporting
Measuring the effectiveness of your SEO efforts is crucial to refining and improving your strategy. HubSpot’s built-in analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights into your website’s performance, including organic search traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates. This data empowers you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your SEO strategy for greater success.
Use the Analytics tool to track and measure the performance of your website, blog, and other marketing efforts. Generate reports on key metrics like traffic, conversions, engagement, and more.
HubSpot’s reporting features allow you to visualize data, create custom dashboards, and share reports with stakeholders.
HubSpot provides some of the best analytics and reporting capabilities I’ve encountered. This is another SEO area where HubSpot has made things easy for you.
Successful SEO with HubSpot
And there you have it! Unlocking SEO success with HubSpot is all about utilizing the powerful tools and features it offers. By integrating your SEO strategy using HubSpot, you can streamline your efforts, save time, and achieve better results.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process. It requires continuous monitoring, adaptation, and optimization.
