How to do a SWOT analysis applied to SEO and search marketing

Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, which initials form the name of this matrix. We are talking about the SWOT analysis, perhaps the best known a tool for strategic planning of a project or in a business toward the achievement of a set goal, invented by the U.S. economist Albert Humphrey between the 1960s and 1970s and still useful today to better focus and direct professional efforts also in SEO and search marketing, so as to set an effective strategy to improve the authority, organic visibility, traffic and conversions of our site.

What is the SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that aims to systematically and objectively examine an organization’s or project’s internal and external environment, and more specifically to identify and assess internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats.

In the field of strategic business planning, the acronym SWOT identifies the main intrinsic and extrinsic variables that must be evaluated before starting a project or making a decision in the path to achieving a goal.

With this technique, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses of our brand, but also the opportunities and threats that exist in the competitive market, and then assess the critical success factors that can enable us to achieve our goal.

Specifically, the acronym SWOT is derived from the words Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats; specifically, Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors, thus related to our company or brand and therefore inherent to the organization, its resources, processes, and the people who make up the team. In contrast, Opportunities and Threats are external factors, arising from the market, the presence of competitors and the economy in general.

This method of analysis, originally developed for the business world, finds application in a wide range of areas, including digital marketing and SEO, as we shall see, where it can be used to assess a website‘s performance, identify areas for improvement, and develop effective strategies to increase online visibility and organic traffic.

SWOT analysis definition and functionality

It already seems clear, then, that SWOT analysis can be a valuable aid in determining the priorities for action for an organization of any kind, to identify the initiatives to be taken now and the challenges to be addressed as soon as possible, regardless of the type of business and company size (as the business grows, the obstacles, challenges, opportunities and projects in general increase, but the matrix naturally accompanies this process).

Indeed, by definition, the main goal of a SWOT analysis is to help organizations develop a full awareness of all the factors involved in a decision-making process of any kind. It was in fact with this goal, and more specifically to identify the reasons why business planning consistently failed, that Albert Humphrey of the Stanford Research Institute devised this method in the 1960s, and since then the SWOT matrix has become one of the most useful tools for entrepreneurs to start and grow their companies.

The reasons for the success of this system are quite simple to understand: the matrix consists of 4 easy topics, which even novice entrepreneurs can fill out and analyze, and it allows them to chart the future of each business with sufficient accuracy by evaluating its path from all angles, including a comprehensive look at all resources and internal and external threats.

Of course, for SWOT analysis to really work, it needs to be accurate, and those doing it need to avoid preconceived beliefs or gray areas, focusing instead on real-life contexts; also, it is good to remember that the model should be used as a guide, and not necessarily as a prescription.

What is the SWOT analysis for

The “purpose” of a SWOT analysis is to provide qualitative data that captures the real conditions of a company within the context in which it operates.

The SWOT matrix can be used by any type of organization (business, non-profit, government agencies) and professionals to make strategic decisions, which therefore have a long-term impact on the way the same organization positions itself, produces, communicates, interacts with the outside and is structured.

More specifically, the SWOT model is crucial to assess the feasibility of a project and to implement a strategy that adequately takes into account factors within the organisation – starting with the so-called Unique Selling Proposition – and also external factors, such as opportunities related to market needs and to the specific historical moment.

The SWOT is thus a tool for performing situational analysis for each key area. At a general level, we can set the strategy by considering the following aspects:

• Strengths: areas in which we are strong and that give us an advantage over competitors, on which we should capitalize.
• Weaknesses: areas where we are at a disadvantage compared to competitors and should be addressed.
• Opportunities: areas where there is potential for growth and which can be used to our advantage.
• Threats: threats in the environment that could cause problems for our company now and in the future.

The purpose of a SWOT analysis is to derive information about our market position and guidance for exploiting opportunities with strengths while addressing weaknesses and threats. In short, an “attack and defense” strategy.

Benefits of the SWOT Analysis

Thanks to this technique, we can evaluate the pros and cons, the possibilities and obstacles of every action that we intend to implement to achieve our objectives, and identify what ar