Great marketing isn’t about using one channel really well. It’s about knowing how to make the channels work together.
That’s why if you’ve been treating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and email marketing like two totally separate strategies, it might be time to give them a little more face time with each other.
Both of these strategies can be powerful on their own. But when you combine them with a little intention, they can seriously level each other up — and your business along with them.
Let’s talk about how to make that happen.
Why SEO and email marketing are a perfect match
Here’s the thing about email marketing: it doesn’t directly influence your search engine rankings. But it does play a major role in the behaviours that search engines love to see — like people spending more time on your site, clicking through to other pages, or even sharing your content.
And when those things happen, your SEO wins.
Let’s break SEO email marketing down a bit more.
- Email drives highly targeted traffic to your website. When you send an email to your list, you’re speaking to people who’ve already shown interest in what you offer. If that email includes a link to a blog post, product page, or landing page, you’re guiding warm traffic to your site — which can signal value to search engines.
- It builds your brand authority. The more consistently you show up in someone’s inbox with useful content, the more they see you as an expert. That kind of credibility often turns into shares, backlinks, and repeat visits — all things that are great for SEO.
- It helps you understand what your audience actually cares about. By tracking what gets clicked, which subject lines get opened, and what people ignore, you can fine-tune your content strategy — both on your website and in your emails — to better align with your audience’s interests.
Real benefits from bringing SEO and email marketing together
When you start using your email strategy to complement your SEO efforts, here’s what you can expect:
- More eyes on your content. SEO brings in new people, and email keeps them coming back.
- Better engagement. Warm leads from email tend to stay longer, explore more, and convert at higher rates.
- Stronger brand presence. Repeated exposure across channels helps you stay top of mind.
- Deeper audience insights. Together, SEO email marketing tools help paint a fuller picture of what your customers want.
Easy wins: How to optimize email for SEO goals
Let’s say you’re sold on the SEO-email combo. Now what?
Here are a few practical ways to make your emails work harder for your SEO efforts.
Use keywords — naturally
Just like your website content, your emails can benefit from keyword research. Focus on long-tail keywords that are specific to your niche and what your audience is searching for.
Think beyond the subject line
Include keywords in your headers and body copy where it feels natural — but don’t force it. This isn’t about keyword stuffing. It’s about reinforcing relevance.
Track everything with UTM codes
You know those little add-ons at the end of a URL? They’re called Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters, and they’re super useful for tracking where your traffic is coming from.
Adding UTM codes to your email links helps you see which content is driving the most clicks, what’s converting, and where you might want to invest more effort. The data you get from this can influence not just your email strategy, but your content and SEO plan too.
Make content easy to share
Even though emails aren’t indexed by search engines, the content you link to is. Encourage subscribers to share blog posts or landing pages by adding buttons, prompts, or even a “share with a friend” option.
And when you include links in your emails, make sure the anchor text is descriptive. That helps search engines understand the context of the page you’re linking to, which can give your SEO a little extra boost.
Don’t skip the personal touch
Personalization doesn’t just improve open and click rates — it creates a deeper connection with your audience. Use first names, tailor content to specific segments, and reference past behaviours when you can.
Personalization goes beyond dropping someone’s name into the subject line.
Try dynamic content blocks that change based on customer behaviour. If someone recently explored a specific product or service on your website, consider following up with an email that highlights your most popular options in that category — maybe even with a helpful reminder that they’re still available. You can also use email surveys to collect preferences and use that data to personalize future content, whether it’s offering blog articles based on skill level or product suggestions based on purchase history. People respond better when it feels like you’re speaking just to them.
This kind of thoughtful targeting helps drive traffic to the content your audience cares about most — and boosts the chances they’ll stick around, click again, and eventually convert. And when you use email to ask for reviews, feedback, or testimonials, you’re not only engaging your audience — you’re creating content that can improve your site’s authority and visibility in search results too.
Automate where you can (but keep it human)
Automation is your best friend when it comes to scaling personalized content in your SEO email marketing efforts. Use automated sequences to guide subscribers through a journey — like a welcome series that points them to helpful blog content, or a post-purchase flow that shares tips or case studies.
You’ll be driving consistent traffic to your site without manually hitting send every day.
And don’t forget segmentation. The more targeted your messaging, the more relevant your emails will feel. Whether you’re segmenting by purchase behaviour, location, or interests, the result is content that resonates — which almost always leads to better engagement.
Measuring the right things
It’s easy to get caught up in open rates or how many people clicked a CTA. But don’t forget to zoom out and look at the full picture.
- Are people spending more time on the site after clicking through from an email?
- Are those visits resulting in purchases, signups, or other actions?
- Is the content you’re linking to gaining backlinks or ranking better over time?
Combining your email platform data with Google Analytics (or whichever tools you’re using) helps you see the long-term impact of your efforts. Use those insights to keep refining your SEO and email marketing strategy as you go.
Keep it simple, stay consistent
You don’t need to be an SEO expert or email marketing extraordinaire to start seeing real results from this combo. Like most good things in marketing, success comes from consistency and a willingness to test, tweak, and try again.
If you’re just getting started, keep it manageable. Link to your most helpful blog post in your next email. Try adding a UTM code to see how it performs. Or set up a simple automation to bring people back to your site without needing to remember to hit send every time.
Here’s a quick recap to help you stay focused on what works:
Smart ways to blend SEO and email marketing
- Link to keyword-rich blog content in your emails
- Use UTM codes to track link performance
- Personalize content using past behaviour
- Ask for reviews and feedback via email
- Segment your audience to send more relevant emails
- Use automation to keep traffic flowing
- Create shareable, accessible content that people want to spread
Think of SEO and email like two teammates: they each bring different strengths, but they’re better when they play off each other.
And if you need a little help tying it all together? That’s where Constant Contact comes in. Whether you’re just getting started with SEO and email marketing or looking to take your strategy to the next level, our tools make it simple and accessible. So, give it a shot. Pairing email and SEO might just be the secret sauce your strategy’s been missing.
