Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO — search engine optimization — is what connects your business to people actively looking for what you offer. If you're new to it or not sure how it works anymore, you're in the right place.
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Did you rank on page one, and still see a drop in web traffic?
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Are you paying for SEO that was designed for how search worked five years ago?
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Why are your competitors showing up in snippets and AI results — and you're not?
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Does ranking actually matter anymore?
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Bottom line: Is your SEO strategy built for search as it exists today?
What is SEO?
SEO isn't a trick. It's the long game.
When someone searches "plumber near me" or "Kennewick accountant," SEO is what determines which businesses show up — and where. It's not luck. It's structure, content, and credibility signals working together.
SEO compounds over time.
Unlike ads that stop when you stop spending, every SEO improvement you make keeps working.
SEO builds trust.
People trust organic results more than ads — consistently, across every study on the subject.
SEO takes patience.
There's no shortcut. But the businesses that start early pull ahead and tend to stay there.
Google’s first page has more moving parts now: AI summaries, map packs, snippets, ads, and traditional results. That gives your business more ways to show up — but only if your content is clear, useful, and structured for how people search today.
Why Invest in Search Engine Optimization?
Search has changed. Being findable still matters.
People aren’t only clicking blue links anymore. They’re scanning Google results, reading AI summaries, checking map listings, comparing reviews, and asking tools like ChatGPT for recommendations. Strong SEO helps your business show up across that whole search journey — not just in traditional rankings.
of Google searches end without a click to any website — which is why showing up in the map pack, snippets, and AI summaries matters as much as your ranking
of all clicks on Google go to organic results — not paid ads. SEO is how you earn your share of that traffic without paying for every click
years helping Tri-Cities businesses build lasting search visibility — through every algorithm update and search trend change since 2012
What Makes Good SEO?
Good SEO isn't one thing. It's a combination of signals working together.
Here's what we look at and what each piece actually does for your visibility.
Technical SEO The foundation everything is built on.
Site speed, mobile usability, proper indexing, and clean structure determine whether Google can read your site at all — before ranking ever enters the picture.
Keyword Research Finding the terms that actually bring customers in.
The terms people use when they're ready to hire are different from the ones they use when they're browsing. We build around the former — and for local businesses, that often means phrases larger competitors overlook.
On-Page Content Structured so search and AI engines know what to do with it.
Headings, meta descriptions, image tags, internal links — these signals tell Google what each page is about. Get them right and you're also in the running for featured snippets and People Also Ask placement.
Google Business Profile Often the first thing a customer sees.
Most potential customers see your GBP before they ever reach your website. A fully optimized, actively maintained profile is one of the single highest-impact things a local business can do for search visibility.
Reviews A ranking signal, not just social proof.
Google uses review volume, recency, and rating as local ranking factors. Businesses at the top of local results almost always have a steady, consistent stream of new reviews — not just a lot of old ones.
Citations & Directories Your business info, consistent everywhere.
Your name, address, and phone number need to match everywhere online. Inconsistencies — even small ones — send mixed signals to search engines and can quietly suppress your local rankings.
Local SEO Agency
We've been doing this long enough to know what actually works — and what's just noise.
SEO has a lot of opinions attached to it. We've been at this since 2012 — through every major algorithm shift and technology change — and our approach is built on what consistently delivers for local businesses over the long term.
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Real SEO assessment before recommendations
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Website structure, schema, internal links, and content built with search in mind
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Local SEO strategy based on your market, competitors, and service area
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Clear explanations without jargon, scare tactics, or mystery reports
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SEO work tied to search and AI visibility, leads, and long-term business growth
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A marketing partner who looks at the full picture, not just rankings
Years serving Eastern Washington businesses — through every algorithm update, platform shift, and search trend change
5-star reviews from real local clients who hired us, worked with us, and came back
Websites built with a solid SEO foundation.
SEO Strategy & Consultation
Five minutes on the phone beats months of guessing.
Most business owners we talk to have questions — what they actually need, what's worth prioritizing, what a realistic path looks like. We'll walk through it with you.
125+ 5-Star Reviews
When you do great work, people notice.
Josh created a style guide for us to help with consistency throughout our agency. He did a great job creating the guide with little information. He did a great job explaining everything to us. He went above and beyond troubleshooting a zip file issue. Our services with Josh Kandle were 5-star service! He was kind, patient, thoughtful with his work and helpful with creativity in our style guide as well and assisting with technical difficulties. Thanks again Josh!
This team is awesome! they truly have most things figured out and thought through before you walk through the door. And the unknowns are easily resolved with their level of professionalism! We cant say enough about Ashley the design manager and Josh the photographer! They both made the process fun and easy and we were constantly surprised by the “WOW” factor! Thank you all and we look forward to future growth for both our small businesses.
Cougar digital has been an awesome! Basin Pacific Insurance could not be more happy about the work that they have done, the personal experience, and the creative ideas! Keep up the good work! Josh Toner/ Basin Pacific Insurance
Cougar Digital did a great job arranging literature and building a website for us. Travis was very easy to work with, and the finished marketing material looks great. Thanks Cougs!
We had such a good experience working with Cougar Digital Marketing for building our website. They did an awesome job and worked around our crazy schedule so well for meetings/photo shoots/etc. Would highly recommend for any website/marketing needs.
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Cougar Digital Marketing on both of our company websites—Ellison Earthworks and EE Traffic Management—and we couldn’t be happier with the results. From the very first meeting, their team was attentive, creative, and incredibly easy to work with. They took the time to understand not just our services, but our brand values and voice, and they translated that into two beautiful, functional, and user-friendly websites. Their communication was consistent and clear throughout the process, and every step felt collaborative. They made what could’ve been a stressful experience feel seamless and even fun. The final products truly reflect the heart of our companies and the industries we serve. We highly recommend Cougar Digital to any business looking to elevate their online presence. Thank you for bringing our vision to life so perfectly!
Ashley is very easy to communicate with and quick to respond when you have questions. Ashley is very attentive to your ideas. My website gets very high compliments.
Travis Hartliep and his crew are amazing! I worked with Josh on designing a book cover and he was great... was willing to work through numerous changes and updates, suggested helpful things to push the project along, and was very patient and courteous. We came in on budget and on time for the project and the end result was fantastic. I highly recommend Cougar Digital for any and all of your design and marketing needs.
Cougar digital was awesome to work with. They made the website design experience very simple and were very helpful in accommodating my companies' specific needs!
We recently had the pleasure of working with Cougar Digital Marketing for a photography/video project, and we couldn’t be more impressed. From start to finish, their team was professional, creative, and incredibly easy to work with. We highly recommend!
We had an amazing experience working with Josh at Cougar Digital for our excavation company's new website. He was extremely professional, detail-oriented, and made the entire photo shoot and drone footage process seamless. The quality of the photos and drone shots exceeded our expectations, capturing our work in a way that truly showcases our expertise. Josh's professionalism and creative eye made a huge difference, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Highly recommend him and Cougar Digital for any photography and digital needs!
Had a great experience working with Josh! Super easy to work with and really knows his stuff - especially when it comes to lighting and editing for interior shots. The photos turned out amazing, with just the right vibe we were going for. We ended up adding a few extra shot requests last minute, and Josh had no problem fitting them in. He also helped with staging, which made a big difference, and the drone footage was a great bonus. His pricing was very reasonable for the quality we got. Great value for money. We’ll definitely be hiring him again for future shoots!
Very easy to work with and extremely professional. Cougar Digital was able to take our vision and make it a reality as well as making it easy and seamless. I would highly recommend Cougar Digital to anyone!
It has been a pleasure working with Cougar Digital. From managing our ads, rebuilding our website, and maintaining our Google reviews, we have been more than satasfied. We also have no problem getting a hold of them with any questions we may have or help we may need. I highly recommend them! Thank you, Alison and the rest of us at Columbia Basin Satellite & Electric
I recently coordinated several marketing projects for the Benton Franklin Census 2020 Complete Counts committee. Josh and Ashley at Cougar Digital provided great service and expertise. We utilized Cougar for several campaigns, including Facebook Ads, YouTube Ads, Display Ads and video production. The quality and creativity were great and I highly recommend them.They also adapted extremely well when COVID-related restrictions were put into place half way through the project. Thank you so much!
Cougar Digital Marketing & Design assisted us in developing a logo for our apple fruit development project. Their creativity, knowledge, guidance, and patience through the process was remarkable. We are very happy with the resulting concept and image. We highly recommend Josh and Travis at CDMD for your media marketing needs.
Josh and Cougar Digital did an amazing job on a video for an event. We were super proud to show it to donors and had a wonderful response by community members regarding the video. Well done Josh and Cougar Digital!
Cougar Digital has been great to work with! With their support we have seen significant improvement with our marketplace campaigns.
We recently Had Travis and his team build a custom website for our Boat Dealership. Nixons Marine.. Josh, Nick and Travis were awesome. We got tired of the common dealer site and they hit it out of park with our website. What a great project!! Thanks So Much for making it easy..
Our website turned out great! Nick was super easy to work with really made the process a breeze. Josh was our photographer for our website, after seeing the results from the first shoot we had to schedule for another! The pictures turned out better than imagined. Josh did a great job staying out of our crews way but managed to catch all the action with great detail. 10/10 would recommend to anyone!
If you need a website. Call these guys and you won't be disappointed. You'll be surprised at how affordable they are and with the great LOCAL customer service they provide. These guys know their stuff.
Josh was easy to work with. He returned my calls and emails promptly! And he did amazing job. I will not hesitate to reach out to him again for up coming projects!
Awesome local digital agency. Their webdesign capabilities and customer rapport is super impressive. Loved working with Travis and Josh!
Working with Josh at Cougar Digital Marketing & Design was an excellent experience! The process was incredibly collaborative, allowing us to bring our vision for the Pasco School District Career Guide to life. Josh listened to our ideas, provided valuable insights, and worked tirelessly to ensure the final product exceeded our expectations. We are thrilled with the outcome and can't wait to share our new Career Guide with our students and families. Highly recommend Cougar Digital for any design and marketing needs!
Josh produced an outstanding web site for TRI-CITY MUSIC. He ad access to numerous resources that made for an amazing finished product. Josh also provided extensive training on how to update the website myself. I have received numerous positive comments on Josh's creation. For outstanding product and service, I recommend Josh.
Cougar Digital went above and beyond to ensure our complete and total satisfaction with creating and launching our new website which can be a challenging process when multiple opinions are involved. Josh in particular was very attentive, patient and helpful throughout the creative process and also with recommendations for SEO and innovative solutions for soliciting reviews and feedback from customers to boost online reviews. He also facilitated communication with our existing IT support to smoothly transition our domain and emails. I highly recommend the expertise of Cougar Digital for help with all things digital. If they don't offer a solution themselves, they will help you find one!
Josh Kandle was excellent to work with on remaking our branding guidelines, etc. He was helpful, patient and his work was outstanding. Thanks Cougar Digital and Josh for making this process so great.
We had a short timetable and a limited budget. The end result was great. Working with the Cougar Digital team made the project very enjoyable.
Working with the Cougar Digital Marketing team was an absolute delight. Truly good people who are VERY skilled at what they do. Running a large regional food company, it's a blessing to work with an experienced digital team here locally, and not have to seek services in the Seattle or Portland market. I highly recommend working with Cougar Digital!
It was such a pleasure working with Cougar Digital. Not only was the process fast and easy, the work they created is amazing! Josh gave us a variety of different options to work with after taking the time to carefully listen to our needs. He made every little detail count and really brought our vision to life. We will definitely continue to work closely as our business continues to expand. Thank you, we could not be any happier.
Awesome experience working with Josh on a 25th anniversary video of my wedding photos set to music. Couldn’t be happier with the finished product. Thank you Cougar Digital and Josh!
Cougar Digital provides excellent follow through on all our projects. We trust them with developing solutions for our email marketing campaigns, graphic design, and collateral creation. Their designs are used by our partners nationally. We count on them for specific website support work and they always come through for us. They are solution oriented and their upbeat, friendly customer service is unparalleled.
Cougar Digital has truly exceeded expectations with their outstanding work on our website. From start to finish, their team demonstrated peak professionalism, creativity, and technical expertise. The design they crafted for our website is nothing short of spectacular. It perfectly captures the essence of our brand while ensuring a visually stunning and user-friendly interface. Every detail was meticulously planned and executed, resulting in a site that not only looks impressive but also functions seamlessly! 100% Recommend Cougar Digital to all businesses.
It was a pleasure to work with Joshua, he made us all feel comfortable despite not having experience speaking in front of a camera. I would totally recommend Josh and his team. The video was exceptional!
Travis and his team are amazing. They were quick to communicate, completely understood what we were looking for, and delivered an amazing product by the deadline requested. We can’t recommend them enough!
I am the Office Manager of a business that badly needed a website reworked. I knew that Cougar Digital was up to the task, but I was unsure of my own Manager. He really didn't want to go through the steps to work with anyone on anything like a website. Nick was fabulous (as in over the top) in his Customer Service skills with a very hard to work with man. The professionalism of Cougar Digital, coupled with the patience and skills of Nick, provided my Manager with everything he needed to get a new website. The website is beautiful and I am one very pleased customer. I will always go to Cougar Digital for all of my marketing needs.
We are SO grateful with Josh from Cougar Digital! We are a community workspace and Josh came in and took some fantastic pictures of our brand new space! We are very pleased with the work that he did!
Cougar Digital has been so incredible to work with! They are always able to turn our words and ideas into a beautiful finished product quickly. The staff is responsive and professional and we love working with Josh. He is a true artist and always delivers a stunning product. Thank you Cougar!
Josh and the Cougar Digital team did an amazing job with a drone video production that included narration. The quality of audio and video show a professional production level. I appreciate the attention to detail and quality of work by the Cougar Digital team.
Great company! Love how quickly Josh responds to our needs, questions and requests! Highly recommend them
I really love the team approach with Travis and the group, they are very professional, organized, and skilled at what they do. I wish I had employed them for my website and advertising years ago. I regret spending so much money trying to do it on my own or with cheap services that took my money and did nothing. I feel like they are MY team, and I feel I'm not alone trying to achieve my business goals to get my services out to the public.
Thank you Cougar Digital. Over the past couple of years we have worked with Cougar Digital for rebranding, website updates, new logo, updating our business card and promotional material. They also produced an amazing testimonial video - so much fun working with Josh and his team to create this. I can’t begin to express how happy we are with the work Cougar Digitial has completed for us over the years. They are professional, punctual, very creative and so easy to work with. Looking forward to our partnership for years to come. I would highly recommend Cougar Digitial. Our team at New Leaf Creations is thankful for all of your amazing work and looking forward to working with Cougar Digital in the future.
Josh was fantastic to work with! He took Real Estate photography photos on the 14th, and had all of them beautifully edited and back to me in 24 hours! Highly recommend his services!
We needed to update our website and Josh at Cougar Digital was very responsive, helpful, and capable. Our refreshed website looks great! -Jennifer Williamson Forster, Executive Director, South Sound Reading Foundation.
Working with Cougar Digital on our logo design was fantastic! Their creativity, professionalism, and attention to detail brought our vision to life, delivering a result that exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend their team!
Cougar Digital should be your only call for web design. I would give them 6 stars if I could. #Silverline
The Cougar Digital team is fantastic. We recently revamped our website. I worked closely with Faith and she was super friendly and helpful every time we talked whether it was email, phone, or in person. The whole team works together to make sure everything is perfect and taken of. They really took our needs into consideration. Thanks!
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) FAQS
Questions we hear a lot about search visibility.
If you’re thinking it, there’s a good chance someone else asked it too.
What is SEO and how does it work?
SEO — search engine optimization — is the process of making your website easier for search engines to find, understand, and recommend. When someone searches for a product or service you offer, SEO is what determines whether your business shows up in the results. It involves a combination of technical factors (how your site is built), content factors (what your pages say and how they're structured), and authority signals (reviews, links, and how your business appears across the web). Done well, it brings a steady stream of people to your website who are actively looking for what you do — without you paying for every click.
How long does SEO take to work?
Most businesses start seeing meaningful movement in three to six months, with more significant results building from there. SEO compounds over time — the work you do in month one keeps paying off in month twelve. The timeline depends on your starting point, how competitive your market is, and how consistently the work gets done. It's not instant, but it's also not a gamble. Businesses that invest in it consistently tend to pull ahead of competitors who don't — and stay there.
What's the difference between SEO and paid advertising?
Paid ads put you at the top of search results immediately — but only as long as you're paying. The moment the budget stops, the visibility stops. SEO builds organic visibility that doesn't disappear when you stop spending. The tradeoff is time: ads work right away, SEO takes months to gain traction. For most local businesses, the strongest approach uses both — ads for immediate visibility while SEO builds in the background.
Do I need SEO if I'm already running Google Ads?
Yes — and here's why. About 94% of clicks on Google go to organic results, not paid ads. A lot of people skip ads entirely, especially for local service searches where they're looking for someone they can trust. SEO also tends to generate higher-quality leads over time, because people clicking organic results are often further along in their decision-making. Ads and SEO aren't either/or — they cover different parts of how people search and decide.
How do AI Overviews affect my SEO?
Google's AI Overviews — the AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of many search results — are changing how people interact with search. When an AI Overview is present, users often get their answer without clicking any result at all. That doesn't make SEO irrelevant. It makes the kind of SEO you do more important. Websites that are well-structured, clearly written, and recognized as authoritative sources are the ones Google pulls from when generating those summaries. In other words, the businesses showing up in AI Overviews are there because their SEO foundation is strong — not in spite of it.
If you want to go deeper on how we optimize specifically for AI-powered search, we cover that on our AI SEO page.
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