Summary
The consensus from experts, marketers, and official documentation is that SEO and email deliverability are interconnected, primarily through domain and sender reputation. Good SEO practices can indirectly improve email deliverability by enhancing brand recognition, driving traffic to build email lists, and establishing domain authority. However, bad or 'blackhat' SEO tactics can significantly harm deliverability by damaging sender reputation, associating a website with spam or malware, and potentially leading to penalties from search engines or inclusion on blocklists. Maintaining a clean email list and using high-quality data are crucial for both SEO and email marketing. Overall, a trustworthy and consistent online presence is essential for positive outcomes in both SEO and email deliverability.
Key findings
- Indirect Impact: SEO primarily influences email deliverability indirectly through domain and sender reputation.
- Bad SEO Harms Deliverability: "Blackhat" SEO tactics can damage sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues.
- Domain Authority Matters: A strong domain authority, often influenced by SEO, can improve email deliverability.
- Brand Recognition Improves Trust: SEO builds brand recognition, increasing trust and engagement with email recipients.
- List Building: SEO drives website traffic, which can be leveraged to grow a higher-quality email list.
- Reputation Monitoring is Key: Monitor domain and sender reputation. Take action to correct issues quickly.
- SEO & Email - Data Driven: SEO and Email each require high-quality data. Ensuring you have high-quality data is important.
Key considerations
- Avoid Blackhat SEO: Refrain from using unethical SEO tactics that could harm domain and sender reputation.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Implement strategies to maintain a clean and engaged email list to minimize bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Build a Trustworthy Brand: Prioritize building a trustworthy and consistent brand presence across all online channels.
- Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor domain and sender reputation, addressing any issues promptly.
- Combine SEO and Email Strategy: Consider integrating SEO and email marketing strategies to maximize impact.
- Data Quality is Key: Make sure you are using high quality data in all SEO and Email campaigns.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
The relationship between SEO and email deliverability is indirect but significant. While SEO itself isn't a direct ranking factor for email deliverability, it impacts various aspects of a domain's reputation and overall online presence, which can influence email deliverability. Good SEO practices can improve brand recognition, drive website traffic (leading to larger email lists), and enhance domain authority. Conversely, 'blackhat' SEO tactics and poor SEO strategies (like spammy backlinks) can harm domain reputation, negatively affecting email deliverability. High bounce rates from email campaigns can also signal issues that indirectly impact SEO performance. Maintaining consistent branding and using high-quality data are beneficial for both SEO and email marketing.
Key opinions
- Indirect Impact: SEO primarily influences email deliverability indirectly through domain reputation and brand authority.
- Reputation Matters: A strong domain reputation, built through good SEO, can improve email deliverability as reputable domains are more trusted.
- Bad SEO Harms: "Blackhat" SEO practices can damage domain reputation and negatively impact email deliverability.
- Data Quality: High-quality data is essential for both SEO (keyword research) and email marketing (clean lists), contributing to a positive online presence.
- Brand Consistency: Consistent branding, supported by SEO, enhances trust and engagement, reducing spam complaints and improving deliverability.
- Bounce Rates: High email bounce rates can signal poor list hygiene, harming domain reputation and indirectly affecting SEO.
- List building: SEO drives traffic which can help build your email list.
Key considerations
- Monitor Domain Reputation: Regularly monitor your domain's reputation to identify and address any issues that could affect both SEO and email deliverability.
- Avoid Blackhat Tactics: Refrain from using "blackhat" SEO tactics that could harm your domain's reputation and negatively impact email deliverability.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Implement strategies to maintain a clean and engaged email list to minimize bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Ensure Brand Consistency: Ensure your brand messaging and online presence are consistent across all channels to build trust with your audience.
- Complementary Strategies: Integrate SEO and email marketing strategies to leverage the benefits of both for a stronger online presence.
Marketer view
Email marketer from AWeber Blog suggests that SEO increases website traffic and visibility, indirectly supporting email marketing by growing the email list and enhancing brand recognition. This, in turn, can lead to improved email deliverability.
31 Mar 2024 - AWeber Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit explains that SEO and email marketing indirectly influence each other. For instance, driving traffic to your website via SEO can help build your email list, while promoting valuable content via email can improve website engagement metrics, indirectly boosting SEO.
9 Mar 2022 - Reddit
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts agree that SEO's impact on email deliverability is indirect, primarily acting as a risk factor. Good SEO practices don't necessarily improve deliverability beyond a baseline level, but bad or 'blackhat' SEO can significantly harm it by damaging sender reputation and associating a website with spam or malware. A key aspect of SEO's influence lies in its ability to attract visitors and grow an email list, with better SEO leading to a higher quality list, which subsequently can improve email deliverability.
Key opinions
- Bad SEO Hurts: Deceitful or 'blackhat' SEO tactics can damage sender reputation, negatively impacting email deliverability.
- SEO Drives List Growth: SEO affects how easily people find your website and sign up for your email list.
- Quality List Matters: Better SEO can lead to a higher quality email list, which can positively influence deliverability.
- Indirect Impact: SEO's primary influence is indirect, mainly affecting how people discover and join your email list.
- Baseline SEO: Good SEO might not improve deliverability beyond a certain point.
Key considerations
- Avoid Blackhat SEO: Prioritize ethical SEO practices to protect your sender reputation and ensure good email deliverability.
- Focus on User Acquisition: Use SEO to drive relevant traffic to your website and encourage sign-ups for your email list.
- Quality over Quantity: Focus on attracting a high-quality audience to your website and email list through targeted SEO efforts.
- Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor your domain's reputation and address any associations with spam or malware.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that by 'bad SEO,' she means the deceitful tactics used to manipulate search engine rankings.
29 Jun 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that while good SEO may not necessarily improve deliverability, bad SEO can definitely harm it. She uses an analogy: meeting the minimum requirements doesn't matter how much you exceed it, but failing to meet them prevents success.
30 Jan 2025 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Official documentation highlights the importance of domain and sender reputation in email deliverability. While SEO isn't directly mentioned as a determining factor, activities that negatively impact a domain's overall online reputation, particularly those that result in penalties from search engines or listing on blocklists like Spamhaus, can indirectly harm email sending reputation. This underscores the interconnectedness of online reputation and the need to maintain a trustworthy online presence to ensure email delivery.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation Key: Sender reputation is a critical factor in email deliverability, as emphasized by Google.
- Domain Reputation Matters: Microsoft SNDS uses domain reputation to filter spam, impacting deliverability to Outlook and Hotmail users.
- Interconnected Reputation: A domain listed on blocklists like Spamhaus can experience both negative SEO and email deliverability consequences.
- Indirect SEO Impact: While SEO isn't a direct factor, actions penalized by search engines can harm email sending reputation.
Key considerations
- Monitor Online Reputation: Actively monitor your domain's overall online reputation to detect and address any issues affecting SEO or email deliverability.
- Avoid Penalties: Ensure compliance with search engine guidelines to avoid penalties that could indirectly harm email sending reputation.
- Review Blocklists: Regularly check if your domain is listed on any blocklists and take immediate action to resolve any listings.
- Maintain Trustworthiness: Prioritize building and maintaining a trustworthy online presence to ensure positive outcomes for both SEO and email deliverability.
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that while their primary focus is on blocking spam, a domain listed on their blocklists can also experience negative SEO consequences, and vice versa. This highlights the interconnectedness of online reputation.
17 Aug 2023 - Spamhaus
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft SNDS explains that they use domain reputation to filter spam. While SEO isn't explicitly mentioned, any activities that damage your domain's trustworthiness online can potentially affect your email deliverability to Outlook and Hotmail users.
13 Jan 2023 - Microsoft SNDS
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