Relevance
Does the page answer what the person searched, in the words they used?
SEO in plain words
SEO means making your website the best answer to what your customers search, so Google shows it to them. No tricks, no secrets: understand what people want, answer it clearly, and make the page fast and easy to use.
- 8 basicsthat cover most of SEO
- 5 stepsto start this week
- Freeno sign-up
What does the searcher want?
Good SEO starts with one question: what does the person typing this actually want? Sort eight real-looking searches and see which kind of page wins each one. Pick an answer for each search.
1 of 80 right
What Google looks at
Google wants to show the most useful page for every search. Three things decide which one that is.
Trust
Is it accurate, written by someone who knows, and mentioned or linked by others?
Experience
Does it load fast, work well on a phone and make the next step easy?
The basics in plain words
Learn these eight and you understand most of what SEO is about. Hover or tap any item to see the details.
- Learn, find, compare or buy
- Match the page to the intent
- Try the sorter above
- Title about 50 to 60 characters
- Description about 150 characters
- Different for every page
- One H1 with the main topic
- H2s for each part
- Short paragraphs
- Written from experience
- Prices, examples, photos
- Kept up to date
- Link related pages
- Clear link text
- No dead ends
- Main content in under 2.5 s
- Responds to taps in under 200 ms
- Layout jumps under 0.1
- Google Business Profile
- Same name, address and phone everywhere
- Reviews and replies
- Partners, suppliers, local press
- Earned, not bought
- Quality over quantity
Start in five steps
You can do all five yourself. Most changes show in Search Console within weeks, and real growth usually takes a few months.
- Step 1
Check
Run a free Site X-ray and connect Google Search Console.
- Step 2
Listen
Write down the questions customers ask you on the phone. Those are your searches.
- Step 3
Fix the basics
A clear title, description and H1 on every important page.
- Step 4
Answer
One page for each service and each common question, written in your customers' words.
- Step 5
Measure
Once a month, check clicks and searches in Search Console and improve the pages that almost rank.
Four SEO myths
- Repeat the keyword oftenGoogle reads meaning, not counts. Write naturally.
- SEO is done onceSearches and competitors change. Small, regular care works best.
- More pages is always betterTen useful pages beat a hundred thin ones.
- You can pay Google to rankAds are paid. The normal results cannot be bought.
Questions about SEO
How long does SEO take?
Fixes to titles and errors can show within weeks. Ranking for competitive searches usually takes a few months of steady work.
Can I do SEO myself?
Yes, the basics on this page are enough for many small businesses. It takes time more than special skills. If you prefer, we do it for you.
What is the difference between SEO and Google Ads?
Ads put you at the top for as long as you pay for clicks. SEO earns you a place in the normal results, which keeps bringing visitors without a cost per click. See Google Ads.
Do I need a blog?
Not always. You need pages that answer what your customers search. For some businesses that means a blog, for others clear service and city pages are enough.
Does AI search change SEO?
AI answers in Google and chat tools draw on clear, trustworthy pages, so the same basics still apply. Learn more about AI search optimisation.
Rather have someone do your SEO?
Send us your website address. We look at what your customers search and come back with what we would fix first.