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What is SEO: search engine optimisation and correct page setup

SEO (search engine optimisation) means optimising a website for search engines. It covers the content, structure and technology of the pages that let people find the website on Google, Bing and in AI search when they look for what you offer. Unlike paid ads, a website does not buy its positions; it earns them with content, technology and links.

The check starts on the home page, free and without sign-up.

Updated

What SEO is, in plain words

SEO is a set of changes that help a search engine understand what a page is about and show it to people who are looking for it. A well set-up website answers a specific query, the search engine can load it without trouble and other websites link to it. The abbreviation is also used for the work itself: website SEO optimisation, SEO analysis or an SEO audit.

How a search engine works: crawling, indexing and ranking

  • Crawling

    : the search engine’s robot (Googlebot, Bingbot) finds the page through links and the sitemap and downloads it.

  • Indexing

    : it stores the page content in its index. A page that is not in the index does not appear in the results.

  • Ranking

    : for every query the search engine orders the pages by how well they answer, how good they are and how quickly and securely they load.

WebMeter checks with every scan whether search engines know the website. Details are in the guide search engines beyond Google.

Three parts of SEO: content, technology and links

  • Content (on-page SEO)

    : text that answers the query, the title, description, headings, images and internal links.

  • Technical SEO

    : indexing, speed, the mobile version, HTTPS, the sitemap and structured data.

  • Links and trust (off-page SEO)

    : links from other websites, mentions of the company and the Google Business Profile.

Today this also includes visibility in AI search such as ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google’s AI Overviews. How WebMeter measures it is described in the guide AI visibility of a website.

SEO page setup: title, meta description and headings H1–H4

This is how the WebMeter SEO consulting page looks in search results. We write the title and description so that they fit and people want to click.

The title has 57 characters (46 + “ | WebMeter”), the description 131.

Below the title, the page is held together by its heading outline. Search engines and screen readers use it to understand what the page is about and how it is organised:

  • <title>SEO consulting: keyword research and SEO audit | WebMeter
  • meta descriptionSEO consulting: website SEO audit, keyword and competitor research…
  • H1SEO consulting: what people search for and why they find you
  • H2What SEO consulting includes
  • H3Website SEO audit
  • H3Keyword and competitor research
  • H2Search volume and keyword difficulty: what the data shows
  • H2SEO consulting FAQ
  • H3How much does SEO consulting cost?
  • H4only rarely: a sub-point inside an H3 (the SEO consulting page does not need one)

SEO rules: website optimisation standards

These rules apply to every page we propose. WebMeter checks most of them itself with every scan.

  • One page, one main query

    : every query has a single page in the map, otherwise the pages compete.

  • Title

    : main query first, roughly 50–60 characters, brand at the end, different on every page. Google shortens longer titles.

  • Meta description

    : 120–155 characters with an answer and a call to action. It does not affect rankings directly and Google may rewrite it, but it decides the click.

  • Headings H1–H4

    : one H1 with the main query, H2 for sections and H3 for items below it. We do not skip levels or use headings just for font size.

  • URL

    : short, words separated by hyphens, no diacritics. When an address changes, we redirect the old one permanently (301).

  • Content for people

    : a direct answer right at the start, specific numbers and own experience, no text written for robots.

  • Internal links

    : with descriptive text, such as “free website SEO check”, not “click here”.

  • Structured data

    : only about what is visible on the page. FAQs in the data are the same as on the page.

  • Technology and indexing

    : HTTPS, sitemap.xml, robots.txt, a canonical URL and hreflang for language versions. Google indexes the mobile version, so it must have the same content as the desktop one.

  • Speed (Core Web Vitals)

    : LCP up to 2.5 s, INP up to 200 ms and CLS up to 0.1.

  • Images

    : descriptive alternative text, set dimensions and a modern format (WebP or AVIF).

  • No buying links

    : Google’s spam policies forbid buying links for rankings. We build on content that earns links.

  • Measurement

    : Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and rankings every week.

SEO marketing: where SEO fits in online marketing

SEO marketing means winning customers from the unpaid search results. In online marketing it sits next to paid ads, social media and e-mail. They differ in how quickly they bring visits and how long the effect lasts:

  • SEO

    : visits from the unpaid results. It starts more slowly, but a page that answers a query well keeps bringing people in.

  • Paid ads (PPC)

    : visits from the moment they launch. You pay for every click and they stop when the budget runs out.

  • Social media

    : builds brand awareness. People tend to come across content there rather than search for it.

  • E-mail

    : keeps the relationship with customers who already know you.

They work best together: SEO and the website content are the foundation that ads, social media and e-mail point people to.

How to make a website visible: what matters

A website becomes visible when it has a page for every important query, when search engines know it and when it is technically sound. That is why it always starts with data:

  • what people really search for and how hard it is to rank for it (search volume and keyword difficulty),
  • which page of the website targets which query (the keyword map),
  • whether Google and Bing know the website,
  • how the website does on technology, speed and security.

What such research looks like with real data is shown on the SEO consulting page.

How is your website doing? Measure it for free

Enter a domain and in about a minute you will see how the website does in the six SEO pillars, speed, indexing and other areas.

Check my website for free →

Want help with the result? See SEO consulting or write to kontakt@webmeter.eu.

Website design with SEO built in from the start

We build a new website straight from the keyword map: every page has its query, title, headings and structured data. Before handover we measure it with the same check as here.

How website design works → Case study: from 73 to 97 points →

FAQ: what is SEO

What does SEO stand for?

Search engine optimisation. It means changes to a website’s content, structure and technology that help people find it in the unpaid search results.

What is the difference between SEO and PPC?

PPC is paid search advertising: you pay for every click and the ad disappears when the budget runs out. SEO brings visits from the unpaid results. It takes longer, but the positions stay as long as the website keeps them up.

How long does SEO take to work?

It depends on the competition for the query and on the state of the website. Indexing new pages can take days or weeks, and ranking changes are tracked over weeks and months. Nobody can honestly guarantee a position or a date.

What is an SEO analysis?

A review of how a website does in search: technology and indexing, titles and headings, content, links and a comparison with competitors. WebMeter does a basic SEO analysis of a website for free.

Does SEO also apply to Bing?

Yes. Bing judges pages by similar principles to Google: content, technology and links. It is worth verifying the website in Bing Webmaster Tools too.

Other areas checked

How the check treats your website is described on the page about the WebMeterBot robot; what is stored and for how long is in the data processing policy.