How people find your website: search basics
Search visibility is not magic. Here are the basics that help the right people find your website, explained simply.
When someone types a question into a search engine, it picks the pages it believes will help most. Search optimisation, often called SEO, is the practice of making your pages easier to find and easier to trust.
The three building blocks
- Technical health: the site loads quickly, works on phones, uses a secure connection and has no broken pages.
- Useful content: pages answer real questions in words your audience uses.
- Reputation: other reputable websites mention or link to you.
Practical steps to take
- Think about questions, not just keywords. What would someone type when they need what you offer?
- Give every page a clear title and description. These often appear in search results.
- Use headings properly, so the structure of a page is clear.
- Describe images with short alternative text.
- Link your own pages together so people and search engines can follow the trail.
- Keep content current. Remove or update pages that are out of date.
- Make sure your site is on a secure connection and loads quickly on a phone.
Be wary of promises
Nobody can guarantee a number one ranking. Be cautious of anyone who does. Real progress is steady and comes from being genuinely helpful.
Give it time
Search results change gradually. Improvements often take weeks or months to show, so track progress over time rather than daily.
Where to look
Free tools from the major search engines show which searches bring people to you, and flag technical issues worth fixing.
Not sure why people are not finding you? Try our free digital growth check, or ask our team for a search-readiness review.