Key takeaways
- SEO is a fundamental practice for achieving long-term organic visibility and is critical for establishing credibility with both search engines and AI platforms.
- An SEO strategy is constructed upon three core pillars: Technical SEO, On-page SEO (Content), and Off-page SEO (Backlinks and Authority).
- The timeline to see results from SEO is typically 6-12 months, varying based on how established the website is and the time required to build authority.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a fundamental practice for any business seeking long-term organic visibility and authority online. As search engines and AI platforms constantly crawl the digital landscape for fresh information, an optimised website is essential for visibility and credibility.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential components of a successful SEO strategy, focusing on the three core pillars: Technical SEO, On-page SEO, and Off-page SEO. By mastering these fundamentals, you can improve your rankings, drive targeted traffic, and increase your conversions.
What is SEO?
SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimisation and refers to the process of optimising your website to improve your visibility within the search results. The aim of an SEO strategy is to ensure your business appears within the top organic search listings for your core keywords, and to be cited in AI overviews as a credible source.
The Three Pillars of SEO
There are three main pillars of SEO: Technical SEO, On-page SEO, and Off-page SEO.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is the practice of ensuring crawlers can find and index your website content.
- Your core pages should be included in your sitemap and crawlers should be able to access them.
- Metadata and headings should be optimised site wide to give crawlers context.
- Google uses mobile-first indexing, so your pages should be accessible on mobile devices.
- You should have the relevant security signals (HTTPS) and hosting set up.
- Your site should be optimised for speed to avoid customers getting frustrated and leaving your website. You can find your page speed score with the PageSpeed Insights tool.
For more information, read Google’s “How Search Works” guide.
Recommendation: set up Google Search Console for your domain to better understand how your website is performing. You can receive updates to your email address which update you on any new issues, indexability problems, and your visibility in search throughout the month.
On-page SEO (Content)
The content pillar refers to the information present on your website. Content surrounding your products or services should be helpful to users, include useful insights from experts within your business or industry, and answer common questions.
- Start by creating a content plan to provide audiences with clear insights or instructions about your product or service. Start by brainstorming some topics, think about insights you can offer, and map these into a 6-12 month content calendar.
- Your keywords are core terms that people would use to find your website, and they should be present throughout your web pages. The most important places to add your keywords are in the H1 heading, subheadings, and naturally within the body of text. As outlined in a study by Edwin M. Kivuti, the earlier your keyword is present in your metadata, headings, and paragraphs, the better.
- If you are an e-Commerce website, your product pages should include all of the relevant information about your product - such as size, colour, weight, material, etc. These attributes are helpful for users and when present, can attract high intent customers.
Off-page SEO (Backlinks and Authority)
Off-page SEO refers to building mentions of your business, products, or services across the web, through backlinks or brand mentions. It is necessary for your website to be linked from or mentioned in a variety of relevant, high quality publications, in order to build your brand authority.
- Local businesses should ensure that they are mentioned across relevant directories - for example, trade publications, service listings, and local map listings (Google Maps, Apple Maps, Bing Places).
- If you can provide expert commentary on a trending news story or industry piece, you can reach out to journalists or website owners to be included within their article - and sometimes they will link back to your website.
- Digital PR is a service which helps to increase your brand visibility through a variety of campaign types, such as reactive campaigns, data-led campaigns, and product-led campaigns.
Warning: Whilst link building has been a common practice within the SEO industry for years, Google has warned that excessive link exchanges can result in a manual action. Be selective about where you choose to be referenced across the web.
Which SEO tasks should I start with?
To get started, our Head of SEO, Sophie Darr, recommends:
- Use Google Search Console to conduct a technical audit. Learn which pages are indexed vs. not indexed, which technical issues are impacting your site, and how many clicks you are receiving through your core terms. From here, you can start to investigate performance issues and research the fixes.
- Conduct an industry analysis to understand who your organic competitors are, which of their pages are doing well, and where they are ranking in the search results. You can use keyword research tools to conduct this analysis. SEMRush and Ahrefs are popular tools, as well as SE Ranking who offer a free trial (accurate as of June 2026).
- Build a content strategy for the next 6-12 months. This should include service page or collection optimisations, product page optimisations for ecommerce sites, and informational blogs and guides to support your offering. Map your plan into a spreadsheet and schedule time to work through your content.
Need help with your SEO strategy? Get in touch with our SEO team today.
Frequently asked questions
Is SEO still important in 2026?
Yes, SEO is still very important in 2026. Online discourse around AI may seem intimidating and scary, but the reality is that AI platforms crawl and store information from optimised websites. In order to be visible within both search engines and AI platforms (otherwise referred to as LLMs), your website needs to provide accurate and helpful content. Envision your website as a source of information, and add as much value as you can.
Why should I hire an SEO agency?
SEO agencies hire professionals who are familiar with the strategy and implementation required to improve your organic performance. It can be time consuming to keep your website up to date, whereas an SEO specialist can manage your organic presence across multiple platforms, taking this task off your hands. Additionally, SEO agencies have access to professional tools which give them insights into how you are performing vs. competitors.
How are SEOs using AI in 2026?
SEO specialists are using AI to automate manual tasks, freeing up their time to work on ideation and strategy. For example, tasks such as bulk metadata updates can be automated and then sense checked, saving hours of time. This allows the specialists to spend more time analysing your industry, planning new content strategies, and reporting on your performance.
What tools do I need to get started with SEO?
We recommend setting up Google Search Console for website performance metrics, choosing a keyword research tool such as SEMRush, Ahrefs, or SE Ranking, and if budget allows, buying a licence for a crawling tool such as Screaming Frog or Sitebulb. Google Analytics (GA4) can be set up by adding some code onto your website, and this will then report on your website's performance across a variety of metrics including sessions and conversions. You can use Google Docs and Google Sheets for free - for planning, analysis, and content writing.
How long does it take to see results from SEO?
Results can take anywhere from 6-12 months, but this timeline varies depending on how established your website is. For brand new websites, it takes time to build authority within your industry. For larger established brands, trust has been built over time, meaning that optimisations can perform better in a shorter timeframe.
How much do your SEO services cost?
Our minimum package starts at $3000 a month, and our packages increase in cost based on the strategy and implementation required. For larger enterprises with extensive page volumes, we recommend a tailored investment level to support the necessary implementation.
What is the difference between SEO and PPC?
PPC is the process of paying for advertising within the search results, and can often yield faster conversions. SEO is the ongoing process of optimising your website; results can take longer as trust and authority are built over time.
