People use search engines multiple times every day — primarily Google, and increasingly chatbots. With strategic search engine optimization (SEO), you can make your website visible to search engines like Google, Bing, or AI-driven search systems. Here are the five most important steps.
Google still dominates mobile search. Organic search lets you reach target audiences exactly when they are actively looking for information, products, or services. AI systems such as ChatGPT or Gemini now also draw on search results and are changing many users’ search behavior.
The five steps to a better website
Improving a website requires a clear plan that addresses both user experience and search engine performance.
1. Technical optimization
Technology alone doesn’t produce rankings, but without a clean technical foundation, a site won’t be indexed or may be misinterpreted. Experts recommend a full technical audit at least once a year, whether you work in-house or with an agency. That way, you minimize the risk of technical errors that could harm rankings and visibility.
Important elements:
- Crawling & indexing
- Load time (TTFB < 200 ms)
- Mobile usability
- Structured data (Schema.org)
- HTTPS, canonicals, redirects
- Internal linking & error monitoring
The more complex the website, the more important the technical structure becomes. At a minimum, smaller sites should ensure they are fully crawlable and load quickly.
If you’d like a short assessment of your site’s SEO performance, tell me about your current challenges.
2. Keyword research
Many websites fail at a single point: they create content for terms nobody searches for, or that miss the target audience.
Keyword research is usually carried out by me in projects or closely supervised by me, because it’s where the biggest strategic mistakes happen. Tools like Sistrix or Semrush provide the data, but interpretation and mapping to search intent are the decisive steps.
We analyze:
- What is actually being searched for?
- With what intent (informational, transactional, navigational)?
- Which terms does the target audience use?
- Which topics are truly relevant to the company?
- Where are there relevant questions that remain unanswered?
The result is a clear, prioritized keyword plan that can be translated directly into content planning.
3. Content optimization
Good content is not accidental. It comes from data, experience, and an editorial process focused on search intent and structure.
Working with clients, a clear workflow has proven effective:
- Topic planning based on real demand (at least one new post per week)
- SEO briefing: including keyword data, search intent, competition, and suitable prompts
- Editorial draft (in-house or by my team)
- Publication with technical optimization
- After 4–6 weeks: evaluation and targeted re-optimization
Google evaluates content according to the E-E-A-T criteria (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). These principles will increasingly apply to chatbots like ChatGPT as well, to effectively filter out spam. Pure AI-generated texts without human editorial review or original experience will be ignored by search engines: no one needs content today that any AI can produce equally well. Think about the concrete added value you provide to your users.
4. Seeding
Content must be made visible. Treat content like a product: actively place it where your audience will encounter it. Content marketing is an essential part of SEO.
Avoid clearly manipulative tactics like buying links or link exchanges — these are outdated strategies with dubious prospects and high risk. Google’s guidelines prohibit manipulation and penalize sites that try to manipulate search results; such pages can receive so-called penalties.
Possible channels for content seeding:
- Homepage and relevant category pages
- Newsletter distribution
- Your own social media channels
- Industry articles with backlinks
- Google Ads and native advertising
- Sponsored posts or PR
5. Performance monitoring
A one-off effort is rarely enough in search engine optimization. Visibility must be continuously analyzed, evaluated, and improved. Experts rely on simple, transparent monitoring with clear KPIs. Tools like Google Search Console, Matomo, or Sistrix enable data-driven decisions. Mentions in AI answers can now also be measured with tools like Sistrix’s AI Research Tool or Rankscale. Visibility is measurable; success is not accidental. Professional analysis not only saves time but also prevents misjudgments that cost reach.
SEO for AI-supported search
AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity don’t deliver lists of results but direct answers. They rely on current search indexes and publicly available content. Visibility doesn’t happen by chance — it comes from structure, relevance, and trust.
In some analyses, we show clients how to prepare content so it’s recognized and preferentially cited by AI systems:
- Technology: fast load times, clean metadata, semantic structure
- Content: precise wording, high factual density, visible “Last updated” date
- Reputation: external citations, clear author attribution, editorial quality
Most of these elements have been the foundation of SEO for years. AI-SEO (or “GEO”) only adds a few new rules to SEO and is not a separate discipline, despite claims by some so-called “AI experts.” Without SEO, nothing works.
Time factor: How long does SEO take?
SEO is plannable, but not short-term. New content typically takes several weeks to be fully processed by Google. New domains take considerably longer. A site with relevant content (50+ pages) and a clear focus is required to establish authority with Google. Specialists recommend planning 12 to 24 months for new projects to achieve reliable results. If after six to twelve months there’s no progress, there is usually a structural problem. In such cases, I analyze the previous measures and develop a realistic roadmap based on the current state.
SEO budget and effort
SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-off project. If content isn’t maintained, it quickly disappears from the search engines and becomes invisible again.
The concrete effort depends heavily on size and objectives. I typically work with a monthly retainer starting at two days per month; for more complex sites, four to six days per month are common.
Typical effort (depending on website size):
- SEO audit (technology, structure, content): 8–16 hours per quarter
- Ongoing analysis, keyword maintenance, content planning: 8–12 hours per month
- Editing & content updates: 8–16 hours per month
- Reporting and strategic consulting: 2–4 hours per month
Daily rate: $1200 (depends on scope, industry, and format).
For smaller projects, I also offer one-off consultations or workshops, for example, to evaluate past measures or develop a focused topic strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Classic search vs. AI search
AI systems deliver direct answers, not result lists. Content must be more structured, up-to-date, and citable to appear there.
How important are Core Web Vitals?
Essential. Performance, interactivity, and stability directly affect rankings: when content quality is comparable to competitors, better usability can be the deciding factor.
Is AI content problematic?
Only if it is not editorially reviewed or enriched. AI-generated drafts are often erroneous and sound generic and interchangeable. Working with AI-based text drafts or outlines is fine — just always optimize them for structure, readability, and subject matter. The same applies to translations.
How long until SEO has an effect?
Depending on the competition, 3 to 12 months. Without topic authority, clean technology, and updated content, results usually don’t materialize.
Which tools do you recommend?
Must-haves: Google Search Console, Matomo, or Analytics. For deep analysis: Sistrix, Searchmetrics, Screaming Frog.