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Always here for you
Hello! I'm the GoldenWing Assistant. How can I help you today?
93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. If your website doesn't appear on the first page of Google, you practically don't exist for potential customers. According to BrightEdge, 53% of website traffic comes from organic search – more than from all other sources combined.
The good news: SEO is not rocket science. In this guide, we explain everything you need to know as a beginner – from the basics to concrete measures you can implement immediately.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. The goal is to design your website so that it appears as high as possible in results for relevant search queries.
Google processes over 8.5 billion searches daily. The algorithm evaluates each website based on over 200 factors. The most important categories are:
"The best place to hide a dead body is page 2 of Google search results." — Unknown SEO Expert
Google works in three steps:
Googlebots (spiders) search the internet and find new pages through links. The more quality links point to your page, the more often it gets crawled.
Google analyzes each page's content: text, images, videos. The information is stored in the index – a gigantic database of all known web pages.
For each search query, Google selects the most relevant pages from billions. The order is based on hundreds of ranking factors.
Important: Google wants to deliver the best answer to the user's search query. If you understand that, you understand SEO.
Keywords are the terms your target audience searches for. Here's how to find the right ones:
The keyword should appear in:
Warning: Keyword stuffing (excessive repetition) hurts more than it helps. Write for humans, not bots.
The title tag is the most important on-page factor. It appears as the clickable headline in search results.
Best practices for title tags:
The meta description is the descriptive text below the title. It doesn't directly affect ranking but does affect click-through rate (CTR).
Best practices for meta descriptions:
"Content is King" – this mantra still applies. But not just any content:
E-E-A-T: Google's Quality Standard
Content rules for good ranking:
More on this in our Content Service.
Internal links help Google understand your website structure. They also distribute "link power" across different pages.
Loading time is a ranking factor. According to Google, 53% of mobile users leave pages that take longer than 3 seconds to load. Our Core Web Vitals guide shows how to speed up your website.
Google uses "Mobile First Indexing" – the mobile version of your website is decisive. Check with Google's Mobile-Friendly Test if your page is optimized.
A secure connection (HTTPS instead of HTTP) is mandatory. Without an SSL certificate, Chrome shows a warning – and Google penalizes you in ranking.
The XML sitemap shows Google all pages of your website. The robots.txt file tells search engines which areas they may crawl.
Schema markup helps Google better understand your content. It can lead to rich snippets (stars, prices, FAQs in search results).
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. Google sees them as "recommendations." The more high-quality backlinks, the higher your authority.
Warning: Don't buy backlinks! Google recognizes this and punishes you with ranking loss or exclusion from the index.
If you're a local business (store, service provider, restaurant), Local SEO is essential. 46% of all Google searches have local intent.
Your Google Business Profile is the most important Local SEO factor:
NAP = Name, Address, Phone. This information must be identical across all platforms (website, Google, social media, directories).
Positive Google reviews improve your ranking and click-through rate. Actively ask satisfied customers for reviews.
Our Local SEO experts help you get found in your region.
You should know these free tools:
Google Search Console: Essential! Shows your rankings, clicks, technical issues.
Google Analytics: Traffic analysis, user behavior, conversions.
Google Keyword Planner: Search volume and keyword ideas.
PageSpeed Insights: pagespeed.web.dev – Loading time analysis.
Screaming Frog: Technical SEO audit (free up to 500 URLs).
Here's how to start with SEO:
Month 1:
Month 2-3:
Month 4-6:
Realistic expectation: SEO takes time. First results visible after 3-6 months, significant improvements after 6-12 months.
Depending on competition and starting point: 3-6 months for first visible results, 6-12 months for significant improvements. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.
In Austria, you pay between €500 and €3,000 monthly for ongoing SEO support, depending on scope. One-time audits cost €1,000-5,000. More in our cost guide.
Basics yes. With this guide you can implement a lot yourself. For advanced strategies and technical SEO, we recommend professional support.
Absolutely. Google remains dominant, and AI results are based on the same content signals. Good content for SEO is also good content for AI. Read more in our Blog.
Both have their place. SEO is sustainable and costs less long-term but takes time. Google Ads delivers immediate traffic but costs continuously. Ideally, combine both.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) = organic, unpaid results. SEM (Search Engine Marketing) = paid advertising (Google Ads). Together they form Search Marketing.
Very important, but quality over quantity. One link from a relevant, authoritative site is worth more than 100 links from spam sites.
Need support with your SEO strategy? Contact us for a free initial consultation.
We bring the same dedication and expertise you see in our articles to every client project.
“The best place to hide a dead body is page 2 of Google search results.”
“SEO is no longer a tactic, it's a business strategy.”
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