When you built your website, you probably designed it with your visitors in mind. You want them to find and enjoy your content easily. But one important visitor is a search engine—like Google—that helps people discover your site.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) means making your website easier for search engines to understand, so they can show your site to the right people at the right time.

What Are Search Essentials? #

Google’s Search Essentials are the basic rules your website should follow to be eligible to appear in search results. Following these doesn’t guarantee a top ranking, but it helps Google find, crawl, and understand your content better.

How Does Google Search Work? #

Google uses automated programs called crawlers to explore the web and add pages to its index. Most websites get found automatically — you don’t usually need to do anything special besides publishing your content.

If you want to dig deeper, Google has detailed docs on how it discovers and crawls websites.

How Long Until I See SEO Results? #

Changes you make today can take anywhere from a few hours to several months to show in Google’s search results. Usually, give it a few weeks before checking if your work has helped.

Not all changes will have a big impact, so if you’re not happy with results, try different improvements and test what works best.

How to Help Google Find Your Content #

Before you start SEO work, check if Google already knows your site:

Search on Google with site:yourdomain.com to see if your pages appear.
If they do, great! You’re already indexed.
If not, check your site meets the technical requirements so Google can access it.

How Does Google Find Your Pages? #

Google mostly finds pages by following links from other websites. So having other sites link to your content helps a lot. This usually happens naturally, but you can also promote your site to get more attention.

If you’re comfortable with a little technical work, submitting a sitemap (a list of all your important URLs) can help Google find your pages faster. Many website platforms create sitemaps automatically.

Make Sure Google Sees Your Pages Like Users Do #

Google needs to see your website the same way a visitor does.

If you block important files like CSS or JavaScript (which control how your site looks and behaves), Google might not understand your pages well. This can hurt your rankings.

If your site shows different content based on user location, check that Google’s crawler (usually from the US) sees the right info.

Use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool to see how Google views your pages.

Want to Keep Some Pages Out of Search? #

Maybe you don’t want certain pages (like personal posts or test pages) to show up in Google Search.

Google lets you block crawling or indexing using special tags or settings (like noindex, robots.txt). This way, you control what appears in search results.

Summary: #

SEO helps Google understand and show your website.
Most sites get found automatically, but you can help by sharing links and submitting sitemaps.
Check Google sees your pages fully (no blocked resources).
Be patient; SEO results take time.
Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor and improve your site.
You can control what pages Google shows or hides.

How to Organize Your Website for SEO and User Experience #

Organizing your website well helps both search engines and visitors understand how your content fits together. If you’re planning a new site or a major redesign, keeping these tips in mind will make your site easier to crawl, navigate, and rank.

1. Use Clear, Descriptive URLs #

URLs are often shown in search results as breadcrumbs, helping users see where they are on your site. Make URLs simple and meaningful with real words, like:

https://www.example.com/pets/cats.html

Avoid random strings or numbers like:

https://www.example.com/2/6772756D707920636174

Google can create breadcrumbs automatically, but using clear URLs helps users and search engines understand your site better.

2. Group Related Pages in Folders (Directories) #

For bigger websites with thousands of pages, organizing similar content in directories can help Google crawl your site efficiently. For example:

https://www.example.com/policies/return-policy.html (rarely changes)
https://www.example.com/promotions/new-promos.html (changes often)

Google can crawl the promotions folder more frequently and update those pages faster.

3. Reduce Duplicate Content #

If the same content appears on multiple URLs (called duplicate content), Google picks one URL as the “canonical” or main version.

Duplicate content isn’t spam, but it can confuse users and waste Google’s time.
Use 301 redirects or the rel=”canonical” tag to tell Google which URL is the preferred version.
Aim for each piece of content to have one clear URL.

4. Make Your Content Useful and Engaging #

The most important factor in SEO is creating content people want to read:

Write clearly and naturally. Break text into paragraphs and sections with headings.
Avoid copying others—make your content original.
Keep content updated. Remove or refresh outdated info.
Focus on helpful, reliable, and people-first content. Use expert info and examples.

5. Think Like Your Audience #

Put yourself in your visitors’ shoes. What words would they type to find your page?

Experts might search “charcuterie” while beginners might type “cheese board.”
Google’s smart enough to understand synonyms and related words, so don’t stress over every variation.

6. Avoid Distracting Ads #

Ads are normal on the web, but don’t let them ruin the user experience.

Avoid ads that block content or make your site hard to use.
Keep ads unobtrusive and balanced so visitors can focus on your content.

7. Link to Useful Resources #

Links connect users and search engines to related pages:

Internal links help users explore your site and help Google discover your pages.
External links can add value by pointing to trustworthy, relevant sources.

8. Write Clear Link Text (Anchor Text) #

The clickable text of your link should describe what the linked page is about. For example:

Instead of “click here,” write “learn about SEO basics.”
Clear anchor text helps users and Google understand the link’s destination.

9. Be Careful When Linking to Other Sites #

If you link to sites you don’t control:

Make sure the content is trustworthy.
If unsure, add a nofollow attribute to your links. This tells Google not to pass ranking credit to those sites.
For user-generated content (comments, forums), automatically add nofollow to prevent spammy links from hurting your site’s SEO.

Summary #

Organize your site logically with clear URLs and folders.
Avoid duplicate content by canonicalizing URLs.
Create useful, original, and user-friendly content.
Think about your audience’s search terms.
Keep ads minimal and non-intrusive.
Use meaningful links internally and externally with clear anchor text.
Use nofollow on untrusted or user-generated links.

Influence How Your Site Looks in Google Search Results #

When people search on Google, they see a results page filled with links and descriptions. You can influence how your site’s listing looks to help users decide to click through to your page.

1. Craft Strong Title Links (Headlines) #

The title link is the clickable headline in search results. It plays a big role in attracting clicks.

Google mainly uses the text inside your page’s <title> tag (the title shown in the browser tab and bookmarks).
Most content management systems (CMS) automatically generate this from the title you enter.
Write titles that are unique, clear, concise, and relevant to the page’s content.
Including your business name, location, or key info in the title can add credibility.

Example:
How to Make Your Own Chili Oil – FSIDM

2. Control Your Snippets (Descriptions) #

Below the title, Google shows a snippet — a short description summarizing your page.

Snippets usually come from the actual page content or your meta description tag.
Write a concise, unique meta description for each page that highlights the most important points.
A good meta description improves click-through rates by giving users a quick idea of what your page offers.

Example:
Learn how to make chili oil at home with our step-by-step guide, including tips on ingredients and storage.

3. Add and Optimize Images #

Many users discover content visually, so images matter:

Use high-quality, sharp images placed close to relevant text.
Make sure images match what users are searching for (e.g., a picture of daisies, not a similar flower).
Add descriptive alt text to your images. This helps Google understand what the image is about and improves accessibility for users with screen readers.

Example alt text:
“Fresh red chili peppers soaking in oil to make homemade chili oil.”

4. Optimize Your Videos #

If your site has videos, optimize them like this:

Embed videos on their own pages with relevant text nearby.
Write clear, descriptive titles and descriptions for each video.
Follow image and text best practices to help videos get discovered in Google Search.

5. Promote Your Website for Faster Discovery #

Getting the word out speeds up how quickly people—and Google—find your site:

Use social media to share your content.
Engage with communities interested in your topic.
Advertise offline and online.
Don’t underestimate word of mouth—happy visitors telling friends is a powerful long-term tool.
Include your website URL on business cards, letterhead, newsletters, and posters.

Caution: Don’t overdo promotion. Too much can annoy users or look like search manipulation to Google, which might hurt your rankings.

Things We Believe You Shouldn’t Focus On in SEO #

SEO keeps evolving, and so do the myths and outdated practices around it. What used to be the thing years ago may no longer matter—or might even hurt your efforts.

Here’s a quick reality check on some common SEO topics you don’t need to stress over:

Meta Keywords #

Google does not use the keywords meta tag anymore. Just skip it.

Keyword Stuffing #

Repeating the same keywords endlessly (or slight variations) is not only annoying for users but also against Google’s spam rules. Write naturally and focus on user experience instead.

Keywords in Domain Names or URLs #

Choose your domain name based on your brand and marketing goals—not just keywords. Keywords in the domain or URL have very little impact on ranking. They might show up in breadcrumbs, but that’s about it.

Pro tip:
The domain extension (like .com, .org, .guru) usually doesn’t affect SEO unless you’re targeting users in a specific country. For example, a .ch domain makes sense for Switzerland.

Content Length — Minimum or Maximum #

There’s no magic word count that guarantees ranking. The key is to write naturally, cover your topic well, and avoid repetition. More relevant content can help you rank, but quality beats quantity.

Subdomains vs. Subdirectories #

Choose whatever structure works best for your business and site management. SEO-wise, Google treats them similarly. Just be consistent.

PageRank #

PageRank was a foundational link-based ranking factor but it’s only one piece of a very complex puzzle. Google uses hundreds of signals to rank pages.

Duplicate Content “Penalty” #

Having the same content accessible on multiple URLs is not a penalty, but it’s inefficient. Google usually picks a preferred version. Copying content from other sites, however, is a problem.

Number and Order of Headings #

While it’s good practice to use headings properly for accessibility, Google doesn’t punish you for heading order or count. Don’t obsess over it.

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) #

E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, but a useful concept to help create quality content that users and Google can trust.

What Next? #

Set up Google Search Console: Track and optimize your site’s Google Search performance.
Maintain your SEO: Regularly update content, manage site changes, and optimize as your business grows.
Use structured data: Help Google show special features like review stars and carousels in your search listings.
Stay updated: Follow Google Search Central blogs, forums, and YouTube for the latest SEO tips.