Search Engine Optimisation Basics
Understand how search engines find and rank pages, match content to search intent and prioritise keywords with a simple value formula.
What you will learn
- How crawling, indexing and ranking work in simple terms
- The four types of search intent and how they guide the content of a page
- The most important on-page elements and how to read Google Search Console data
- How to prioritise keywords with an expected-value formula
Explanation
Search engine optimisation (SEO) means improving your website so that search engines show it to people who search for what you offer. Unlike advertising, you do not pay per click, but results take time, often several months, and no one can guarantee a ranking.
Crawling, indexing, ranking
- Crawling: automated programs (crawlers) visit pages by following links.
- Indexing: the search engine stores and analyses the page content in its database (the index). A page that is not indexed cannot appear in results.
- Ranking: for each search, the engine orders indexed pages by how useful and relevant they appear.
Search intent
Search intent is the goal behind a search. Four common types:
| Intent | Searcher wants | Example search | Suitable page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | to learn | how to write an invoice as a freelancer | guide or article |
| Navigational | a specific site | brand name + login | home or login page |
| Commercial | to compare | best invoice template for translators | comparison or product page |
| Transactional | to buy or act now | buy invoice template translator | sales page |
A page ranks more easily when its format matches the intent. A sales page rarely ranks for an informational search; a helpful guide that links to the sales page often does. A keyword is the word or phrase people type. Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases with fewer searches but clearer intent and often less competition.
On-page elements
- Title tag: the page title shown as the clickable headline in search results. Put the main topic near the start and keep it concise.
- Meta description: the short summary that may appear under the title. Google has stated it does not use it directly for ranking, but a clear description can increase clicks.
- Headings: one main page heading and logical subheadings that structure the content.
- Internal links: links between your own pages help crawlers and visitors find related content.
- Alt text: a short description of each image for screen readers and search engines.
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. Links from relevant, trustworthy sites can help. Buying links or joining link exchanges breaks Google's published spam policies and can lead to lower visibility.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows how your site performs in its search results. Four key figures: impressions (how often your page was shown), clicks, click-through rate (CTR) = clicks ÷ impressions, and average position. A page with many impressions but a low CTR often needs a clearer title and description.
Worked example
Hypothetical example: Lena compares three keywords for her invoice templates. Search volumes come from a keyword tool (such tools give estimates, not exact numbers). CTR is her assumption for the position she can realistically reach; conversion rate is the share of visitors she expects to buy; the product costs €39.
expected monthly value = monthly searches × CTR × conversion rate × price
| Keyword | Searches | CTR | Visits | Conversion | Value per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| invoice template freelancer | 1,000 | 5% | 50 | 2% | 50 × 2% × €39 = €39.00 |
| how to write an invoice as a freelancer in Germany | 300 | 15% | 45 | 3% | 45 × 3% × €39 = €52.65 |
| free invoice template | 5,000 | 1% | 50 | 0.5% | 50 × 0.5% × €39 = €9.75 |
Visits: 1,000 × 5% = 50; 300 × 15% = 45; 5,000 × 1% = 50. The long-tail keyword with only 300 searches has the highest expected value, because Lena can reach a better position and the searchers have a clearer need. The keyword with the most searches has the lowest value: strong competition and visitors who want something free. Excluded: time to write the content, VAT and payment fees.
Common mistake
Practice activity
On paper: calculate the expected monthly value of the keyword "invoice template for translators per word" with 800 monthly searches, an assumed CTR of 8%, a conversion rate of 2.5% and a price of €49. Then name its search intent and say which page type you would create.
Show solution
Visits: 800 × 8% = 64. Sales: 64 × 2.5% = 1.6. Value: 1.6 × €49 = €78.40 per month. The intent is mainly commercial or transactional (the searcher wants a specific product), so a focused product page or sales page fits best, linked from a helpful guide.
Limitations: search volumes, CTRs and conversion rates are estimates that change; use the formula to rank keywords against each other, not to predict exact revenue.
Key takeaways
- Search engines crawl, index and rank; a page must be indexed before it can appear
- Match the page format to the search intent: informational, navigational, commercial or transactional
- Expected value = searches × CTR × conversion rate × price helps you prioritise realistic keywords
- Use Google Search Console data: many impressions with few clicks usually means the title and description need work
Next step
In the next lesson you will learn how to plan content and video that serve these keywords and your customers.
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