1. Keyword research

Any SEO strategy starts with keywords. Use Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify the terms searched in your industry, long-tail keywords (more specific, less competitive), and what users are really looking for.

Mix competitive and niche keywords. Too broad, you drown. Too niche, nobody is looking for you.

2. On-page optimization

On-page optimization is about making your pages more readable for Google. It comes down to:

  • Title tags: put your main keywords in
  • Meta descriptions: 150-160 characters, make people want to click
  • H1, H2, H3 tags: structure your content with subheadings
  • Images: fill in the alt tags

A clear structure helps Google understand what your page is about.

3. Content creation

Content is still the main lever. Publish informative, original, and deep-enough content regularly. Long articles often rank better than short ones, but a long empty article is useless.

Vary formats if it makes sense: articles, infographics, videos. But don’t make a video just to make a video.

4. Technical optimization

The technical side directly impacts your ranking. Check that:

  • Pages load fast
  • The site works on mobile
  • You use HTTPS
  • Your URLs are clear and logical
  • You have an XML sitemap submitted to Google

If your site is slow or broken on mobile, the rest doesn’t help much.

Backlinks still matter. To get good ones:

  • Create content people want to cite (studies, tools, data)
  • Do guest blogging on sites in your industry
  • Monitor and disavow toxic links
  • Build partnerships with other players

A link from a recognized site is worth more than 50 links from junk directories.

6. Local optimization

If you have a physical address, local SEO matters:

  • Create and optimize your Google Business Profile listing
  • Make sure your name, address and phone are identical everywhere on the web
  • Manage your customer reviews (and reply to them)
  • Publish local content if it makes sense

7. User experience

Google watches user experience more and more. That means:

  • Simple navigation
  • A site that works on every screen
  • Readable content (no wall of text)
  • Visitors who stay and click

If people leave your page in 3 seconds, Google sees it. On the technical side, visual stability (CLS) has become a central criterion - see how to optimize CLS.

Voice assistants change the queries. To adapt:

  • Target long, natural phrases
  • Answer questions directly
  • Think local searches (“near me”)

In practice, it often comes down to answering the questions people actually ask well.

9. Analysis and tracking

SEO is never done. Set up tracking to:

  • See where you rank on your keywords
  • Analyze your organic traffic
  • Spot pages that work (and those that don’t)

Google Analytics and Search Console are free and enough to start.

10. Watch and adapt

SEO moves all the time. To stay in the race:

  • Follow Google’s algorithm updates
  • Test new approaches
  • Adapt your strategy when something stops working

What worked two years ago doesn’t necessarily work today. Recent changes are summarized in SEO in 2025: what actually changes, and the 2026 priority (being cited by AI) is detailed in SEO 2026 and AI: being cited in AI Overviews.

These 10 points are the basics. SEO takes time: results come over months, not days. It’s groundwork, not a magic wand. If you’re hesitating between SEO and paid ads, the tradeoff is covered in SEO or SEA in 2026: what to prioritize.