Everything you need to know about getting found on Google
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In plain English: making sure your website ranks higher on Google. When someone searches for your product or service, you want your site to be the first thing they find. That is what SEO is all about.
SEO matters for every business. Almost everyone turns to Google first when they want to buy something or find an answer. If you are not showing up, whether in Google results or in AI-generated answers, people simply will not find you. And if you cannot be found, you cannot sell. It really is that straightforward.
There are two ways to reach the top. The first is paid: you buy an ad through Google Ads. This is called SEA. The moment you stop paying, you disappear. The second is organic: you earn a high ranking through good SEO. It takes time, but the results keep working for you. Many businesses use both.
SEO has been around almost as long as the internet itself. Back in the 1990s, search engines like AltaVista, Yahoo and Lycos dominated the web. They were simple: you typed in a word and got a list back. Websites could easily rank well just by repeating the same word over and over.
Then in 1998, Google arrived. Two students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, came up with something smarter. Instead of just looking at the words on a page, they also looked at who was linking to it. The more quality links a page had, the more important it was considered. That approach outperformed every other search engine.
Through the 2000s, tricks still worked. People stuffed keywords everywhere and bought thousands of fake links. Google took notice and started rolling out updates. In 2011, Panda arrived and poor-quality content was penalised. In 2012, Penguin followed and sites with fake links dropped in the rankings.
In 2015, mobile became more important than desktop. Google called it Mobilegeddon: if your site did not work on a phone, your ranking suffered. In 2019 came BERT, which helped Google understand natural language. In 2022, the Helpful Content Update meant that pages written purely to please Google were penalised.
And then 2024-2026. AI changes everything. People now ask their questions directly to ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Google itself is also showing AI-generated answers at the top of results. SEO has gained a close companion: AEO.
The most important moments at a glance
AltaVista, Yahoo and Lycos lead the way. You type in a word and get back a list of links.
Two students build a smarter search engine. Google looks at who links to your site.
People stuff the same words everywhere and buy links in bulk. Google notices and pushes back.
Google launches Panda and Penguin. Poor-quality content and fake links are penalised.
Mobilegeddon. Sites that do not work on a phone drop in the search results.
With BERT and the Helpful Content Update, Google learns how we actually speak and what is genuinely useful.
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Google SGE provide answers directly. SEO gains a companion: AEO.
Google does three things. Here is how each step works:
Google sends small robots out across the internet. These robots follow links from site to site, and that is how they eventually reach yours. If reputable sites link to you, Google will find you faster.
Google reads your entire page and stores it in a huge database. This is called the index. In the process, Google works out what your page is about, which words matter most, and how well your site is built.
When someone searches for something, Google compares every page in its index. It uses more than 200 signals to determine who comes out on top. These include content quality, page speed, the number of links pointing to your site, and whether people actually click on your result.
You do not need to be an expert to get started with SEO. These four things will take you a long way.
The title of your page is the single most important element. It is what people see in Google. Make sure your title clearly states what the page is about and put the most important keyword at the front. So not "Welcome to our shop", but "Running Shoes - Free Delivery". Keep the title concise (around 60 characters) and make sure every page has a unique one.
Write for people, not for Google. Use short sentences. Use clear headings (H1, H2, H3). Explain things as if you were talking to a friend. Answer your visitor's question fully. Google can tell very easily whether people stay and read or leave straight away.
Nobody likes waiting. If your site is slow to load, people will leave, and Google notices that too. Keep your images small, use reliable hosting, and avoid cramming too much onto a single page. You can test your speed for free with Google PageSpeed Insights.
More than half of all visitors arrive via a mobile device. If your site does not work properly on a phone, you lose the customer and your ranking drops. Always test your site on a phone. Buttons need to be large enough to tap, and text must be readable without zooming in.
In 2026, SEO alone is no longer enough. People are increasingly asking their questions directly to AI. Think ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. These tools give an immediate answer, without the user ever clicking a blue link.
That does not mean Google is finished. It does mean you need to be discoverable in more than one place. Alongside Google, you also need to appear in AI search tools. That is called AEO: Answer Engine Optimization.
Want to see where you stand? Ask ChatGPT a question about your industry. Do you get a mention? If not, there is work to be done. In 2026, AEO is just as important as SEO.
AISEOPages combines classic SEO with modern AEO. Automatically, every day.
Internal links and frequently asked questions are two areas where existing pages often fall short. The FAQ Tool addresses both: 200 words of additional content with at least 2 internal links, plus up to 5 questions with answers. On Lightspeed it is live with one click, otherwise copy it yourself.
The questions we get asked most often
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It covers everything you do to rank higher in search engines like Google, without paying for ads.
Typically between 3 and 6 months before you see initial results. In competitive markets it can take 6 to 12 months. SEO is not a quick win, but over the long term it delivers the best returns.
Yes, the basics are something you can learn on your own. Strong titles, clear content and a fast site already cover a large part of it. For large volumes of content or technical work, extra help is often worthwhile.
Doing it yourself costs mainly time. An agency typically charges €500 to €2000 per month. AISEOPages starts at €49 per month and automatically creates pages for your site.
Yes, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. As well as Google, you also need to be found in AI search tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. That is called AEO. The combination of SEO and AEO works best.
Only if you want to. You get the FAQ Tool for free: paste in a page from your shop and you get back additional content with internal links plus frequently asked questions. On Lightspeed one click adds it to the bottom of that page; on other platforms you copy it yourself.