Search Engine Optimization (SEO) from Cologne

In three simple steps!

The most important criteria for SEO (search engine optimization)

A website can be optimized for search engines in many respects. Where it used to be possible to scatter loose keywords somewhere on the website or in the code, nowadays the search engine operators, or more precisely their algorithms, look at the website the way a human would.

This is one of the reasons why search engine optimization (SEO) is made up of a great many aspects. The following criteria are the most important ones for search engines:

SEO texts
Backlinks
User-friendliness on mobile devices
Speed
structured data
Usability
SEO title and description

SEO measures you can carry out yourself

1. It all starts with finding the keywords

The Finding SEO keywords page explains how to identify the right keywords.

2. Now the texts can be optimized according to SEO criteria

The SEO texts page explains how the keywords can be incorporated into the texts of your site.

3. Once the texts are optimized, it is time for the backlinks

The page Backlinks for SEO explains what backlinks are and how they can be set.

SEO measures that should be carried out by the developer

User-friendliness on mobile devices

Google checks whether the site is adapted for mobile devices, whether the fonts are displayed large enough, and whether the links are spaced far enough apart so that they can easily be tapped on a touchscreen.

Speed

Loading speed feeds into Google’s evaluation via the so-called “Core Web Vitals”. Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool shows which factors slow a website down. The goal should be for the Core Web Vitals assessment to show “passed”.

Source: Google Search Central – Core Web Vitals

Structured data

If structured data is used on the website, Google can easily recognize which text on the website is the address, which parts are products, etc. Here you can find more information about structured data and its relevance for SEO.

User-friendliness

The site should be easy to read and use: clear structure, sufficiently large text and enough contrast between text and background. There is no documented, direct Google ranking signal for colour contrast — but it is a basic accessibility rule, and in my experience whatever helps your visitors also helps your site (practical assessment, no official Google source).

Contrast guidelines: WCAG – contrast minimum · On user experience: Google – Page Experience