SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the work of making a website easy for search engines like Google to find, understand and show to the right people. When someone searches “dentist near me” and a clinic appears on the first page without paying for an ad, that is SEO working.
How Google decides what to show
Google follows three simple steps for every page on the internet:
- Crawling – Google’s robot (Googlebot) visits pages by following links and reading sitemaps.
- Indexing – Google stores and understands each page. A page that is not indexed cannot appear in results.
- Ranking – when someone searches, Google orders the indexed pages by how relevant, helpful and trustworthy they are.
The three parts of SEO
| Part | Question it answers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Technical SEO | Can Google reach and read the site? | HTTPS, sitemap, robots.txt, speed, no broken pages |
| On-page SEO | Is each page the best answer? | Titles, headings, helpful content, internal links |
| Off-page SEO | Do others trust the site? | Backlinks, Google Business Profile, reviews, mentions |
Keywords and search intent
A keyword is the phrase people type into Google. Search intent is the reason behind it:
- Informational – “how to fix a slow website” (wants to learn)
- Navigational – “hdfc login” (wants a specific site)
- Commercial – “best seo agency in indore” (comparing options)
- Transactional – “book dentist appointment” (ready to act)
The page you build must match the intent. A blog post will struggle to rank for “buy running shoes”, and a product page will struggle for “how to choose running shoes”.
Where should a beginner start?
- Pick one real website to practise on.
- Run an SEO audit to find broken pages, missing titles and other problems.
- Choose one main keyword for each important page.
- Improve each page’s title, description and headings around that keyword.
- Set up Google Search Console to see which searches bring visitors.
How long does SEO take?
SEO is a long-term channel. Small fixes (like better titles) can improve clicks within weeks, but meaningful ranking growth usually takes several months of consistent work. That is why SEO is valuable: once a page ranks, it keeps bringing visitors without paying for every click.
Want to learn by doing? Our practical course walks you through each step on a real website, with a review of your work every day.
