The Real Work Behind SEO: It’s More Than Just Keywords
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is often seen as a magical, effortless process—one that can catapult your website to the top of search results overnight. Some clients think it’s as simple as tweaking a few keywords, updating some content, and waiting for the traffic to roll in. But in reality, SEO is an intricate, multi-layered discipline that demands deep technical expertise, ongoing strategic thinking, and a significant investment of time.
And in 2026, the complexity has only grown. With Google’s AI Overviews, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and the rise of AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, the work behind true SEO has expanded well beyond the traditional playbook. Here’s a transparent look at what really happens behind the scenes.
Step 1: The Foundation — Data, Audits, and Competitive Analysis
Before a single optimization is made, the process begins with deep discovery. This means initial client briefings, gaining access to Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and auditing where organic visibility currently stands. We map conversion paths, identify which pages earn clicks versus impressions, and understand what your competitors rank for that you don’t.
This isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” audit. Every website has its own technical debt, content gaps, and authority profile. Understanding the current health of a site is the foundation upon which every other decision is built. Skipping this step — which many cheap SEO providers do — is why so many campaigns fail to produce lasting results.
For a structured, step-by-step approach to turning audit insights into rankings, see our proven 90-day SEO plan.
Step 2: The Technical Work Nobody Talks About
Technical SEO is where most of the invisible, high-impact work happens. We handle everything from crawl budget optimisation and technical site reviews, to managing server-level configurations like www vs. non-www canonicalisation, trailing slash consistency, and HTTPS protocol enforcement. These details determine whether Googlebot can correctly interpret your site structure — and whether it will trust your pages enough to rank them.
Common issues we resolve include HTTPS/HTTP internal link mixing, redirect chains, orphaned pages, pagination errors, and robots.txt misconfigurations. Each of these is a signal Google uses — and each one unaddressed is a quiet ranking suppressor. We also audit Core Web Vitals (CWV) — specifically LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), INP (Interaction to Next Paint), CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift), and FCP (First Contentful Paint) — as these are confirmed ranking factors and increasingly important for AI-era search experiences.
Step 3: Content Strategy Built for Humans and AI Engines
Content in 2026 is not just about writing a blog and clicking “publish.” Effective SEO content must satisfy search intent, demonstrate E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) as defined by Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, and be structured to be cited by generative AI tools.
That last point is what separates modern SEO from legacy SEO. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content so that AI systems — Google’s SGE, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini — pull your content as an authoritative answer. This means using clear question-and-answer formats, concise definitions, structured data markup, and citing verifiable sources. Similarly, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) focuses on ensuring your brand and content are represented accurately in AI-generated responses. We’ve covered this topic in depth in our guide on how GEO, AEO, and AIO actually work in the AI era.
Every piece of content we create or optimise is reviewed for factual accuracy, source citation, information gain (does this add something new that competitors don’t cover?), duplicate content, and keyword cannibalization. We also handle structured data validation to ensure rich results eligibility — FAQ snippets, How-To markup, Review schema, and more.
If you’re currently publishing content without a clear strategy behind it, our post on why you should stop churning out blog posts without strategy is essential reading.
Step 4: Links, Brand Authority, and the Off-Page Ecosystem
Link building remains one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented services in digital marketing. The quality and context of backlinks matters far more than volume. We evaluate every link opportunity against criteria including topical relevance, domain authority, outbound link ratios, link velocity, and spam signals.
Our link acquisition approach spans digital PR, HARO (Help a Reporter Out) outreach, editorial link placements, and strategic partnerships — never paid link schemes that violate Google’s spam policies. We also audit existing backlink profiles for toxic links that could trigger manual penalties. Understanding the difference between healthy and harmful links is covered in our complete guide to backlinks in SEO.
Internally, we optimise your site’s link architecture to ensure PageRank flows efficiently to priority pages. This means auditing orphaned pages, fixing low internal link count URLs, and building logical topical clusters that signal authority to Google on specific subjects. Anchor text strategy — a nuanced element many overlook — is explained in our anchor text guide.
Beyond links, brand authority is a growing ranking signal. We monitor branded search volume, entity consistency across platforms (Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, schema markup), and online reputation — all of which feed into how Google perceives and trusts your brand. This is especially critical for appearing in AI-generated answers, where unverified or inconsistent entity data gets filtered out.
Step 5: SEO in the Age of AI Search — GEO and AEO in Practice
The search landscape has fundamentally shifted. Google’s AI Overviews now appear for a growing percentage of queries, and tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are increasingly used as search engines. Traditional blue-link rankings still matter — but they’re no longer the only game in town.
To be visible in this new landscape, your content needs to be citable, authoritative, and structured. Specifically:
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): Write content that directly answers questions. Use FAQ schema. Structure paragraphs with a clear question → concise answer → supporting detail format.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Build brand entity signals. Be cited by credible third-party sources. Use consistent structured data. Create content that AI models can attribute to a trustworthy source.
- On-page clarity: AI engines favour content that is unambiguous. Avoid jargon-heavy language where plain language can convey the same meaning more sharply.
We’ve written extensively about the truth behind AI SEO buzzwords and what actually works versus what’s just marketing noise.
Step 6: SEO Is Ongoing — Not a One-Time Project
One of the most persistent misconceptions about SEO is that it has a finish line. It doesn’t. Google updates its core algorithm multiple times per year, and its ranking factors have evolved dramatically even in the last 24 months. Staying competitive means continuous monitoring, testing, and refinement.
Ongoing SEO work includes indexing health monitoring, soft 404 resolution, manual action remediation, security issue handling, and regular content refreshes to maintain relevance. It also includes keeping pace with Google’s evolving policies, emerging SERP features, and the ever-shifting landscape of AI search.
There’s also the equally important work of stakeholder management and ROI reporting — translating technical metrics into business outcomes that justify continued investment. If you’ve seen SEO budgets get cut, our analysis of why SEO budgets get cut — and how to protect yours — is worth reading before your next board presentation.
The Takeaway
SEO isn’t easy. It’s not about quick fixes, and it’s certainly not a simple process. From technical audits and Core Web Vitals to content strategy, E-E-A-T, link building, GEO, and AEO — SEO is a sophisticated, ever-evolving discipline that sits at the intersection of technology, content, and human behaviour.
When you invest in SEO, you’re not paying for keywords. You’re investing in a comprehensive, data-driven approach to digital visibility — one that compounds in value over time and builds an asset your competitors can’t easily replicate overnight.
If you’re looking for expert SEO support, explore our SEO consultancy services or read our guide on what to look for when hiring an SEO consultant.
Frequently Asked Questions About SEO
What does SEO actually involve beyond keywords?
SEO involves technical audits (crawlability, Core Web Vitals, redirect handling), content strategy aligned with E-E-A-T, backlink building, internal linking architecture, structured data implementation, and ongoing monitoring of Google algorithm updates. In 2026, it also includes Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to ensure visibility in AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
How long does SEO take to show results?
SEO typically takes 3 to 6 months to show meaningful ranking improvements for competitive keywords, though less competitive terms can rank faster. SEO is an ongoing process — results compound over time, and maintaining rankings requires continuous optimisation, content updates, and technical monitoring.
What is the difference between AEO and GEO in SEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) focuses on structuring content so AI tools like Google SGE, ChatGPT, and Perplexity can extract and feature it as a direct answer. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) focuses on ensuring your brand and content are cited accurately in AI-generated responses by building entity consistency, earning authoritative citations, and creating trustworthy content AI models can reference.
What is E-E-A-T and why does it matter for SEO?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is the framework Google’s quality raters use to evaluate content quality. Content that demonstrates real-world experience, cites authoritative sources, and comes from a verifiable author or brand is more likely to rank well and be featured in AI-generated search answers.
What are Core Web Vitals and do they affect rankings?
Core Web Vitals (CWV) are Google’s user experience ranking signals: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint — load speed), INP (Interaction to Next Paint — interactivity), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift — visual stability). Poor CWV scores can suppress rankings, especially in competitive niches.