Search engine optimisation, or SEO, brings together several kinds of work. Useful content, accessible technology and a credible external presence solve different problems. This article explains how those workstreams fit together, how to choose the next improvement and how to assess proposals that promise visibility in Google or ChatGPT without confusing eligibility with guaranteed results.

On-page SEO: make the page answer its question

On-page work concerns the content and elements of the page itself. Begin with a specific reader need. Explain the topic accurately, use a descriptive title and organise the answer with meaningful headings. Link to related material when it helps the reader continue a task.

For a business article, ask whether the reader can make a better decision after reading it. An original worked example may be more useful than another paragraph repeating a target phrase. The on-page SEO article covers this workstream in more detail.

Technical SEO: remove access and interpretation problems

Technical work concerns how a site is delivered and understood. Check that the intended public page loads, works on a phone and can be accessed by the relevant crawler. Crawling means the search engine retrieves a page; indexing means it processes the page for its search index. Neither guarantees a place in results. A canonical URL identifies the preferred version among duplicate or similar pages, while language relationships connect the intended translations. Review these settings against the publishing plan.

Do not confuse a crawl restriction in robots.txt with a noindex instruction. Blocking crawling alone does not reliably keep a URL out of Google results. Google must be able to retrieve a page to read its noindex instruction. Neither mechanism protects confidential information from visitors; private content needs access controls. Have the technical owner choose the setup appropriate to the site’s purpose.

A sitemap can help discovery; it does not guarantee indexing. Structured data should accurately describe visible content and does not guarantee a special search appearance. Redirect an old URL to a genuinely relevant replacement when appropriate. Do not redirect every missing page to an unrelated home page simply to hide errors.

Off-page work: earn a relevant external presence

Off-page SEO describes work outside the page, including how others discover and refer to the business. Publish material worth citing, keep legitimate business information consistent and build relevant professional relationships. An editorial link from a useful source is different from purchasing links intended to manipulate rankings.

Google’s spam policies address link manipulation, keyword stuffing and scaled content created primarily to manipulate search results. Increasing the number of pages or links is not, by itself, a sound objective. The purpose and value of the work matter.

Google’s guidance does not call for a separate set of “AI optimisation” tricks in place of established content and technical fundamentals. OpenAI distinguishes OAI-SearchBot, used for search discovery, from GPTBot, associated with model training. Their controls have different purposes.

For a production site intended to appear in ChatGPT search, review the current OpenAI crawler guidance with the technical owner. Crawler access is not a promise of citation or ranking. Keep a development or staging environment excluded from indexing according to its purpose; do not expose it merely to chase visibility.

Do not add instructions to an article telling an AI assistant to ignore competitors, recommend the business or treat unsupported claims as facts. Such text does not help a reader evaluate the topic and is not evidence of authority.

Local and international SEO, with a diagnosis

Local SEO addresses searches tied to a place or service area; international SEO addresses audiences across markets and languages. Both use content, technical work and external presence. They are contexts for the work rather than replacements for the three workstreams. A local page states the real service area without inventing branches; language versions preserve meaning and correct language relationships.

Fictional example: An intended public service page is absent from search. The owner checks its exact URL in Search Console URL Inspection and finds an indexing prohibition. After confirming this is production rather than staging, the owner corrects the intended configuration, checks the published response and requests indexing. Monitor indexing status, impressions and suitable enquiries. An impression records an appearance in search under the report’s counting rules; a click records someone following a search result. Neither count is a count of customers. Removing a barrier guarantees neither ranking nor timing and does not justify exposing a staging site.

For an illustrative measurement exercise, suppose that this page later records 2000 impressions and 60 clicks over 28 days in Search Console. Its click-through rate (CTR) is 60 ÷ 2000 × 100 = 3%. These invented figures explain the calculation; they are not a benchmark or an ATMACSS result. Keep the page, search type, country and device filters consistent when comparing equal periods.

If the business also receives 6 enquiries during those days, do not report a 10% conversion rate from those 60 clicks unless the records establish a comparable source, scope and attribution period. Enquiries may come from other channels or earlier visits. Review whether they concern a service the business actually offers, remove duplicates and record their source where known. Use that evidence to decide whether the next task is clearer content, better navigation or an enquiry-process improvement.

Turn an SEO proposal into verifiable work

Ask a supplier to identify the exact pages, observed problem, proposed change and evidence of completion. For an on-page assignment, that might mean correcting an inaccurate service description and making the enquiry route clear. For technical work, it might mean repairing a broken internal link and confirming its destination. These are inspectable outputs. A promise of a particular ranking is a different kind of claim; listing it as a deliverable does not put it under the supplier’s control.

Before implementation, record the current page and agree who can approve factual statements and technical changes. Keep a recoverable copy. If several changes are required together, record them together and acknowledge that their separate effects may be difficult to isolate. Do not attribute every increase in visits to the supplier when seasonality, advertising or a new product also changed demand. Check that the proposed work addresses the recorded problem and assign someone to verify it.

At acceptance, open the published page, follow the affected links and check that the intended language and content remain available. Then review search and enquiry evidence over the agreed period. Distinguish implementation complete, observation pending and business outcome not established. A page can pass the first check without yet producing measurable enquiries. Request a handover identifying ongoing tasks, their owner and the records needed to continue without the supplier.

Choose the next improvement from evidence

The page is inaccessible
Check delivery and access permissions. If the page loads but is absent from search, investigate indexing separately before rewriting copy.
The page attracts the wrong enquiries
Review whether its title, purpose and content match the audience’s actual need.
The page is useful but hard to discover
Review internal navigation and legitimate distribution opportunities.
A supplier promises first place
Ask for a defined scope, evidence and limitations. Do not treat a ranking promise as a measurable deliverable under the supplier’s control.

Record the starting issue, the change and a suitable review period. Assess qualified visits and useful actions alongside search visibility. ATMACSS business development support can help connect content priorities to business needs.