Being on Google’s first page for the right searches means receiving enquiries from clients who are already looking for you. SEO isn’t magic and isn’t instant — but it follows clear rules. Here they are, jargon-free, exactly as I apply them for my clients.
How Google decides who shows up
Google asks three questions about your site. Can it read it properly? (technical) Does it genuinely answer what people search for? (content) Do other sites trust it? (authority). SEO means working all three pillars at once — neglecting one cancels the other two.
Lever 1: a technically flawless site
Before any content strategy, your site must be fast (especially on mobile), secure (HTTPS), readable by Google’s crawlers and properly structured: one unique title tag per page, clean URLs, a sitemap, structured data. Invisible to your visitors, decisive for Google. Many “pretty” sites are invisible simply because their content can’t be read by search engines — it’s one of the first things I audit.
Lever 2: target the right searches
The classic mistake: targeting “lawyer” or “plumber” (enormous competition) instead of “employment lawyer Cergy” or “water heater repair Val-d’Oise” (precise intent, reachable competition, clients ready to act). One well-built page per targeted search, answering better than the competitors: that’s 80% of the strategy.
Lever 3: content that actually answers
Google rewards pages that solve the visitor’s problem. Concretely: answer your clients’ real questions (prices, lead times, area, guarantees), show proof (work, reviews, numbers), update regularly. One useful article a month beats ten pages written for robots.
Lever 4: local reputation
For a business with a catchment area, the Google Business Profile is a major lever: exact category, real photos, up-to-date hours, and above all a steady flow of authentic client reviews. Ask for a review after every successful job — it’s free and remarkably effective.
Lever 5: measured patience
SEO produces its effects in 3 to 6 months, then compounds like interest: every position gained keeps paying without ad spend. That’s its great strength over advertising, which stops the moment you stop paying. The ideal? Combine both at launch: Google Ads for immediate results, SEO to build the long-term asset.
The false promises to run from
- “Guaranteed #1 position”. Nobody controls Google. Run.
- “500 directories and hundreds of links”. Mass artificial links can penalise your site instead of helping it.
- Incomprehensible reports. If you don’t understand what was done and what it earned, change provider.
Initial audit included with every plan — +33 7 75 85 28 25