Quite often, I get the honor of explaining what “doing SEO” means. Usually, the general concept is understood, but there’s no understanding of what actually needs to be done.
There are generally two different preconceptions about what “doing SEO” means. The more obvious one is the idea that SEO is something you can set up once and then forget about. On the other side, there is the idea that SEO needs constant fixing, tuning, and babysitting.
There is no secret code either: SEO is simply the process of making your website the most helpful, trustworthy answer to a user’s question
It may come as a surprise that SEO is a relatively slow process, and that not every day needs to be filled with SEO tasks. That depends on the case, but sometimes, with a larger site, more work is needed just because of the sheer volume of pages and articles.
The four pillars of modern SEO
Let’s set the base first, so we understand what SEO is. There are four areas that are generally considered “the four pillars of modern SEO”:
- Technical SEO
- Content (On-page SEO)
- Authority (Off-page SEO)
- Analysis
What these really mean may not be so easy to understand. That’s why I will provide some examples of what these pillars cover and why they matter.
1. Technical SEO
What it covers: Site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing, and site maps.
Why it matters: If Google can’t “read” your site, nothing else matters.
2. Content
What it covers: Keywords, blog posts, images, page titles, and UX.
Why it matters: This is how you tell Google (and users) what you actually do.
3. Authority
What it covers: Backlinks, PR, guest posts, and local citations.
Why it matters: This builds “trust” and helps you outrank competitors.
4. Analysis
What it covers: Google Search Console, Analytics, rank tracking, reporting, and various analyses.
Why it matters: This tells you what is working, so you don’t waste money.
Most things in SEO are related to one of these four pillars in some way or another.
What “doing the work” actually looks like
Now that we have a baseline, let’s break down what “doing SEO” can look like in real life. The tasks mentioned here serve mostly as examples, but each has its place. It’s just that many more tasks need to be performed as well. These are not very complicated tasks in themselves, but sometimes a combined effort can become quite unwieldy.
From a technical perspective, the work sometimes relates to coding, but that’s just a part of it. Of course, a website needs to be maintained and updated, sometimes code changes are needed. But it also includes things like fixing broken links or ensuring images aren’t too large.
Content work is probably better understood. Obviously, writing the content is an important part, but content strategy planning can’t be omitted either. Doing research into the questions customers are actually asking and bringing the best answers to the table are critical parts of SEO. Of course, keeping old articles up to date is important as well.
Authority can be described as digital networking (like in a convention). Basically, you try to get as many other services and websites as possible to include a link to your website. The more complex part is that those other websites should have as good an authority as possible, preferably in their respective field. The more modern version of this is to partner with a brand to get mentions of your services.
Analysis is too often overlooked. We have seen some really bad, low-effort reporting from all kinds of SEO companies. Sometimes it’s a list of keywords sorted by impressions or clicks, which is fine, kind of, but it’s really not enough. To get a good grasp of how a website is doing organically, multiple data platforms need to be included in the analysis. Google Search Console is an obvious choice, but a website analytics tool is needed as well. Otherwise, it’s impossible to tell how the users are navigating or spending their time on the website.
Another important part of the analysis is to create reports as easy to understand as possible, so the situation can be clearly seen. There’s no point in including everything for everyone in the reports. And the most important parts of the report are always the conclusions and recommendations.
All of this being said, not everything needs to be done every day. Most of the time, some improvements are made, but then it’s just a waiting game to collect data and see how things improved. Meanwhile, the next steps can already be planned and researched.
Why some companies struggle
When the four pillars don’t talk to each other, things get messy. You may have absolutely amazing content, but if your website takes 10 seconds to load, none of that really matters. That’s because very few users want to spend their time with a bad user experience. Instead, they go back to search results and click the next link.
It’s also very common that small teams try to do too much. There’s no need to cover every base at once; that’s just a recipe for low-effort content and poor organic performance. A consistent rhythm for content publishing is key to SEO. Don’t try to publish a new article every week if you don’t have the time. Instead, spend some more time on them and publish every two weeks or once per month.
Something to consider: don’t try to tackle every problem at once if resources are limited. Maybe try fixing the website first, then improve the content, and lastly start working on off-page SEO. Remember that SEO is a process, and it can be improved as you go.
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint
As I stated, SEO is a process. But moreover, it is a slow process. A process that can, and should, be improved over time. To make meaningful improvements, a clear plan is needed. There’s usually little need to rush things.
SEO is not magic, it’s maintenance.
What SEO actually is really depends on the case. Sometimes there’s lots to do, and the work is really hectic. Or things can be slow, and the tasks can be approached a bit more laid-back. The takeaway here is that while there may be lots of tasks related to an SEO project, there’s no one thing that means “doing SEO”.
Also read:
What Does the Future of SEO Look Like