What really counts in SEO (when you don’t have time to do it all)

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the set of techniques that enable a site to appear in the top results of search engines – without paying for advertising.

We know it’s important… but between managing a site, content, customers and day-to-day emergencies, there’s rarely time to really get down to it. And even if you know that SEO helps you gain visibility and attract qualified traffic, you don’t always have the energy to optimize everything.

Do we have to do everything? Publish non-stop? Dive into SEO techniques? Not necessarily.

This guide shows you what really counts in SEO when you’re short of time. The aim is not to become an expert, but to know where to concentrate your efforts – where each action will have a real impact. This is an SEO guide for beginners.

SEO isn’t about stacking keywords. What Google values is a page’s ability to respond to what the user is really looking for.

This is what we callsearch intent. Behind every query, there’s a precise expectation. Does the person want to get information, compare, buy, or access a site?

There are 4 main intentions:

• Informational: the user seeks to understand or learn something (e.g., how SEO works).
• Transactional: wants to buy, reserve or take action (e.g. buy camera)
• Commercial (comparative): compares different options before deciding (e.g.: best billing software)
• Navigational: they want to access a specific site or brand (e.g. Pyxa site)

Let’s take two examples:

• “wedding photographer Sion” → transactional and local intention: we’re looking for a service provider.
• “what budget to plan for a wedding” → informational intention: we’re looking for reference points.

It’s not the keyword that makes the difference, but the quality of the response to intent. That’s where what really counts in SEO begins.

Once the search intent has been identified, it’s time to respond with relevant content. Google isn’t looking for long texts, but useful, readable and targeted content.

Good content answers a clear question, explains your offer straightforwardly, and guides the user to action – without them having to search.

For example:

• A page that clearly explains “how much a wedding photographer in Sion costs” serves a precise informational purpose – it’s useful.
• A page presenting your wedding photography service in Sion with testimonials, rates and contact details is intended to be transactional – it’s clear and actionable.

You don’t need to write 3,000 words: what really counts in SEO is your content’s ability to meet a specific need.

HTML tags such as title, meta description or H1/H2 titles are not visible on the page, but they play an essential role in SEO. Google uses them to understand the content of your pages. Internet users use them (often unknowingly) to decide whether or not to click.

A photo studio offers before-and-after shoots. Rather than “Our services”, a good title would be :

Before-and-after photo shoots – Highlight your transformation

And a meta description like :

Discover our before/after photo shoot in Sion: reveal your new image with a professional eye. Quick and easy online booking.

Every page deserves a unique title and an engaging description.

These are small details, but they really count in SEO – because they’re what bring in the clicks.

Good content isn’t enough if your site is slow or poorly adapted to mobile. Today, the majority of searches are carried out on smartphones – and search engines take the quality of the user experience very seriously.

In particular, it relies on the Core Web Vitals: speed, visual stability and responsiveness. A site that’s too slow or poorly structured, especially on a smartphone, loses both traffic… and positions.

Good news: you don’t need to be an expert to take action. Tools like PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix give you a clear diagnosis. Often, just a few targeted adjustments can make all the difference.

A fast, fluid and readable site is the foundation of what really counts in SEO. Before thinking traffic, think experience.

Find out more : Why website speed is crucial

SEO isn’t just about keywords and technique. It’s also – and increasingly – about credibility. Google doesn’t just want to reference well-crafted pages: it also wants to recommend reliable sources.

This is where the E-E-A-T concept comes in:
Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust.

In practice, this means that your site will be better positioned if it :

• demonstrates real expertise in its field,
• is regularly updated,
• clearly indicates who the author or company is,
• is quoted or recommended by other reliable sources (media, partners, etc.),
• inspires trust (customer reviews, legal notices, social proof, etc.).

Among the things that really count in SEO, the ability to reassure Google – and your visitors – of your reliability is an essential lever. It’s not a single criterion, but a set of coherent signals that Google evaluates to judge the quality of a site.

A good page isn’t enough if it stands alone. In SEO, the way your pages are linked together counts as much as their content.

That’s what internal linking is all about: making navigation easier for visitors and helping Google to understand your site’s structure. The result? A well-linked page is more easily explored, indexed faster, and ranked higher.

What really counts in SEO is having a clear and logical link structure. Here are 3 best practices to apply:

• Add links to related pages (services, blog, contact…)
• Highlight your key pages in menus or footers
• Avoid “orphan” pages with no incoming links

There’s no need to do everything at once. What really counts in SEO is prioritizing what has impact:
→ clear, useful content,
→ a fast, well-structured site,
→ a real answer to what your visitors are looking for.

If you do delegate, the most important thing is to know where to put your energy – and what to watch out for.

Before going any further, take the time to check three essential points:

• Google Search Console Visibility and SEO errors
• Google Business Profile Local news and customer reviews
• PageSpeed Insights speed and mobile experience

These few steps are all it takes to lay a solid foundation for what really matters in SEO.

Want to take stock of your visibility? Let’s discuss your situation, without jargon or commitment – just to get a clearer picture.