Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Last updated 15/10/2026

Also known as: SEO, Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the work of improving a website and its content so they rank higher in unpaid results on Google and other search engines. It covers what a page says, how the site is built and how other sites refer to it.

SEO is usually split into three parts. On-page SEO is about the content itself: answering the questions people search for, clearly and in depth. Technical SEO makes sure search engines can find, crawl and understand the site, from page speed to structured data. Off-page SEO is about reputation, mostly the links and mentions a site earns from others.

Search is no longer only a list of links. Answer engine optimisation (AEO) aims for the direct answers in snippets and voice results, and generative engine optimisation (GEO) aims for citations in AI-generated responses. The three reinforce each other and pull content in the same direction: a direct answer first, passages that make sense on their own, and plain, precise language.

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