SEO explained honestly — what works and what does not

SEO attracts more confident nonsense than any other part of this industry. Here is what is known, what is guesswork, and what nobody can promise.

What does SEO actually consist of?

Three things. Technical — can Google reach and read the site. Content — do the words match what people search. Reputation — do other sites and real customers refer to you. Anyone selling SEO as a single monthly product is bundling very different work.

What are keywords and how do I choose them?

The phrases people actually type. Choose by intent rather than volume: "emergency plumber Van Nuys" is worth more than "plumbing" even though far fewer people search it, because the first is someone about to call and the second is homework.

What is a meta description and does it affect ranking?

The grey line under your title in results. It is not a ranking factor, but it is an advert: it decides whether someone clicks you or the result below. Around 150 characters, or Google cuts it off.

What is a backlink, and should I buy them?

A link from another website to yours, treated as a vote. Do not buy them. Paid link schemes are against Google's guidelines and the sites selling them are usually worthless anyway. Supplier listings, local organisations and real press coverage are the slow, durable version.

What is structured data?

Machine-readable notes in the page describing what it is — a business, a product, a question and its answer. It is how a search result ends up showing a price, a star rating or an expandable FAQ. It does not directly raise rankings; it changes how your result looks, which changes clicks.

How does Google actually find my pages?

It follows links and reads your sitemap, a file listing your pages. Pages nothing links to and the sitemap does not list can go unnoticed for a long time. This is why the structure of your navigation matters more than people expect.

What is the difference between SEO and Google Ads?

Ads are rented and instant: you stop paying, you stop appearing. SEO is owned and slow: it takes months and then keeps working. Businesses that need calls this week should be buying ads, not waiting on SEO, and it is fair to run both.

Does AI search change any of this?

It changes who reads your pages. AI answers quote sources that state things plainly and mark them up clearly, so clear structure and direct answers now pay twice. It also means more people get an answer without clicking at all, which makes being the quoted source more valuable.

What should make me suspicious of an SEO company?

Guaranteed rankings, a promised number of backlinks, "we have a relationship with Google", and refusing to say what they do. Google sells advertising; it does not sell rankings or preferential treatment to agencies. Anyone implying otherwise is lying.

What is a 301 redirect and why does it matter?

A permanent forward from an old address to a new one. It is what carries your existing search standing across when a page moves or a site is rebuilt. A rebuild without redirects is how businesses lose years of accumulated ranking in a weekend.