SEO Series 2: Best practices guide to appear and perform well on Google Search

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There’s no fee to appear in Google Search. Anyone who says otherwise is selling you ads, not organic visibility. But appearing and performing (i.e., earning clicks and conversions) is not automatic. Even if a page ticks every “best practice” box, Google may still choose not to crawl, index, or serve it. That’s normal: indexing is selective. Your job is to make your pages clearly valuable, technically accessible, and easy to understand — for users first, and then for search engines.

This guide distils the core practices Google itself highlights as the highest-impact steps for visibility and quality (and adds my practical coaching notes so you can ship improvements today).

Quick reality check: how Search actually works

Google is a fully automated system that discovers pages via crawlers, evaluates them, and may add them to its index; most pages aren’t hand-submitted. The pipeline is: crawling → indexing → serving (Read more: Article 4). If Googlebot can’t access a page, or the page carries weak/unclear value, it’s unlikely to appear — no matter how pretty it looks. (Google for Developers)

1) Create helpful, reliable, people-first content

Google’s automated systems are designed to prioritise helpful, reliable information created to benefit people, not content made to manipulate rankings. Use the prompts below to self-assess and improve. (Google for Developers)

1A. Self-assess your content

Run an honest audit on pages that dropped or underperform. For each, ask:

  • Does this page provide original information (research, analysis, experience) vs paraphrasing what’s already ranking?
  • Is the topic covered substantially and coherently (depth > word count)?
  • Is the headline descriptive and accurate (no clickbait)?
  • Would a reader bookmark or share this? Would it be at home in a reputable magazine or handbook?
  • Is the writing clean (no obvious grammar or style errors)?
  • Is this content mass-produced or stretched across too many weak pages?

If any answer makes you wince, fix that before you chase links or tweak metadata. (Google’s questions are explicit; use them verbatim in your internal QA.) (Google for Developers)

1B. Show real expertise (E-E-A-T in practice)

Build trust with clear sourcing, author bios, and evidence of first-hand experience (photos of testing, data tables, original screenshots, quotes, methods). On sensitive “Your Money or Your Life” topics, don’t publish without expert review and transparent references. Raters don’t rank pages, but the guidelines describe the quality signals Google trains for. (Google Services)

1C. Page experience matters

Google’s systems reward content that delivers a great experience. Core Web Vitals (CWV) are part of this; aim to pass CWV consistently, but remember: good scores don’t guarantee top rankings. Beyond CWV, minimise intrusive interstitials, serve HTTPS, and make content readable and accessible. (Google for Developers)

Coach tip: treat each page like a product: clear job-to-be-done, audience fit, measurement plan. Publish less, improve more.

2) Use the words people actually use — and place them where they matter

Speak your audience’s language. Capture searcher vocabulary and intent in:

  • Title tag and H1 (clarity > cleverness).
  • Early intro paragraph (frame the problem and promise).
  • Sub-headings (H2/H3) that mirror sub-topics people search.
  • Alt text (describe the image’s purpose, not just “photo”).
  • Internal link anchor text (descriptive, not “click here”).

This isn’t about stuffing. It’s about semantic coverage and task completion. (Then write like a human.) (Google for Developers)

3) Make your links crawlable (and your site discoverable)

Google discovers new pages primarily through links. Ensure:

  • Your nav, footer, and in-content links use standard HTML <a href=””> (avoid JS-only click handlers for critical paths).
  • Every important page is reachable within 3–4 clicks from the homepage.
  • You maintain a logical internal linking structure (hub → spoke).
  • Provide a sitemap (see §5) and ensure robots.txt doesn’t block critical sections. (Google for Developers)

4) Tell people about your site (ethically)

Participate where your audience already gathers: industry forums, relevant subreddits, LinkedIn groups, niche communities, meet-ups, and PR. Share useful assets (original research, calculators, checklists), not just links. This earns brand searches and natural mentions — the kind of signals that correlate with lasting visibility.

5) Make non-text content understandable (images, video, structured data, JS)

Google can’t “see” intent — we explain it.

  • Images: use descriptive filenames and alt text; compress properly; provide captions when useful.
  • Video: provide a transcript; consider VideoObject schema; host on fast pages.
  • Structured data: add appropriate schema to qualify for rich results (FAQ/How-to/Product/Article/Recipe, etc.), but only when it’s truthful and visible to users.
  • JavaScript: if key content/links are injected via JS, verify they render for Google (URL Inspection + HTML snapshot). Avoid blocking important resources. (Google for Developers)

6) Enhance your appearance with Search features (responsibly)

Rich results increase SERP real estate and CTR. Implement:

  • Breadcrumbs (BreadcrumbList)
  • FAQ/How-to (only when the page truly contains that content)
  • Product (price, availability, reviews policy-compliant)
  • Organisation/LocalBusiness (name, logo, contact, opening hours)
  • Article (headline, image, author, datePublished, dateModified)

Add schema that matches on-page content (no hidden markup). It won’t guarantee a feature, but it makes eligibility clear. (Google for Developers)

7) Control what shouldn’t be indexed (and how content appears)

  • Use noindex to exclude low-value pages (search results, duplicate variants).
  • Use robots.txt to manage crawl load (not to hide secrets).
  • For paywalls or gating, follow flexible sampling guidelines (that’s not “cloaking” if implemented correctly).
  • If you wish to opt out, you can disallow crawling or noindex entire sections — but weigh the trade-offs carefully. (Google for Developers)

8) Know (and avoid) spam behaviours

Google’s Spam Policies define tactics that lead to demotion or full removal: cloaking, doorways, expired-domain abuse, hidden text/links, keyword stuffing, link spam, sneaky redirects, scaled content abuse (incl. low-value AI mass-generation), thin affiliation, user-generated spam, malware, misleading functionality, and more. Google enforces this via automated systems and, where needed, manual actions. Build for humans and you’ll avoid 99% of this list. (Google for Developers)

Coach tip: if you inherit a troubled site, check Manual Actions in Search Console, then prioritise: (1) remove/noindex worst offenders, (2) fix technical access issues, (3) consolidate thin/overlapping pages, (4) publish new people-first content.

9) Minimum technical requirements (non-negotiable)

To even be eligible:

  • Googlebot can access the page (not blocked by robots.txt, not behind auth).
  • The page returns HTTP 200 (not 4xx/5xx).
  • The page has indexable content in a supported format and does not violate spam policies.
    Indexing is still not guaranteed — but failing these guarantees non-inclusion. (Google for Developers)

10) Core Web Vitals and page experience: practical thresholds

Aim for “Good” across CWV:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): good ≤ ~2.5s
  • Interaction to Next Paint (INP): good ≤ ~200ms (replaced FID)
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): good ≤ ~0.1

These thresholds classify performance as good / needs improvement / poor and reflect real-user (field) data. Prioritise render-blocking fixes, image optimisation, and stable layout. (web.dev)

11) Sitemaps and robots.txt done right

  • Place /robots.txt at the root (e.g., example.com/robots.txt).
  • Reference your sitemap in robots:
    Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml
  • Submit sitemaps in Search Console and monitor for errors.
  • Keep sitemaps fresh and focused (canonical URLs you want indexed). (Google for Developers)

12) People-first vs search-engine-first: your litmus test

You’re on the right track if:

  • You have a clear audience who would value the page even without search.
  • You demonstrate first-hand expertise (used the product, visited the place, ran the test).
  • Your site has a clear purpose and topical focus.
  • Readers leave feeling they’ve achieved their goal (task completion).

Red flags to avoid:

  • Publishing lots of generic pages just to catch traffic.
  • Summarising others without adding new value.
  • Chasing trending topics that don’t fit your audience.
  • Writing to word-count myths.
  • Mass automation for filler content.
  • Freshness theatre (changing dates without meaningful updates). (Google for Developers)

13) Anti-spam essentials (what not to do), examples:

  • Cloaking: showing Google a “travel guide” but users a “discount drug” page.
  • Doorways: dozens of near-duplicate “city” pages funnelled to one destination.
  • Expired domain abuse: buying an old charity domain to host casino affiliates.
  • Hidden text/links: white text on white background; 1-pixel links.
  • Link spam: buying guest posts with do-follow keyword anchors; mass widget links.
  • Scaled content abuse: mass-generated thin pages (yes, including low-value AI). (Google for Developers)

If you suspect a competitor of policy-violating behaviour, Google accepts spam reports; focus your time on your own value creation first. (Google for Developers)

14) Your people-first publishing checklist (copy/paste)

Before publishing:

  • Clear searcher intent defined (informational / transactional / navigational / commercial investigation).
  • Title tag answers the query plainly; H1 matches user task.
  • Intro shows empathy + outcome; summary or key takeaways included.
  • Original value added (data, examples, images, quotes, process, first-hand tests).
  • Author bio + sources (Harvard UK) visible; dates accurate; last reviewed date.
  • Internal links to hubs and related articles; external links to credible sources.
  • Images compressed; alt text written; lazy-loading set appropriately.
  • Schema for page type implemented truthfully; validate in Rich Results Test.
  • Passes CWV in lab and field metrics; no intrusive interstitials; HTTPS ok.
  • Indexing signal is correct (indexable unless intentionally noindex).
  • Added to XML sitemap; crawlable from at least one other indexable page.

After publishing (first 2–4 weeks):

  • Monitor Search Console: coverage, enhancements, CWV, impressions/queries.
  • Improve click-through rate (title/meta refinement) if impressions > clicks.
  • Add FAQ section only if truly helpful (avoid spammy markup).
  • Update with reader questions and better examples.

15) “How Search Works” — set expectations with stakeholders

Share this simple model with clients and teams:

  1. Eligibility (technical): can Google reach, render, and index the page?
  2. Value (content): is it helpful, reliable, expert, complete, and satisfying?
  3. Experience (UX): is it fast, stable, accessible, mobile-friendly, and readable?
  4. Evidence (off-page): do reputable sites/people reference or link to it?

You can control 1–3 immediately. (4) comes from consistent usefulness. (Google for Developers)

References

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