How to improve the organic SEO of a website
The keys to lasting rankings for your website

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation
Search engine optimisation (SEO, for Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimising your website so that it ranks higher on search engine results pages (SERP, for Search Engine Response Page). The main goal of SEO is to increase organic (unpaid) traffic to your website. Organic SEO means improving a website's visibility in the SERPs by organic methods. Here we look at different techniques for improving organic SEO, focusing on keyword research, on-page optimisation and off-page optimisation. These levers match our SEO services, from content to link building. areta puts this method to work for your visibility.
The basics of SEO and why organic SEO matters
Organic SEO is essential for any website, because it helps you increase visibility, generate organic traffic and build credibility. The main benefits of organic SEO are as follows:
- A cost-effective marketing strategy:
- Greater online visibility and stronger brand awareness:
- Improved customer experience and user engagement:
- Increased trust and credibility among users: Lasting results compared with paid advertising. These fundamentals also apply locally: see our approach to organic SEO in Tarbes.
Keyword research and strategy
Researching keywords is the foundation of any successful SEO campaign. To optimise your website for organic search, you need to identify the relevant keywords that users search for in your sector, according to a given context (information search, interest in a brand, product or service, purchase intent, etc.). Here is a step-by-step approach:
- Brainstorming: Draw up a list of potential keywords related to “priority keyword”.
- Research: Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Yooda, Ubersuggest or SEMrush to find popular keywords and their search volume.
- Analysis: Assess the competition for each keyword and choose those with a high search volume, low competition and a customer context that fits your objective.
- Organise: Group similar keywords (priority, secondary and long-tail keywords) and create a content plan around these topics.
On-site organic SEO (on-page optimisation)
On-page optimisation means making changes to the content, structure and HTML code of your website to improve its relevance and its visibility in search engines.
Here are some crucial factors to consider:
- Website structure: Make sure your site has a clear, logical hierarchy, with a proper sitemap and internal links.
- Meta tags: Optimise your title tags, meta descriptions and heading tags (H1, H2, H3) with relevant keywords.
- Page content: Create high-quality, informative and engaging content that naturally includes your target keywords.
- Images: Optimise image file names, alt tags and captions with relevant keywords. Compress images in the right format to improve page loading speed. Apply lazy loading to images.
- URLs: Use clean, descriptive, keyword-rich URLs to improve navigation and the user experience.
- Page structure: follow good coding practices, for example by moving JavaScript to the end of the page,
- Page performance: Use tools such as PageSpeed to measure the performance and key characteristics of a page, such as the metrics First Contentful Paint (FCP), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Total Blocking Time (TBT), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), First Input Delay (FID), or the metric Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which is very important for managing the customer experience of the site.
- Server performance: choose quality hosting and check server response times for different requests
Off-site organic SEO (off-page optimisation)
Off-page optimisation refers to the techniques used outside your website to improve its ranking in the SERPs. Here are some essential off-page techniques:
- Link building: Acquire high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites in your niche to strengthen your website's credibility and ranking.
- Social media: Promote your content on social media platforms to build brand awareness, increase traffic and generate social signals.
- Guest blogging: Contribute high-quality content to popular blogs in your niche to establish yourself as an industry expert and earn valuable backlinks.
- Influencer outreach: Work with influencers to promote your content and improve your online reputation.
Tools for analysing and improving website performance
Several tools can help you analyse your website's performance and identify areas for improvement. The most popular tools include
- Google Analytics: Lets you track your website traffic, user behaviour and conversion goals.
- Google Search Console: Monitor your website's presence in Google's SERPs, identify indexing errors and submit sitemaps.
- Ahrefs: Analyse your backlink profile, carry out keyword research and monitor your competitors' SEO strategies.
- SEMrush: Run site audits, track keyword rankings and discover new opportunities for organic growth.
- Moz Pro: Get access to a suite of SEO tools, including keyword research, site audits and ranking tracking.
Google at the centre of the “rules of the game”
Several tools can help you analyse your website's performance and identify areas for improvement. The most popular tools include
- Google Analytics: Lets you track your website traffic, user behaviour and conversion goals.
- Google Search Console: Monitor your website's presence in Google's SERPs, identify indexing errors and submit sitemaps.
- Ahrefs: Analyse your backlink profile, carry out keyword research and monitor your competitors' SEO strategies.
- SEMrush: Run site audits, track keyword rankings and discover new opportunities for organic growth.
- Moz Pro: Get access to a suite of SEO tools, including keyword research, site audits and ranking tracking.
How do Google and the robots of the world's most used search engine work?
Google is arguably the most widely used search engine in the world. But how exactly does it work? The key to its efficiency lies in the search engine robots, also known as “Googlebots”. These robots crawl the Web continuously by following links and analysing the content of the pages they visit. They collect data such as the keywords, the titles, the tags and the links of each page to add them to an immense database. When a user runs a search, Google uses a complex algorithm to sort and rank this data according to its relevance to that search. Ultimately, this allows Google to deliver accurate, relevant search results to its users.
How important are Google updates?
It is no secret that Google dominates the online search market, with billions of searches carried out every day. But what many people overlook is how important it is to keep track of Google updates. Whether they are changes to algorithms or new features and tools, Google is constantly evolving to deliver more relevant and more accurate results to its users. Keeping up with these changes can make all the difference to where your website ranks in search results, which can have a significant impact on your visibility and your online success. Do not underestimate the importance of staying on top of Google updates: it may be the key that opens up new prospects for your business.
A look at the Google Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird updates and more
As you will have understood, it is essential to keep up to date with the latest Google updates so that your website stays visible and competitive in search results. Google's Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird algorithms made a lot of headlines a few years ago, but many new updates have been rolled out since. The most recent updates are the Google Fred Update, which targets websites with poor-quality content and backlinks, and Google RankBrain, which uses artificial intelligence to process search queries and deliver more relevant results. It is essential to understand the impact of these updates on your website's ranking in search engines and to take the necessary steps to make sure your site complies with Google's latest standards and guidelines. By following the latest Google updates and taking a strategic approach to optimising your website, you will be able to stay ahead of the competition and reach your search engine optimisation goals
What is a Google organic SEO penalty?
A Google penalty can be a heavy blow for any business that depends on online traffic. A penalty can occur when Google's algorithms determine that a website does not comply with its guidelines. It can result from keyword stuffing, poor-quality content, unwanted backlinks or a host of other problems. When a penalty is applied, the website in question may see a significant drop in its search engine ranking. This can lead to a reduction in traffic and, by extension, in revenue. To recover from a penalty imposed by Google, it is important to follow Google's instructions and to make sure your website complies with them at all times.
Follow Google's webmaster guidelines
It is essential to make sure your website is optimised for search engines such as Google in order to get the best possible visibility. One of the best ways to achieve this is to follow Google's guidelines for webmasters. These guidelines cover everything from technical SEO to content creation, and can help you build a well-designed website that is easy to navigate and optimised for search engines. By following these guidelines, you can improve your website's ranking on Google and attract more customers to your business. Why not take advantage of this valuable resource and start optimising your website today?
How can you tell if a site has received a Google penalty?
Have you noticed a drop in your organic traffic? It could mean your site has received a Google penalty. Several reasons can explain this, such as a Google algorithm update, a breach of Google's quality guidelines or the use of unethical SEO techniques. To check whether your site has received a Google penalty, you can use tools such as Google Analytics to check traffic trends and Google Search Console to identify crawl errors and messages from Google, as well as external link analysis tools to identify potential causes, such as Majestic.
Why entrust your organic SEO to an organic SEO agency?
Improving a site's organic SEO requires a combination of techniques: keyword research, on-page optimisation and off-page optimisation. By putting these strategies into practice, you can increase your website's visibility, generate organic traffic and establish your credibility in your niche. Its extension into generative AI is called Generative Engine Optimization.
We can help you improve your organic SEO. ARETA, an agency specialising in organic SEO, identifies with you the opportunities to improve your digital visibility by analysing your organic SEO results along several axes. This makes it possible to prioritise the optimisation levers that will have the most impact on your traffic and fit your budget. Depending on the context, an SEO audit will be needed to identify the fixes, changes and content to consider.
Whether you want to improve the organic SEO for a restaurant, for your SME, for your e-commerce site or for your law firm do not hesitate to contact us: your first meeting is free. Not all SEO agencies are equal: demand tracked keywords, measured positions and monthly reports.

How much does SEO for my website cost?
The cost of website SEO varies according to various factors, such as the size and complexity of your website, the level of competition in your sector and the optimisation strategy planned. For example, local SEO does not, a priori, involve the same investment as national or international SEO.
It is best to consult an SEO agency such as ARETA to determine the most cost-effective and efficient strategy for your specific needs.
Our Local SEO Starter package for craftspeople, shopkeepers and very small businesses starts at €990 excl. VAT. The budget depends on your starting point: a reputable web SEO company always starts with an audit.
Test your online visibility
In 2 clicks, see your local SEO for a given keyword
This test is provided by Localo. By running it, you accept the third-party cookies it sets (Localo, Google reCAPTCHA, Intercom, Facebook and Reddit pixels). Cookie policy
Improve your organic SEO
The ARETA agency is at your service to improve your digital visibility, and your organic SEO in particular
-
