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SEO9 Jan 202626 min

SEO and Search Engine Optimisation - How to Outrank the Competition on Google

What is SEO and how can search engine optimisation help your business? A complete guide to optimising for search engines - from the basics to advanced strategies.

Damian Zieliński · dekada72h

Contents · 36
  1. What Is SEO and Why Is It So Important?
  2. On-Page SEO - Optimising Your Site
  3. Technical SEO - the Foundation Many People Forget
  4. Off-Page SEO - Building Authority on the Web
  5. Local SEO - the Key for Service Businesses
  6. The Most Common SEO Mistakes That Kill Your Visibility
  7. Content Marketing and SEO - How Content Builds Your Google Rankings
  8. What Is Topical Authority?
  9. E-E-A-T - What Google Looks for in Your Content
  10. SEO vs Google Ads - Where Is It Better to Invest Your Marketing Budget?
  11. Google Ads - Immediate Results, Ongoing Costs
  12. SEO - a Slower Start, Lasting Effects
  13. Core Web Vitals - Why Page Speed Is SEO
  14. Case Study - How SEO Brought 50 Enquiries a Month From Google
  15. A Service Company from Wrocław - From Invisible to TOP 3
  16. SEO in 2026 - Trends You Must Know
  17. AI in Search - Search Generative Experience (SGE)
  18. Voice and Conversational Search
  19. User Experience as a Ranking Factor
  20. SEO in 2026 - Current Trends and What Has Changed
  21. Core Web Vitals 2026 - INP Replaced FID
  22. AI Search Experience - How to Optimise for SGE and Bing Copilot
  23. E-E-A-T - the Role of Experience and Expertise in 2026
  24. Helpful Content Update - What Still Works and What Stops
  25. A Quick SEO Audit - Check Your Site in 5 Minutes
  26. Frequently Asked Questions About SEO and Website Optimisation
  27. What is SEO and website optimisation?
  28. How long does it take to rank a website on Google?
  29. How much does SEO cost?
  30. Does page speed affect Google rankings?
  31. Can SEO be done yourself?
  32. What is the difference between SEO and Google Ads?
  33. Why Invest in Professional SEO?
  34. SEO 2026 - What Has Changed in Recent Months
  35. How Do We Do SEO at Dekada72H?
  36. Summary

You have a website, but customers cannot find you on Google? Your competition ranks high in the search results, and you wonder why your company is invisible? The answer is simple: SEO, or search engine optimisation. It is the process that decides whether customers will find your company when they look for the services or products you offer.

In this article we will explain what SEO is, how it works and why it is absolutely crucial for every company that wants to win customers from the internet. As an agency with more than 10 years of experience building sites from scratch, we combine the ability to build fast, clean sites with knowledge of search optimisation - because one without the other does not work.

What Is SEO and Why Is It So Important?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of activities aimed at improving your site's visibility in Google's organic (free) search results. When someone types "marketing agency Wrocław" or "website development" into Google, SEO decides which sites appear on the first page of results.

Why does it matter so much? Because 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. If your company is not on the first page of Google, you practically do not exist for most potential customers. Nobody browses the second page of results - it is like having a shop on a street where nobody walks.

93%

of online experiences begin with Google

75%

of users do not scroll past the 1st page

14.6%

Conversion of SEO leads vs 1.7% from ads

SEO is not a one-off action, but a continuous process. Yet unlike ads, the effects of SEO last long after the work has ended. It is like building property on the internet - once built, a position works for you for years.

On-Page SEO - Optimising Your Site

On-page SEO is everything you can do directly on your site to improve its position in Google. It is the foundation of every SEO strategy and the first thing we start with when working with a client.

  • Page titles (Title Tags) - Every subpage must have a unique, descriptive title containing keywords. It is the first element that Google and the user see in the search results.
  • Meta descriptions - A short description of the page visible in Google results. A well-written meta description increases click-through rate (CTR) by up to 30%.
  • Headings (H1, H2, H3) - The heading structure helps Google understand the hierarchy of content on the page. Every page should have exactly one H1 and logically nested H2s and H3s.
  • High-quality content - Google rewards pages with valuable, unique content that answers users' questions. The length, quality and freshness of content matter enormously.
  • Internal linking - Linking subpages to one another helps Google understand the structure of the site and distribute "SEO power" between subpages.

SEO analysis of a website - data and charts on a monitor

Analysing SEO data lets you measure the effectiveness of optimisation and refine your strategy.

Technical SEO - the Foundation Many People Forget

Even the best content will not help if your site is slow, unresponsive or poorly built technically. Technical SEO is a set of activities that ensure Google can correctly read and index your site.

  • Page loading speed - Google has officially confirmed that load time is a ranking factor. Every second of delay means lost rankings and customers
  • Responsiveness (Mobile-First) - Since 2019 Google has judged sites primarily by their mobile version. A site that looks bad on a phone loses rankings
  • SSL certificate (HTTPS) - A secure connection is a Google requirement. Sites without SSL are marked as "not secure" and lose rankings
  • Structured data (Schema Markup) - Special code that helps Google understand the content of the page and show rich search results
  • Sitemap (XML Sitemap) - A file that tells Google about all the subpages of your site and makes indexing easier
  • Image optimisation - Compression, the right formats (WebP) and alt attributes - all of it affects speed and visibility in Google Images

That is why we build sites in plain HTML instead of WordPress. A site written from scratch loads in under 1 second, has perfect code and meets all of Google's technical requirements without needing to install plugins.

Off-Page SEO - Building Authority on the Web

Off-page SEO is activity outside your site that builds its authority in Google's eyes. The most important element is backlinks - references to your site from other websites.

Think of it as recommendations. If many credible sites link to your website, Google treats it as a signal that your site is valuable and trustworthy. But beware - the quality of links is more important than the quantity. One link from a credible industry site is worth more than 100 links from random directories.

  • Link building - acquiring valuable links from industry portals, business directories and media
  • Google Business Profile - key for local SEO. A business profile on Google is the basis of visibility in maps and local results
  • NAP citations - consistent company data (Name, Address, Phone) across different online sources builds credibility
  • Customer reviews - positive reviews on Google not only build trust, but also affect rankings in local results

SEO strategy - planning website optimisation

Effective SEO is a combination of on-page, technical and off-page strategy.

Local SEO - the Key for Service Businesses

If you run a service business - a restaurant, a hair salon, a law firm, a car workshop or a marketing agency - local SEO is absolutely key for you. 46% of all searches on Google are local in nature, and "near me" is one of the most frequently added words in queries.

Local SEO is the optimisation that makes your company appear in search results for queries from a specific location.

When someone searches for "marketing agency Wrocław", you want to be in the top three results on the Google map - the so-called "Local Pack", which attracts the most clicks.

of Google searches are local in nature0%
of local searchers visit a business within 24h0%
of local searches end in a purchase0%

46%

of Google searches are local in nature

88%

of local searchers visit a business within 24h

78%

of local searches end in a purchase

The Most Common SEO Mistakes That Kill Your Visibility

We have seen hundreds of sites that make the same SEO mistakes. Here are the most common problems that make it impossible to achieve good Google rankings:

  • No keyword strategy - optimising without keyword analysis is like shooting in the dark. You must know what your customers are searching for
  • A slow website - WordPress sites with dozens of plugins often load in 4-6 seconds. Google punishes slow sites with lower rankings
  • No mobile version or weak responsiveness - more than 60% of traffic comes from mobile devices. A site that does not work well on a phone loses most of its traffic
  • Duplicated content - copying content across different subpages confuses Google and can lead to penalties
  • Ignoring local SEO - service companies that do not have an optimised Google Business profile lose customers to the competition
  • Buying cheap links - links from link farms and spammy directories can lead to a Google penalty instead of better rankings

The most important SEO rule: do not try to cheat Google. The algorithms are getting smarter and effectively detect manipulation. Focus on creating valuable content and a technically sound site - that is the strategy that always works.

Keyword analysis in an SEO tool - a dashboard with metrics

Proper keyword analysis is the foundation of effective SEO - without knowing what your customers search for, all other activities are shooting in the dark.

If you want to find out how to technically assess the state of your site, start with a website SEO audit - a step-by-step checklist with concrete tools.

Content Marketing and SEO - How Content Builds Your Google Rankings

"Content is king" - this saying has been repeated in the SEO world for years, but it has never been more relevant than today. Google understands content better and better and increasingly rewards pages that deliver real value to users. It is no longer enough to drop a few keywords on a page - you must create content that genuinely answers your customers' questions.

What Is Topical Authority?

Google assesses how much of an expert your site is on a given topic. If you run a marketing agency and have one article about SEO on your site, Google will not consider you an expert. But if you have 10-15 articles covering different aspects of online marketing - SEO, landing pages, website development, automation - Google begins to perceive your site as an authority in that field and rewards you with higher rankings.

That is exactly why you run a company blog. Not for empty articles stuffed with keywords, but for valuable content that:

  • Answers the real questions of your potential customers
  • Shows your knowledge and experience in the industry
  • Builds trust before the customer contacts you
  • Generates organic traffic for phrases your home page cannot rank for
  • Creates internal linking opportunities that strengthen the whole site

E-E-A-T - What Google Looks for in Your Content

Google applies the E-E-A-T principle (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to assess the quality of content. In plain terms: Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness. What does it mean in practice?

  • Experience - Google wants to see that the author of the content has real experience with the topic. That is why in our articles we share concrete examples from working with clients
  • Expertise - The content must be written by someone who really knows their stuff. Generic advice from the internet is not enough - Google can tell expert content from superficial content
  • Authoritativeness - Do other sites link to your content? Is your company known in the industry? These are authority signals that Google takes into account
  • Trustworthiness - Contact details, a privacy policy, an SSL certificate, customer reviews - these are the elements that build credibility in Google's eyes

Our content marketing strategy is simple: we create content that genuinely helps entrepreneurs make better decisions. The article you are reading right now is an example. We do not sell - we educate. And Google rewards it.

SEO vs Google Ads - Where Is It Better to Invest Your Marketing Budget?

This is one of the questions we hear most often from clients. The answer is not simple, because both channels have their place in a marketing strategy. But the differences between them are fundamental and worth understanding before making a decision.

Google Ads works like a water tap - you turn it on (pay) and you have traffic. You turn it off (the budget ends) and the traffic disappears immediately. You pay for every click - in competitive industries that is 5-30 PLN per click. With a budget of 5,000 PLN a month you can have 200-1,000 visits, of which 1-5% will convert into an enquiry.

SEO - a Slower Start, Lasting Effects

SEO is a long-term investment. The first visible effects appear after 3-6 months, and full results after 6-12 months. But once you achieve good rankings, traffic from Google is practically free. You do not pay for clicks - you pay to maintain your position, which is much cheaper than constant ad spend.

Let us compare the ROI of both channels over 12 months for a typical service company:

  • Google Ads (12 months): 5,000 PLN/month x 12 = 60,000 PLN spent. An average of 30 enquiries/month = 360 enquiries a year. Cost: 167 PLN/enquiry. After the ads are switched off: 0 enquiries
  • SEO (12 months): 3,000 PLN/month x 12 = 36,000 PLN invested. Months 1-3: 5 enquiries/month. Months 4-6: 20 enquiries/month. Months 7-12: 50 enquiries/month. Total: ~375 enquiries a year. Cost: 96 PLN/enquiry. After active work ends: traffic holds for months

167 PLN

Cost of an enquiry from Google Ads

96 PLN

Cost of an enquiry from SEO (after 12 months)

14.6%

SEO lead conversion vs 1.7% from ads

An additional advantage of SEO: leads from organic search results convert into customers almost 9 times better than those from ads (14.6% vs 1.7%). Why? Because a user who finds your company in organic results trusts it more than a company from an ad.

Our recommendation: the best strategy is a combination of both channels. Google Ads provides immediate traffic at the start, while SEO builds long-term visibility. Over time you can gradually reduce the ad budget, because organic traffic takes over their role. It is an approach we recommend to most of our clients.

Core Web Vitals - Why Page Speed Is SEO

Since 2021 Google has officially included Core Web Vitals among its ranking factors. They are three metrics that measure the user experience on your site. Sites that meet them are rewarded with higher rankings. Sites that do not - fall in the results.

  • LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) - How long does the largest element on the page (usually an image or a headline) take to load fully? Google requires under 2.5 seconds. HTML sites achieve 0.5-1.2s. A typical WordPress site with a theme and plugins: 3-5s.
  • INP (Interaction to Next Paint) - How quickly does the page respond to clicks and user interactions? Too much JavaScript from WordPress plugins causes delays that Google measures and punishes.
  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) - Do page elements "jump" while loading? Ads, dynamically loaded fonts and images without specified dimensions cause shifts that frustrate users and ruin rankings.

That is exactly why the technology your site is built on has a direct impact on SEO. A site in plain HTML/CSS, without unnecessary plugins and heavy JavaScript, naturally meets Core Web Vitals requirements. A WordPress site with a page builder and 20 plugins - almost never. We wrote more on this in our HTML vs WordPress comparison.

95+

PageSpeed Score of HTML sites

40-65

PageSpeed Score of a typical WordPress site

53%

of WordPress sites fail Core Web Vitals
of WordPress sites fail the Core Web Vitals test0%
average PageSpeed Score of sites written in plain HTML0

Case Study - How SEO Brought 50 Enquiries a Month From Google

To show the real power of SEO, we will present a typical scenario we meet with our clients.

A Service Company from Wrocław - From Invisible to TOP 3

The client ran a service company in the renovation industry. It had a WordPress site that looked decent, but generated no organic traffic at all.

The site loaded in 4.8 seconds, had no blog, the meta descriptions were empty and the Google Business profile was not optimised.

On Google for the phrase "flat renovation Wrocław" the client appeared in 47th position - which means it practically did not exist.

What we did:

  • Migration to an HTML site - We rebuilt the site from scratch in plain HTML/CSS. Load time fell from 4.8s to 0.7s. PageSpeed Score rose from 34 to 97.
  • On-page optimisation - We rewrote titles, meta descriptions, headings. We added structured data (Schema Markup) for a local business. We optimised all images.
  • Content strategy - We created 8 blog articles answering the questions potential customers ask on Google: "how much does a bathroom renovation cost", "how to choose a renovation company", "flat renovation step by step".
  • Local SEO - We optimised the Google Business profile, added photos of completed work, collected 25 reviews from satisfied customers, ensured consistent NAP data in directories.
  • Link building - We acquired links from local portals, business directories and industry sites.

Results after 9 months:

TOP 3

Position for "flat renovation Wrocław"

52

Enquiries a month from Google

0 PLN

Spend on Google Ads
  • Position for the main phrase: from 47th to 3rd (Local Pack)
  • Organic traffic: from 80 to 1,400 visits a month
  • Enquiries from Google: from 2 to 52 a month
  • The client gave up Google Ads entirely - organic traffic was enough
  • Savings: 4,000 PLN/month on ads that were no longer needed

This client invested 2,500 PLN a month in SEO for 9 months (22,500 PLN in total). Today it generates 52 enquiries a month from Google without spending a single zloty on ads. With an average order value of 8,000 PLN and 30% conversion of enquiries - that is more than 120,000 PLN of revenue a month from free traffic.

SEO keeps evolving. Strategies that worked 3 years ago may be ineffective or even harmful today. Here are the most important trends shaping optimisation in 2026:

AI in Search - Search Generative Experience (SGE)

Google increasingly uses artificial intelligence to generate answers directly in the search results. So-called AI Overviews display summaries at the top of the results page before the user clicks on any site. What does it mean for your company?

  • Content must be even more valuable and unique - AI can summarise general information, so your content must offer something more: experience, expert opinions, local details
  • Structured data (Schema Markup) is becoming even more important - it helps AI understand and quote your site
  • Authority and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are key - AI prefers sources that Google considers trustworthy

More and more people use voice search through Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa. Voice queries are longer and more natural: instead of "bathroom renovation Wrocław" the user asks "how much does a bathroom renovation in Wrocław cost and who do you recommend?". This requires optimising for:

  • Long-tail keywords - matched to natural language
  • Questions and answers - FAQ sections that directly answer users' questions
  • Standing out in Featured Snippets - position zero on Google, which is most often read by voice assistants

User Experience as a Ranking Factor

Google increasingly takes user behaviour on the site into account. If people click your site in the results but leave it quickly (a high bounce rate), Google interprets it as a signal that your site gives no value. That is why:

  • Loading speed is more important than ever - which is why we build sites in plain HTML
  • Design must be readable and intuitive on every device
  • Content must answer search intent, not just contain keywords
  • Navigation must be simple - the user must find what they are looking for in under 3 seconds

The trend is clear: Google increasingly rewards sites that give real value to users. Tricks and manipulation stop working. Quality wins - a fast site, valuable content, professional service. Exactly what we build our approach to SEO on.

Google's algorithm never stands still, and 2024-2026 are years of some of the biggest changes since Penguin and Panda. If you last updated your SEO strategy before 2024, probably a few elements of your efforts no longer work - or even work in reverse. Here is exactly what has changed.

SEO trends 2026 - an analytics dashboard with ranking indicators

Updating your SEO strategy every 12-18 months is a necessity - Google's algorithm evolves faster than most companies change the content on their sites.

Core Web Vitals 2026 - INP Replaced FID

The most tangible change for technical SEO: in March 2024 Google officially replaced FID (First Input Delay) with INP (Interaction to Next Paint) as one of the three main Core Web Vitals. The difference is key: FID measured only the response time to the user's FIRST interaction. INP measures the response time to ALL interactions made during a session - and takes the 75th percentile as the result. That is a much stricter criterion.

The practical consequences of INP < 200ms (the required "good" threshold):

  • Heavy JavaScript from WordPress plugins (Elementor, WooCommerce, forms) very often exceeds 300-500ms
  • Sites with many external scripts (chat widgets, analytics, A/B testing tools) are especially sensitive
  • Sites written in plain HTML/CSS naturally meet INP requirements, because they have no heavy runtime
  • Tracking and analytics must be loaded asynchronously, ideally via requestIdleCallback

The second significant change: in 2026 Google began weighting the STABILITY of Core Web Vitals over time. A single bad session can lower your ranking if it is not an obvious outlier. Monitoring Real User Metrics through Google Search Console has become mandatory.

AI Search Experience - How to Optimise for SGE and Bing Copilot

Google Search Generative Experience (SGE), Bing Copilot and Perplexity are changing how people find information. An AI Overview can appear above the organic results and answer the user's question before they click on any site. That does NOT mean the end of SEO - it means new rules of the game.

What works in optimising for AI search:

  • A direct answer in the first 2-3 sentences - AI quotes exactly those fragments. An H2 heading "How to X" should be immediately followed by a 1-2 sentence answer, and only then the expansion
  • Schema markup (Article, FAQ, HowTo) - structured data helps AI parse content and assign it to specific questions
  • Topical authority - AI prefers sources that have 10-20+ related articles on the same topic (Topical Authority)
  • Data freshness - content with "2026" dates and "last updated" is preferred over older content
  • Citations and sources - AI more willingly quotes sites that themselves cite credible sources (links to documentation, studies, official documents)

What stops working: long introductions, rhetorical questions at the start, "decorative" paragraphs before substantive answers. AI has no patience - and neither do your readers.

E-E-A-T - the Role of Experience and Expertise in 2026

In December 2022 Google added "Experience" to the existing E-A-T, creating E-E-A-T. In 2026 this change is fully implemented in the algorithm and has real ranking consequences. Google wants to see that the author of the content HAS real experience with the topic - not just that they read about it.

How to build Experience in content:

  • Concrete case studies from your own practice - "at our client we implemented X and achieved Y" instead of generic statistics
  • Your own measurements and data - if you talk about page speed, show a PageSpeed screenshot, if about conversions - data from Analytics
  • Photos from the work process - real screenshots of the tools you use, real photos of the team
  • Dates and history - "we have worked with technology X since 2014" builds more authority than "10 years of experience"
  • Author bio - name, photo, LinkedIn, an industry biography, links to other work

Expertise, in turn, requires the author to be a real expert - the industry picks authors with a personal brand, external references (quotes in the media, conference talks) and a consistent body of work on the topic.

Helpful Content Update - What Still Works and What Stops

The Helpful Content Update (HCU), introduced in August 2022 and heavily developed in 2023-2026, is an algorithm aimed at promoting "people-first content" and demoting "search engine-first content". In 2026 many sites that had ranked on thin content and unsupervised AI dropped sharply in the results.

What works (people-first):

  • Content from experts with concrete experience
  • In-depth guides solving the user's whole problem (3,000+ words, but genuinely valuable)
  • Authentic opinions and reviews (with pluses AND minuses, not just praise)
  • Unique data, research, case studies that are not on other sites
  • Updates of existing content as the industry changes

What does not work (search engine-first):

  • "Top 10 X" lists with no added value
  • Repeated content that is already on the internet in 100 other places
  • Thin content - short posts (300-500 words) filling a blog
  • AI-generated content without expert supervision and without a unique perspective
  • Content aimed at specific keywords without a real intent to help the user
  • Giant affiliate sites with thousands of low-quality subpages

The reaction to the HCU if it already affects your site: a content audit, identifying weak posts, and a decision: improve (expand, add value) or delete/merge into a better post. Google Search Console shows which pages lost traffic after the HCU - those are the first priority to fix. We describe more technical aspects of the audit in our guide to technical SEO step by step.

A Quick SEO Audit - Check Your Site in 5 Minutes

Want to know how your site does on SEO? Here is a quick checklist you can check yourself. Every "no" is a potential loss of customers and Google rankings:

  • Speed: Does your site load in under 3 seconds? (Check on Google's PageSpeed Insights)
  • Mobile: Does the site look good on a phone? Is the text readable without zooming?
  • SSL: Does your site address start with "https://"? Does the browser not show a security warning?
  • Page titles: Does every subpage have a unique, descriptive title (visible on the browser tab)?
  • Meta descriptions: When you type your company name into Google, do you see a sensible description under the link?
  • Google Business: Does your company appear on the Google map when you search for your industry
    • city?
  • Reviews: Do you have at least 10 reviews on Google with a rating of 4.5+?
  • Content: Do you have a blog or a section with industry articles on your site?
  • Images: Do the images on the site have alternative descriptions (alt text)?
  • Internal links: Do the subpages of your site link to each other?

If you answered "no" to more than 3 questions - your site is probably losing customers on Google. But the good news is that every one of these problems can be fixed. Contact us for a free, detailed SEO audit of your site.

Frequently Asked Questions About SEO and Website Optimisation

What is SEO and website optimisation?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of activities aimed at improving a site's visibility in Google's organic (free) search results. It covers technical site optimisation, creating valuable content and building authority. The goal is for your company to appear high on Google when potential customers search for the services you offer.

How long does it take to rank a website on Google?

The first visible SEO effects usually appear after 3-6 months of regular work. Full results - stable TOP 3 positions for key phrases - are achieved after 6-12 months. The time depends on how competitive the industry is, the starting state of the site and the scope of work. Unlike ads, the effects of SEO last long after active work has ended.

How much does SEO cost?

The cost of SEO depends on how competitive the industry is, the number of keywords and the scope of work. At Dekada72H we offer a free SEO audit, which lets us define your needs and present a realistic action plan with concrete costs. SEO is an investment with one of the highest returns in digital marketing - leads from organic results convert 9 times better than those from ads. Learn more in the article how much a website costs.

Does page speed affect Google rankings?

Yes, and significantly. Since 2021 Google has officially made Core Web Vitals (speed and user experience metrics) a ranking factor. A site that loads in under 1 second has a real advantage over a site that loads in 3-5 seconds. That is why we build sites in plain HTML - they achieve a PageSpeed Score of 95-100, while a typical WordPress site has 40-65.

Can SEO be done yourself?

The basics of SEO can be implemented yourself - e.g. optimise your Google Business profile, write good meta descriptions, create valuable content. However, advanced technical SEO, keyword strategy, link building and tracking changes to Google's algorithm require specialist knowledge and tools. Companies that invest in professional SEO achieve results faster and avoid costly mistakes.

What is the difference between SEO and Google Ads?

Google Ads is paid advertising - you pay for every click and the traffic disappears when the budget ends. SEO is building organic visibility - traffic from Google is free and lasts long after active work has ended. SEO has a lower cost per lead in the longer term, and leads from organic results convert almost 9 times better. The best strategy is a combination of both channels.

Why Invest in Professional SEO?

We often hear the question: "Can't I do SEO myself?". In theory yes - but in practice SEO is a complex, constantly changing area. Google updates its algorithm hundreds of times a year, and what worked a year ago may not bring results today or may even do harm.

Professional SEO is an investment that pays back. Compare: a Google Ads campaign costs you as much as you put into it - switch off the ads and the traffic disappears. SEO builds organic visibility that lasts for months and years. Once you reach good rankings, traffic from Google is practically free.

Example: a service company invests 2,000 PLN a month in SEO. After 6 months it starts to appear in the TOP 3 for key phrases. It generates 50 enquiries a month from Google - each worth on average 500 PLN. That is 25,000 PLN of potential revenue a month from an investment of 2,000 PLN.

SEO 2026 - What Has Changed in Recent Months

Google's algorithm does not stand still, and 2026 has brought several concrete changes that affect SEO strategy. The first and most important - AI Overviews integrated with Gemini are already in the Polish version of Google and for many informational queries they take 30-40% of clicks from the classic top 10. For SEO it means that titles and first paragraphs must be designed also for citation by AI - short, concrete answers in the first 2-3 sentences of an article, bullet lists, comparison tables.

The second change - the growing importance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), especially in YMYL industries (health, finance, law). Sites without a clear author, without an "About us" section with photos of the team and without schema.org Person for authors land in 2026 on the second ten, even if the content is good. We recommend that every company doing SEO add schema.org markup for LocalBusiness and Person - without it E-E-A-T is harder to prove to Google.

The third - the weight of Core Web Vitals grew in 2026. INP (Interaction to Next Paint) replaced FID as the Page Experience metric. Sites with INP above 200ms - that is, slow to respond to clicks, scroll and input - lose rankings. Many WordPress sites with a large number of plugins do not meet this threshold and need refactoring or a move to frameworks like Next.js. The average INP of Polish sites in Q1 2026 is 312ms - which means that most of the competition has a problem, and that is an opportunity to outrank them with a faster site.

The fourth - local SEO matters more than ever. In 2026 Google weighs geo-location signals more strongly, and 46% of all queries have local intent (vs 38% in 2024). For service companies from Wrocław it means that a dedicated SEO Wrocław page optimised for local phrases (districts, geographic intents) gives 2-3x better conversions than a general services page. Likewise companies planning expansion should consider websites dedicated to Kraków or other cities - each separate page = separate ranking signals in Google.

How Do We Do SEO at Dekada72H?

Our approach to SEO rests on three pillars: the technical excellence of the site, valuable content and strategic authority building.

  • SEO audit - We start with a detailed analysis of your site, competition and industry. We identify technical problems, content gaps and opportunities for growth.
  • Keyword strategy - We research what your potential customers search for. We pick keywords with high conversion potential and realistic competition.
  • Technical optimisation - We fix technical errors, speed up the site, improve the structure and implement structured data. Our plain HTML sites have a technological advantage from the start.
  • Content creation - We write valuable blog articles, optimise existing content and build the topical authority of your site.
  • Monitoring and reporting - Every month you get a report with rankings, traffic and conversions. You track progress and see the real effects of our work.

Summary

SEO is not a luxury - it is a necessity for every company that wants to be visible on the internet. In a world where 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine, not being present on Google means losing customers to the competition that already invests in optimisation.

The key to effective SEO is combining the technical excellence of the site with valuable content and strategic authority building. That is exactly what we do at Dekada72H - we build sites that not only look professional, but above all are visible where your customers search.

The best time to start SEO was a year ago. The second best time is now. The sooner you start, the sooner your company will begin to reap the fruits of organic traffic from Google.

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[01] FAQ

Questions about this article

01

What is SEO and website optimisation?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of activities aimed at improving a site's visibility in Google's organic (free) search results. It covers technical optimisation, creating valuable content and building the site's authority.

02

How long does it take to rank a website on Google?

The first SEO effects are usually visible after 3-6 months of regular work. Full results are achieved after 6-12 months. Unlike ads, the effects of SEO last long after active work has ended.

03

How much does SEO cost?

The cost of SEO depends on how competitive the industry is and the scope of work. At Dekada72H we offer a free SEO audit, which lets us define your needs and present a realistic action plan. SEO is an investment with one of the highest returns in digital marketing.

04

Does page speed affect Google rankings?

Yes, Google has officially confirmed that page load time is a ranking factor. That is why we build sites in plain HTML that load in under 1 second - giving a technical advantage over CMS-based sites.

05

What are Core Web Vitals in 2026 and what has changed since 2024?

The most important change: INP (Interaction to Next Paint) replaced FID (First Input Delay) as an official ranking factor in March 2024. INP measures the response time to all user interactions, not just the first. Requirements: LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1. In 2026 Google also began weighting the stability of Web Vitals over time - a single bad session can lower your ranking if it is not an outlier.

06

How do I optimise content for AI search (Google SGE, Bing Copilot)?

Three rules: (1) answer questions directly in the first 2-3 sentences (AI quotes exactly those fragments), (2) use Schema structured data (FAQ, HowTo, Article) so the AI understands the context, (3) build topical authority - AI prefers sources with a large number of related pieces on the same topic. Short, fragmentary posts are less likely to be cited than full, in-depth guides.

07

Does AI-generated content hurt SEO?

Not the mere fact of using AI - Google has said clearly that it judges content by quality, not by origin. LOW quality hurts: superficial content, no Experience or Expertise, mass-generated content with no value. AI content used as an assistant (research, draft, polishing) with a supervising human expert works great. AI content published without expert review gets hit in the Helpful Content Update.

08

What is E-E-A-T and how do I build Experience?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness - quality evaluation criteria. The addition of 'Experience' (2022) means Google wants to see that the author HAS real experience with the topic - not just that they read about it. How to show it: concrete case studies from your own practice, photos from the work process, dates like 'we have worked with X since 2014', your own data and measurements, authors with biographies and industry references.

09

How often should blog content be updated?

Evergreen posts (guides, industry fundamentals) - every 6-12 months, adding current data, new sections and refreshed examples. News posts (trends, regulations, tools) - every 3-6 months. Posts ranking for competitive phrases - with every significant Google update (usually 4 times a year). An update signals to Google that the content is alive - which raises rankings even without new links.

10

What is the Helpful Content Update and how do I react to it?

The Helpful Content Update (since 2022, continued in 2023-2026) is a Google algorithm aimed at promoting 'people-first content' and demoting 'search engine-first content'. What works: content from experts, in-depth guides, authentic reviews, unique data. What does not: thin content, duplicates, 'top 10' lists with no added value, unsupervised AI. The reaction: a content audit, removing/merging weak posts, investing in quality over quantity.

[03] Start

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