Service · Search engine optimisation
Get found when it counts.
SEO helps the right people find you in search – through the unpaid results, not ads. Whether and how quickly that shows depends on your starting point, the competition and the scope of work. This page explains the levers, the limits and what an honest SEO process looks like.
Arrange a call Self-check: how healthy is my SEO?
- Experience from our own retail chain and the trades
- Data-minimising, no third-party scripts
- No ranking promises
The anatomy of a search result – this is what we optimise
How search engine optimisation works – explained in plain language. A free SEO check, then a fixed price after the audit instead of a flat package.
FAQPage markup Breadcrumb Organization
- Readable URL Clear structure instead of a jumble of numbers – one topic per page, readable in the address itself.
- Title tag: house guideline ≤ 60 characters The most important part first, the brand at the end. The 60 characters are our in-house editorial guideline: Google states no character limit and truncates titles by display width.
- Meta description: house guideline 140–158 characters Not a ranking factor; it can influence how clear a result appears. The 140–158 characters are our in-house editorial guideline too, not a Google specification.
- Structured Data Structured data is not a ranking factor. Correct schema.org makes facts machine-readable and enables certain presentation formats; it guarantees neither a rich result nor a citation.
A schematic depiction of our own search result – not a Google screenshot and not a claim about any particular position. On FAQPage markup: Google retired FAQ rich results on 7 May 2026 and removed the documentation on 15 June 2026. We keep valid FAQPage markup in the source – it is still correct schema.org, it is still used to understand the page, and it remains a dependable citation signal for answer engines.
At a glance
The short answer first
Four facts almost everyone asks about first – without the agency prose.
What SEO is
Technology, content, trust
technical, editorial and external work that supports relevant discoverability
Timeframe
No fixed date
changes are measured against a documented baseline; timing and scale depend on the starting point and competition
Cost
Fixed price after audit
the first SEO check is free; the effort depends on the state of the website and the competition
Basis for
AEO & GEO
a sound SEO foundation also supports machine-readable answer passages
One figure is missing from this overview on purpose. We do not name a date on which you will be at number one. Anyone who does is selling a promise about something Google decides. What we record instead is the starting point: set up Google Search Console, document what is there, measure from then on.
The six disciplines – and how much of them we take on
SEO is not a single lever. Depending on the website, technology, content, internal linking, images, external signals and performance carry different weight. An audit shows which areas genuinely need work; not every project needs the same package.
Technical SEO
Sound structure, complete indexing, working redirects: the basis for Google being able to read your pages at all.
Content & text SEO
Copy that answers real questions instead of stacking keywords – with a clear heading structure and the answer in the first two sentences.
Image SEO
Alt text, readable file names, modern formats: images that load quickly, get found and improve accessibility at the same time.
Off-page & backlinks
Links from topically relevant sources are one signal among many – built organically and documented so it can be followed, without bought link packages. “Domain Authority” is a score from the vendor Moz, not a Google value.
Structured Data
Correct schema.org makes opening hours, services and other facts machine-readable. It is not a ranking factor: it enables presentation formats but guarantees neither a rich result nor a mention in an AI answer.
Pagespeed & Core Web Vitals
Good loading and interaction values support real use. We measure Core Web Vitals, address justified causes and test again after changes, without promising permanently green scores.
Put honestly
Five things you have heard about SEO
What is true, what is half true and what is simply wrong – regardless of what would sell better.
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Myth
„With SEO I will be number one in four weeks.“
Google processes changes through its own crawling and evaluation steps. Movement may appear early or remain limited for a long time. A responsible service documents the baseline and promises neither number one nor a fixed date.
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Partly true
„Backlinks are the most important thing.“
Backlinks remain a strong signal – but only if they fit the topic and are genuine. Bought links from link networks breach Google’s spam policies on link spam and are more likely to harm than to help. Without a technical basis and matching content the effect fizzles out anyway.
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Myth
„Keyword density has to be X per cent.“
A fixed keyword density is not a useful quality target. Terms should appear naturally where they support understanding. What matters is that the text addresses the search intent clearly and fully; a particular position does not follow automatically.
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True
„Load time affects my ranking.“
Google names Core Web Vitals as part of its assessment but stresses that there is no single “page experience” ranking signal. Good scores are chiefly useful for real users; they are not a stand-alone ranking lever, and no revenue or position forecast can be derived from them.
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Partly true
„SEO is dead, AI is taking over.“
SEO and AEO share foundations such as accessible technology, clear content and traceable evidence. How an answer system selects sources is not fully disclosed. Classic discoverability can help crawling but cannot guarantee a citation.
How to decide
How to recognise reputable SEO support
The direct comparison – so you can ask the right questions at your next agency meeting.
| Criterion | Where you should become sceptical | How we work |
|---|---|---|
| Promises | “Number one guaranteed or your money back” | Realistic goals, measured against the actual competition |
| Backlinks | Link packages with a price per link | Organic growth through content, every source traceable |
| Reporting | A PDF full of charts with no explanation | A few KPIs, commented in plain language – what moved and why |
| Contract | Long commitment, hard to cancel | Term and notice period are in the quote, not in the small print |
| Accounts | Accounts are held in the agency's name | Search Console, Analytics and the domain belong to you |
| After parting ways | Optimisations disappear with the contract | Everything stays in your website – documented and handed over |
The left-hand column is not a caricature. Bought link packages violate Google's spam policies, and accounts held in the agency's name are the most common reason a change of provider gets expensive. Ask about both in your next meeting, whoever it is with.
Four steps to a sound SEO foundation
You know at any time what we are working on and what comes next.
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Week 1–2
Analysis & SEO audit
We check technology, content, load time and visibility – and show you where the potential lies and what is blocking it right now.
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Week 2–3
Strategy & action plan
The analysis becomes a prioritised list: what is technically urgent, what improves understanding and what needs monitoring – each with the effort involved and a fixed price.
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ongoing
Implementation & optimisation
Technology, copy, structured data and internal linking – implemented step by step and measured after every step.
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monthly
Monitoring & reporting
A short report with a few metrics, each commented in plain language: what has moved against the baseline and what we did for it.
What nobody can promise: Nobody can guarantee number one – Google decides, and the systems are updated continuously. What you can do is implement the documented recommendations from Google Search Central properly, measure changes against the baseline and refine. That is exactly our work.
What this band deliberately does not show is a percentage. Visibility indices from individual vendors are models, not measurements by Google. So we work with the raw data from Search Console and say what it does not show: enquiries, revenue, and whether the visitors were the right audience. How we measure visibility in Search and in AI answers is set out in our measurement method.
Try it out
This is what your search result looks like
Type a title and description – your search result appears live on the right, with a length assessment based on our in-house guideline.
What good meta data looks like
- Lead with the page topic, end with the brand.
- One title per page – every important page gets its own.
- The description is an invitation, not a keyword store: make people curious and keep the promise.
- Google sometimes rewrites snippets – a good template raises the odds yours is shown.
No secret here: good meta data is a craft you can learn – and only a small part of SEO. The structure, content and technology behind it matter more. That's exactly where we help.
The guideline values (title ≤ 60, description 140–158 characters) are our in-house editorial rule, not a Google specification: Google states no character lengths and truncates by display width. Snippets are sometimes rewritten. Your input stays in your browser.
SEO in practice
Three projects with different tasks, from regional structure to a bilingual URL migration. What we did in each case is in the case study; figures on enquiries belong to the clients.
Snow Experts
Ski school and holiday flats in Mittersill: a relaunch with a clear content structure, regional search focus and a technically traceable foundation.
Optik Maurer
A new web presence for the optician: sound SEO foundations, a clear structure and user-friendly design – set up for local search.
LASACO
Welding technology and automation: a bilingual relaunch with a documented 301 migration designed to preserve existing URL signals as well as possible.
Would you rather not do SEO yourself?
SEO support from FINK Brot
This page explains how search engine optimisation works. What working with us looks like – audit, relaunch support or ongoing care, the report, the price and who owns the accounts – is on the agency page. The first step is always a free SEO check.
What belongs with SEO
SEO has the strongest effect when the website, local presence and AI visibility work together.
AEO & GEO
How clear answers and evidence improve the conditions for machine classification, without promising a mention in any particular system.
Local Visibility
Google Business Profile, industry directories and consistent company data for searches in your region.
Websites with Kirby
Built to be fast, accessible and ready for search engines – so that SEO does not have to work against your own technology.
Self-check · 1 minute
How healthy is your SEO?
Five questions – answer them honestly, straight from the gut.
Frequently asked questions about SEO
What is SEO – and why does it matter?
SEO can improve crawling, classification and presentation. It replaces neither a suitable offering, nor does it guarantee reach, rankings or enquiries.
How long does it take for SEO to work?
We therefore document the baseline and assess indexing, rankings, clicks and technical quality separately instead of promising a date for visibility.
What does SEO cost?
It therefore starts with a free initial conversation or a free SEO check of your existing website, followed by an audit with a prioritised action plan and a fixed price for the agreed scope. There are no set packages – but you know what you get and what it costs before you commission anything. Details on working together and support models can be found on the SEO agency page.
Added to that is the hourly rate of 130 to 160 euros net for clearly defined work. What the starting prices include, how many hours a month of support contains and how long the term is, is set out on our pricing page.
What is the difference between on-page and off-page SEO?
On-page creates structure and readability, off-page creates trust. Only together do they carry weight.
How important are backlinks really?
We rely on organic growth – through content that actually gets linked to, and through listings that suit your business.
Do I need SEO if I already run Google Ads?
In practice the two complement each other well: ads for short-term campaigns and tests, SEO as the foundation.
Source: Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO? (retrieved 16 August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Does AI search replace classic search engine optimisation?
There is more on this on our AEO & GEO page.
Source: Google Search Central: AI features and your website (retrieved 16 August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Can I do SEO myself?
Many clients look after the content themselves and bring us in for technology, structure and monitoring – often the most economical division of labour.
Source: Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO? (retrieved 16 August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
What happens to my rankings in a relaunch?
A sound migration reduces avoidable losses but cannot guarantee unchanged rankings.
Source: Google Search Central: Site moves and migrations (retrieved 16 August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
What sets FINK Brot apart from other SEO agencies?
On top of that: we build the websites ourselves. Technology and SEO come from one team instead of getting in each other's way.
SEO is one half of being found; the technology underneath is the other. A site that loads slowly or has barriers costs both halves their effect. If you would rather commission the work as ongoing support than project by project, the models are with the SEO agency.
Terms related to this service
Technical terms that appear on this page – explained in one sentence in our glossary.