What are the key areas of an SEO strategy, according to our experts?

Anyone who has sent a request for proposal to several SEO agencies knows that offers differ in budget, scope and priorities (how to compare SEO offers). Even within one team, specialists answer the question “what matters most in SEO?” differently. Not because one is right and another wrong, but because what works for one site doesn’t always work for another. We asked four Insightland specialists.

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What are the main areas of SEO?

Area	What it covers	Control
Technical (on-site)	Crawling, indexing, structure, internal links, speed, structured data	Full (with developers)
Content (on-site)	Pages and articles that answer users’ questions, metadata, headings	Full
Authority (off-site)	Links, brand mentions, digital PR, reviews; also what AI assistants learn about the brand	Partial

Where does each of our experts start?

Expert	Starts with	Key belief
Marcin Gaworski, SEO expert	Site structure, keywords, titles and descriptions; then technical fixes	Do first what brings visible effects fastest; build links once the site is ready
Sylwia Dobrowolska, SEO specialist	Understanding the business and choosing keywords that convert	Adapt the strategy quickly when data shows it isn’t working
Irena Zobniów, Co-Founder	Technical optimisation, then content, then links	Without a sound technical base, nothing else builds visibility
Olga Karolewicz, Content Marketing Manager	Close cooperation between SEO and content in choosing topics and keywords	Small, data-based changes beat waiting months for results

The answers below are quoted from the original version of this article (April 2021).

Marcin Gaworski: quick wins first

There are numerous ranking factors and elements that affect the positioning of a website. I usually recommend focusing first on those that will allow you to see the effects of your SEO efforts as quickly as possible.

So, we start by analyzing the website structure and keywords. The next step should be to create content for subpages with titles and descriptions that are attractive for both SEO and your visitors. At the same time, you should also work on improving the technical aspects of the website. In the process of technical optimization of the website, you should also take into account issues related to elimination of possible errors that may appear in the Google Search Console tool, analyzing the correct implementation of structural data, or – if there are none – drawing up guidelines for their implementation. It will also be important to analyze the so-called internal Page Rank in order to obtain the most beneficial “power” flow from an SEO point of view. It is only when the website is prepared in this way that we can – or rather should – start acquiring external links of the proper quality.

In short: Marcin Gaworski starts with what shows results fastest: site structure, keywords, titles and descriptions, while fixing technical issues in parallel. He builds links only once the site is ready.

Sylwia Dobrowolska: start from the business

The most important thing for the whole process related to SEO activities is to understand the client’s business and develop a tailor-made strategy. Matching phrases to business objectives may involve focusing not necessarily on the phrases with the highest potential (number of searches per month), but on those that generate converting traffic. It is also essential to tailor texts, metadata, graphics and all activities on the website to the relevant target group.

SEO delivers the best results when it is a combination of on-site and off-site activities: technicalities, saturation of the website with relevant phrases, blogging and linkbuilding. The latter, when the website and its content are of poor quality, will not yield the expected results. Of course, this goes both ways – a good website without external links and referring domains has no chance of being ranked among the TOP searches.

For me personally, it is vital to keep an eye on phrases and indicators in Google Analytics. Doing so allows us to quickly respond to changes, thus adapting to declines and directing efforts to minimize these negative effects as much as possible. I am an advocate of quick and agile changes in strategy when I see that the one I have chosen is not working as I intended. I am not waiting counting on it to “kick-start”. I also believe that good SEO means constant analysis of external activities and the condition of the website. It is also important to constantly monitor and analyze competitors who are performing better for particular phrases. The aim is, of course, to quickly draw conclusions and improve optimization through better phrase saturation, the use of better tailored texts and more external links from valuable domains.

In short: Sylwia Dobrowolska starts from the client’s business: she chooses keywords that bring converting traffic rather than the highest volume, combines on-site and off-site work, and changes the strategy quickly when data shows it isn’t working.

Irena Zobniów: technical foundation, content, then links

The first aspect is the technical optimization of the website, i.e. the elimination of errors that could make it difficult for search engine robots to “read” it. Neglecting this step can make it significantly harder to build visibility in organic results. Technical optimization should involve a number of aspects such as the proper website architecture and internal linking flow, correct H-header hierarchy, optimization of graphics (especially in the case of e-commerce websites), correct html code and ruling out any errors visible in the console. In addition, you need to look at URL indexing, page load speed or any issues with the mobile version. Technical optimization obviously goes far beyond the aspects listed above and should be determined individually for each website.

Another key aspect is the content on the website. It is not only the content dedicated to the potential user, but also the main source of information for search engine robots. Its proper length, form, and keyword saturation is, in my opinion, a key element of any SEO strategy aimed at building visibility in search results.

In order for the content on the website to both meet the expectations of a potential user and enable search engine robots to classify the website to a given topic, it should be created based on matters of interest to a given target group, keywords with high search potential, both the popular ones and the so-called long tail phrases, keywords in the form of questions that will increase the chance of visibility in voice search results, as well as keywords and seasonal topics corresponding to current search trends in a given area. However, we must not forget the intended role of the content on the website. Its purpose is to provide the user with the information he or she is looking for, so the priority should be to create content that satisfies this hunger for knowledge and makes it unnecessary for the reader to leave the website and continue searching for information elsewhere.

The third area of SEO that complements the strategy of building visibility in search results is link building. The aim of link building is to acquire links directing to the website, thus making it possible to rank higher for important keywords and to gain traffic from other websites. A properly executed link building campaign is based on websites that are valuable from the point of view of search engine robots and an appropriate matching of topics, which will increase the credibility of the website to which the links lead in the eyes of search engines. The principle of “quality over quantity” is of great importance in this case, so it is worth meticulously preparing for a link building campaign in order to get the most benefit from it without any potential damage to the website.

In short: Irena Zobniów sets a clear order: technical optimisation first, then content built on the audience’s interests and keywords, then link building based on quality over quantity.

Olga Karolewicz: SEO and content working together

The basic element is to cooperate closely in the selection of phrases. Developing and implementing an effective content-based SEO strategy always involves planning good cooperation in the area of content+SEO. The SEO specialist searches for keywords, verifies their potentials and then recommends the best ones. The content specialist, on the other hand, must ensure that the phrases received fit well with the strategy of the website, are interesting for the user and encourage further exploration of the site.

In SEO efforts, it’s important to keep track of and review the content activity on the site. When it comes to SEO results, we always need to consider a longer time frame if we want to get measurable results. However, the content specialist should keep an eye on what has been implemented on the website and consult any uncertainties with the SEO specialist, who – with the help of tools – has a deeper insight into what is currently happening on the website in terms of traffic.

It would seem that since we have to wait for a long time to see the results of SEO activities, we are unable to introduce changes and improvements immediately, on an ad hoc basis. I certainly do not share this approach. I believe that as long as we have the most up-to-date data, we can successfully implement small changes to the strategy planned in advance in order to obtain optimal results as soon as possible.

In short: Olga Karolewicz puts close cooperation between SEO and content specialists first, and believes small, data-based changes to the plan shouldn’t wait for long-term results.

What does this mean for you?

• Different priorities are normal. A new store may need technical work first; an established brand may need content or links. Ask an agency why it starts where it does.
• All three pillars matter. Every expert covers technical work, content and links; they differ in order and emphasis.
• Data decides. Watch rankings, Search Console and GA4 and adjust the plan (rank tracking, content by funnel stage).
• A team beats a single view. Combining technical, analytical and content perspectives at the planning stage reduces risk for the client.

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FAQ

What is the most important area of SEO?

There isn’t one for every site. Technical health is the foundation; content decides relevance; links and mentions decide authority. Start where your site is weakest.

What’s the difference between on-site and off-site SEO?

On-site covers everything on your website (technical setup and content); off-site covers what happens elsewhere (links, mentions, reviews, digital PR).

Why do SEO agencies propose different strategies?

Because they weigh priorities differently and know different parts of your situation. Compare how each proposal is justified by data about your site.

Sources

• Google Search Central: Creating helpful content
• Google Search Central: Spam policies – link spam
• Search Console Help: Performance report
• Ahrefs: AI brand visibility correlations