SEO isn’t something you bolt on after a website is finished. If the structure is wrong, you can write endless blogs and tweak metadata for months — and still struggle to rank.
The best SEO outcomes come from getting the foundation right from the start: page intent, hierarchy, crawlability, speed, and internal linking. That’s how you build a site that compounds over time.
What “SEO-first” actually means
SEO-first doesn’t mean keyword stuffing or writing robotic copy. It means building a website so that:
- Google can easily understand each page
- Users quickly find what they need
- Content matches real search intent
- Performance stays fast as the site grows
It’s a structure that supports rankings and conversions at the same time.
Step 1: Start with intent, not pages
Most websites begin with “we need a homepage, about page, services page…” — and that’s fine. But SEO-first structure begins with intent: what should each page rank for?
We map pages to intent like:
- Service pages targeting specific services (not one generic “Services” blob)
- Supporting pages that answer common client questions
- Portfolio/case study pages that build trust and internal links
- Insights posts that capture informational searches and funnel people to services
Step 2: Build a clean hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
Heading structure is still one of the simplest ways to help search engines understand a page. A surprising number of “pretty” sites either misuse headings or skip them altogether.
Our rule is simple:
- One clear H1 per page
- Each major section is an H2
- Supporting points sit under H3
This creates a logical “map” of the page for both users and crawlers.
Step 3: Make navigation crawlable and logical
Navigation isn’t just for people — it’s one of the primary signals of structure for search engines.
We keep navigation:
- Simple and consistent across all pages
- Focused on services + work + contact
- Built with normal links (not hidden behind scripts)
That ensures Google can follow the site properly and understand what matters most.
Step 4: Internal linking (this is where rankings compound)
Internal links act like a routing system for authority and relevance. If you publish content but don’t link it into the structure, it won’t perform as well as it could.
Our internal linking approach:
- Every Insights post links to Services and Contact
- Service pages link to relevant work/case studies
- Work pages link back to services (reinforces relevance)
- Insights posts link to each other (topic clusters)
Step 5: Speed and stability are part of SEO
Google uses real user experience signals. If a site feels slow or unstable, users leave. When users leave, rankings suffer.
That’s why we build with:
- Clean code (no bloat)
- Optimised images (WebP where possible)
- Minimal script load
- Stable layouts that don’t “jump” as content loads
Step 6: Schema-ready sections
We structure pages so schema can be added cleanly: FAQ blocks, service blocks, and organisation data. You’ve already started this with FAQ + Service schema — which is exactly how it should be done.
Schema won’t replace good structure, but it helps search engines interpret what’s already there.
Step 7: Build content that supports the funnel
Not all traffic is equal. We want the site to attract:
- People ready to buy (services)
- People comparing options (bespoke vs template)
- People researching (SEO / performance / conversion)
That’s why the site needs both “money pages” and supporting content — and why Insights is so powerful when it’s connected properly.
Final thoughts
SEO-first structure is boring to talk about, but it’s what separates websites that rank from websites that just look nice.
If you build the foundation properly — intent, hierarchy, internal linking, and performance — everything else becomes easier and your results improve over time.