Frequently asked questions about SEO, SEM, and AI search

SEO (search engine optimisation) is the process of improving a website’s visibility in search engines’ organic, that is, unpaid, results. For a small or medium-sized business, effective SEO means that potential customers find the business when they actively search for the services or products it offers – without the business paying per click. Unlike Google Ads, organic traffic does not stop when an advertising budget runs out.

SEO is a long-term investment. The first measurable improvements in rankings and traffic typically appear within 3–6 months of starting an SEO engagement. Stable and significant results, such as increased organic traffic and improved rankings for competitive keywords, and it usually emerge over 6–12 months. The speed depends on the level of competition in the industry, the current technical condition of the website, and how consistently the SEO work is carried out.

SEO creates organic, that is unpaid, visibility in search results. SEO is an investment that takes time to build but delivers long-term results that do not stop when the budget does. Google Ads (SEA) provides immediate paid visibility: the advertiser pays per click, and visibility ceases as soon as the campaign is stopped. The two disciplines complement each other and work best in combination, Ads for quick results, SEO for long-term visibility.

On-page SEO is the optimisation of the elements visible on a website’s individual pages. It covers title tags, meta descriptions, heading hierarchy (H1–H3), internal link structure, keyword usage in body text, and image alt text. The purpose of on-page SEO is to clearly signal to search engines what a page is about, and to match the search intent of the keywords the page aims to rank for.

Technical SEO is the optimisation of a website’s technical characteristics that search engine crawlers process, including page speed, mobile optimisation, correct indexing, security (HTTPS), implementation of structured data, and configuration of robots.txt. A technically sound website is the prerequisite for content optimisation to have any effect. Even excellent content can fail to rank if fundamental technical prerequisites are not met.

The price of SEO consulting at Vester Marketing depends on the scope of the task and the business’s specific needs. Vester Marketing offers one-off projects such as SEO audits, project-based engagements, and ongoing monthly consulting partnerships. Contact Karina Vester Schultz at karinavschultz@gmail.com for a no-obligation conversation about what makes most sense for your budget and situation.

Yes. One of Karina Vester Schultz’s primary goals as an SEO consultant is to strengthen the client’s understanding of SEO so they can take over when they are ready. Vester Marketing provides advice that gradually builds the client’s own competencies rather than creating dependence on external consulting. All Google accounts are always created and owned by the client.

An SEO audit is a systematic review of a website’s technical condition, content structure, and backlink profile. An SEO audit from Vester Marketing identifies what is working, what is missing, and what should be prioritised – and is delivered as a clear, action-oriented document. An SEO audit is a good starting point for businesses that want an overview of their current SEO situation before investing in ongoing optimisation.

Local SEO is search engine optimisation focused on visibility in geographically defined searches, typically “[service] in [city]” searches and Google Maps results. Local SEO is relevant for all businesses that primarily serve customers within a specific geographic area, or that have a physical address. The most important element in local SEO is a fully optimised Google Business Profile with accurate information, categories, and reviews.

A backlink is an external link from another website to yours. Backlinks are one of the strongest ranking signals in Google’s algorithm: they function as digital endorsements, signalling to Google that other relevant and credible sites consider your website an authoritative source. The quality of the linking sites matters significantly more than the sheer number of backlinks.

White-hat SEO is the term for SEO methods that exclusively use techniques in accordance with Google’s official guidelines. White-hat SEO creates sustainable, long-term results and eliminates the risk of manual penalties from Google. Vester Marketing works exclusively with white-hat SEO. The alternative, black-hat SEO, uses manipulative techniques that can briefly deliver gains but risk causing serious and difficult-to-reverse losses of organic visibility.

Hreflang is necessary when a website has content in more than one language, or when content is targeted at users in specific geographic markets. The hreflang attribute signals to Google which language version of a page should be presented to users in a specific country or language group. Missing or incorrectly configured hreflang is a common technical SEO error on international websites.

SEA (Search Engine Advertising) refers to paid visibility in search engines, primarily through Google Ads. SEM provides immediate exposure in search results and is particularly relevant for product launches, seasonal campaigns, and in markets with high competition for organic search results. SEM and SEO complement each other: SEM creates quick visibility, while SEO builds a long-term organic foundation.

The cost of Google Ads depends on the level of competition for the chosen keywords, the industry, and the ads’ Quality Score. CPC (Cost Per Click) typically ranges from less than ten pence to over five pounds per click in highly competitive industries. What matters is not the size of the budget but the ROI, and maximising that return requires correct campaign structure, keyword research, and ongoing optimisation.

Negative keywords are search terms that are actively excluded from a Google Ads campaign so that ads are not shown for irrelevant queries. Using negative keywords is one of the most effective tools for reducing wasted spend in Google Ads. A campaign without negative keywords typically uses a large proportion of its budget on clicks from users who will never convert into customers.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is the broad term for all visibility in search engines: SEO and SEA. SEA (Search Engine Advertising) is the specific term for paid text ads in search results, i.e., Google Ads. In practice, SEM and SEA are often used interchangeably, but SEM covers all forms of visibility in search engines.

Quality Score is Google’s assessment of the relevance and quality of a Google Ads ad and the landing page it points to. Quality Score is calculated on a scale from 1 to 10 and directly affects cost per click and ad position. Quality Score improves by ensuring close alignment between the bidding keyword, the ad copy and the content of the landing page.

AI search is a collective term for search platforms that generate direct AI-formulated answers rather than exclusively presenting links, including Google AI Overview, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Traditional SEO is about ranking in Google’s organic search results. AI search is about being selected and cited as a source when an AI engine formulates an answer for a user. This places new demands on content structure, entity density, and authority signals.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the discipline of optimising web content so that it can be identified and used as a source in AI-generated answers from platforms such as Google AI Overview, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. GEO builds on the principles of traditional SEO, but places heightened demands: each piece of content should be formulated as a standalone, authoritative answer, entities must be named explicitly, and structured data (Schema.org) must be correctly implemented.

Yes. Google AI Overview already appears for a large proportion of searches. ChatGPT and Perplexity are increasingly used as primary search tools by professional users and potential B2B customers. Businesses that optimise for AI search early gain a competitive advantage that is difficult for late movers to catch up with.

No. GEO and traditional SEO complement each other and should be treated as two parallel, mutually reinforcing disciplines. Traditional SEO continues to generate the majority of organic search traffic. AI search is growing as a channel and should be treated as an independent visibility channel. The factors that strengthen traditional SEO – technical quality, structured data, and authoritative answers, also strengthen GEO

Schema.org is a standardised markup language, typically implemented as JSON-LD in HTML code, that allows search engines and AI engines to understand the context of a content element explicitly. With Schema.org, a business can tell Google directly: what the business is called, who runs it, what services are offered, and how customers rate them. Correct Schema.org implementation is one of the most concrete steps for increasing the likelihood of being cited in AI-generated answers.

Passage indexing is Google’s technology for indexing and ranking specific passages from a page independently of the page’s overall ranking. This means that a precisely formulated paragraph can be used as a source in a search result or AI-generated answer, even if it is located in the middle of a long page. Passage indexing is one of the most important reasons why GEO-optimised content should be written with each section as a standalone, complete answer.

Karina Vester Schultz responds to enquiries within 1–2 business days and suggests a time for a short introductory call and it typically 20–30 minutes. In the call, the business’s challenges and needs are mapped, and an honest first assessment is given of whether and how a collaboration can create real value. There is no commitment and no standard presentation.

Karina Vester Schultz has worked with SEO and marketing across a wide range of industries, including B2B SaaS, e-commerce, construction, legal, psychology, and non-profit. She has previously worked as a Senior SEO Manager and content marketing manager in Berlin, and today works from Copenhagen.

Vester Marketing is an independent consultant and not an agency. That means: direct access to Karina Vester Schultz as advisor, advice tailored to the specific business’s situation rather than fixed product packages, full client ownership of all Google accounts and data, and no product sales of services the business does not need. Agencies have a natural incentive to sell and retain clients; Vester Marketing works towards enabling the client to manage SEO work independently over time, if that is what they want.

Yes. Vester Marketing offers SEO audits as standalone one-off projects. The client receives a thorough, action-oriented report on the website’s technical condition, content structure and prioritised recommendations – and decides independently what to follow up on and in what form.