Search engine optimisation since 2011
SEO agencyRankings that bring customers
We optimise your website so Google understands it, trusts it and ranks it at the top: technology, content and authority from one source. No tricks that fizzle out with the next update, but visibility that lasts.
Organic visitors
+830 %
Plumbing business, Rhine-Main24 months · top 3 for 39 keywords
- Technical SEO
- Onpage & Content
- Local SEO
- Link building
- E-E-A-T
- AI Overviews
Reading time 11 min · Updated 26 Oct 2026
The four layers Google decides on
SEO isn’t a single trick, it’s a stack. Each layer carries the next: without technology no content gets found, without good content nobody links, without trust the top spot stays with your competitor. Tap a layer.
Layer 4 · E-E-A-T
Trust
Google wants content from people who know what they’re talking about: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. It shows in real authors, evidence, reviews and who talks about you.
- Author profiles with Person schema
- Reviews and mentions
- Imprint, contact, evidence
Layer 3 · Off-page
Authority
Links and mentions from other websites are recommendations. What counts are the ones from your industry and region, not volume. Bought link packages tend to hurt more than help.
- Digital PR and expert articles
- Associations, partners, local press
- Audit and clean the backlink profile
Layer 2 · Onpage
Content
Every page answers a search intent better than the competition. We plan topics as clusters so Google sees that you cover a subject completely.
- Keyword map: one term, one page
- Structure, headings, internal links
- Titles and meta descriptions with a reason to click
Layer 1 · Foundation
Technology
What Google can’t crawl, render and index won’t rank. Load time, mobile display, clean redirects and structured data are the basis for everything else.
- Indexing and crawl budget
- Core Web Vitals
- Schema.org and hreflang
Since 2024 there’s a fifth question: are you named as a source in AI Overviews and ChatGPT? We cover that on our GEO agency page.
Intent first, keyword second
Every search has an intent behind it. For “heat pump cost” Google shows guides, for “heat pump installer Wiesbaden” it shows companies and a map. Optimise a service page for a guide-type search and you lose, however good the copy. That’s why we assign each term an intent first, and then exactly one page.
Informational
“How much does a heat pump cost?”
The person wants to understand, not buy. The clearest, most complete answer wins. These searches also end up in AI Overviews most often.
Matching pageGuide, FAQ
Commercial
“heat pump or gas boiler”
The decision is close. Good pages show pros and cons honestly and lead to the right service.
Matching pageComparison, guide with recommendation
Transactional
“heat pump installer Wiesbaden”
This is where enquiries happen. What counts: service, region, proof, prices or price range and an easy way to get in touch.
Matching pageService page, location page
Navigational
“Miller Heating contact”
The person already knows you. What matters is that your name, profile and contact page show up cleanly.
Matching pageHomepage, contact, business profile
Excerpt from a keyword mapExample: heating installer
| Search term | Intent | Target page | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| heat pump installer wiesbaden | Transactional | Heat pump service page | ●●●3/3 |
| heat pump older house | Commercial | Older-house guide | ●●●3/3 |
| heat pump subsidy 2026 | Informational | Subsidy guide | ●●○2/3 |
| heat pump cost | Informational | Cost guide | ●●○2/3 |
| heating engineer near me | Transactional | Business profile + location page | ●●●3/3 |
One page, one main term: this keeps two of your pages from competing for the same search and both ranking worse.
Fast, stable, readable for Google
With Core Web Vitals, Google measures how real visitors experience your page: load time, responsiveness and stability. The values come from Chrome user data and feed into the page experience assessment. Mobile is what counts, because Google assesses the phone version first.
Just as important is what Google never sees: pages that don’t get indexed, redirect chains, duplicate content, faulty hreflang tags on multilingual sites. We find these with a full crawl and Search Console, and fix them directly in your system.
Our own homepage: PageSpeed mobile 97 out of 100, LCP 1.98 s, CLS 0 (measured 24 Oct 2026).
LCPLargest Contentful Paint
When the largest visible element has loaded.
Good ≤ 2.5 s
INPInteraction to Next Paint
How quickly the page responds to taps and clicks.
Good ≤ 200 ms
CLSCumulative Layout Shift
How much content shifts while loading.
Good ≤ 0.1
- Indexing & crawling
- Redirects & 404s
- Mobile rendering
- Structured data
- hreflang & languages
- Duplicate content
- Internal linking
- Images & alt text
Test it yourself: SEO Quick-Check · Robots.txt & sitemap check · Meta tag & schema inspector · Redirect-Checker
Topic clusters, not one-off articles
Google rewards websites that cover a topic completely. That’s why we plan content as a network: a strong service page in the centre, surrounded by guides that answer every customer question and all link back to it.
We practise what we preach
Around 120 guide articles per language
On 1hold.de we answer questions on Google Ads, Analytics, Search Console, Tag Manager and AI search in 15 categories, each with author, date and links to the matching service. That’s exactly how we build clusters for our clients.
Example: the business with the best profile wins, even though it’s furthest away.
Top of the map results
For searches like “dentist near me”, Google first shows three listings on the map. According to Google, three factors decide who appears there:
- RelevanceDo the categories, services and description in your profile match the search?
- DistanceHow far is your location from the searcher? We can’t change that, but we can change the other two.
- ProminenceReviews, mentions across the web, links and your regular Google ranking.
Everything your website needs to rank
Bookable individually or as ongoing management. You always talk to Kilian Müller, who also does the work.
SEO audit
Technology, content, backlinks and competition in one prioritised report. Using Search Console, Ahrefs and Screaming Frog. The first audit is free.
Technical SEO
Core Web Vitals, indexing, redirects, structured data, hreflang for multilingual sites. We implement, we don’t just list.
Keyword strategy
Search volume, difficulty and purchase intent per term, each term with exactly one target page. So your pages don’t compete with each other.
Content & on-page
Service pages, guides and FAQs that answer questions better than the competition. With author, evidence and internal links.
Local SEO
Google Business Profile, categories, reviews, location pages and consistent directory listings.
Link building
Digital PR, expert articles and partners from your industry. No bought packages, no link networks.
Relaunch support
Redirect plan, staging review and post-launch monitoring so rankings and enquiries survive.
Monitoring & reporting
Rankings weekly, report monthly: the five metrics that matter, on one page.
What SEO achieved for our clients
Plumbing business, Rhine-Main
+830 %
organic visitors
- 39 keywords in the top 3
- 24 months
Technical audit, content optimisation, local SEO and Google Business Profile.
Dental practice, Frankfurt
+340 %
organic visitors
- 22 keywords in the top 3
- 6 months
Technical audit, content optimisation, local SEO and Google Business Profile.
SEO for, among others
- Zahnarzt Dr. Bartl
- Henel
- Kunsthandel Bursch
- SEIL Real Estate
- CNC Törner
- GROSS Messe & Event
- Her One
- Wiesbadener Edelmetallhaus
In two-week sprints, not annual plans
It starts with a free audit and a prioritised keyword map. Then we work in sprints: every two weeks you see what was implemented and what it achieved. What doesn’t work gets dropped.
Six red flags in SEO offers
If you see one of these in an offer, ask questions. You won’t find any of them with us.
“Guaranteed #1 ranking”
No one but Google can guarantee rankings. Google itself warns against such promises in its guidelines.
“500 backlinks for €99”
Bulk links from networks violate the spam policies and can lead to penalties.
Reports without enquiries or revenue
If you only see rankings and visibility scores, nobody is measuring what matters to you.
Mass AI content without review
Google doesn’t penalise AI as such, but low-value content at scale it does. Since March 2024 explicitly as “scaled content abuse”.
No access for you
Search Console, Analytics and reports belong to you. Anyone withholding access makes you dependent.
Only keyword density
Counting keywords is 2010 thinking. Today it’s search intent, structure, evidence and technology.
Where does your website stand today?
In the free SEO audit we check technology, content and competition and show you the three levers with the biggest impact.
Frequently asked questions about SEO
What does an SEO agency do?
An SEO agency makes sure a website is found on Google and in AI answers for the right search terms. It audits the technical setup, plans content around search demand, improves page titles, internal links and load times, and builds local visibility through the Google Business Profile. It measures the impact with Google Search Console and GA4.
How much does SEO cost at 1hold.de?
Ongoing SEO management starts at €800 per month, all-inclusive. The exact scope depends on industry, competition and goals. The first SEO audit is free, so you know what’s possible before you commit.
How long does SEO take to work?
You often see first improvements after four to eight weeks, especially for technical issues and pages already on page two. For competitive terms expect three to six months. The effect compounds and lasts, unlike ads.
Is SEO worth it for small businesses?
Especially for them. Local terms have less competition and a high close rate. If you rank on page one for “electrician Wiesbaden”, you get enquiries every month without paying per click.
Will AI Overviews cost me visitors?
For pure information queries, yes, fewer people click. For buying and provider queries, less so. We shape content so it appears as a source in AI Overviews and measure the effect in Search Console. More on our GEO page.
What’s the difference between SEO and SEA?
SEO optimises for the unpaid results: takes time, no cost per click. SEA is paid ads: visible immediately, you pay per click. The best strategy uses both and shifts budget to wherever a customer is cheapest to win.
Can I do SEO myself?
The basics, yes: maintaining your business profile, writing good copy, adjusting titles. For technology, keyword strategy and link building you need experience and tools like Ahrefs and Screaming Frog. Many clients do both: we set the strategy, your team writes along.
What happens during a website relaunch?
A relaunch is the most common cause of sudden ranking losses. Beforehand we create a redirect plan for every old URL, check the new site on staging and monitor rankings and indexing daily after launch.
Do I get access to all data?
Yes. Search Console, Analytics and ranking data belong to you. You see the same numbers we work with.
Read more in our SEO guide10 answers
Related: GEO agency · Google Ads agency · SEA vs. SEO comparison · SERP snippet generator
Visibility that lasts
In the free SEO audit we look at your website together: what Google sees today, where rankings are being given away and what’s possible in the next six months.
