SEO (search engine optimisation) is the work on and around your website that makes your pages show up in search results for the queries your customers type. Unlike ads, you don’t pay for each click. In Czechia that means two search engines: according to StatCounter, in September 2026 Google had 78.7% of searches, Seznam 15.1% and Bing 4.7%.
How a search engine decides what to show
Google describes its work in three stages. Seznam works similarly, with its own crawler (SeznamBot) and its own algorithm.
- Crawling. The crawler finds a page through links and the sitemap and downloads it.
- Indexing. The search engine “reads” the page, works out what it is about and stores it in its database.
- Serving results. For every query it picks the pages it thinks answer it best. Content, quality and trustworthiness of the site, mobile usability and the searcher’s location all play a role.
The takeaway is simple: a page the crawler can’t find or understand won’t show up, however good it looks. And a page that doesn’t answer the customer’s question loses to one that does.
What SEO consists of
- Technical SEO. Fast loading, a mobile version, a sitemap, correct redirects, no duplicate pages, structured data. Without this, nothing else works at full strength.
- Content (on-page). Each service or category has its own page with a clear title, headings and text that answers the customer’s questions: what exactly they get, for how much, how fast, why you. The blog and internal links belong here too.
- Authority (off-page). Links from industry sites and media, mentions of the company, reviews, a Google Business Profile and Firmy.cz. They tell the search engine that people trust you.
SEO or ads?
PPC advertising brings visitors on the day it starts, but only while you pay. SEO starts slower, but rankings hold after the work ends and the cost per enquiry falls over time. For most businesses it isn’t either/or: ads bring enquiries while SEO gains strength, and gradually SEO reduces your dependence on paid traffic.
How long before SEO works
Google’s starter guide says some changes take effect in a few hours, others take several months, and recommends waiting at least a few weeks before judging a change. From our experience, first results show in 3–6 months and stable rankings in 6–12 months. For the ESTOMA Clinic dental practice in Mělník, the first rankings appeared 4 months after launch and most tracked queries reached the top results within 9 months.
Speed depends on competition (a clinic in a small town gets there faster than an electronics e-shop), on the state of the site at the start and on how much content and how many links are added.
What SEO costs
A one-off SEO audit with us costs from 6,900 CZK (e-shops from 12,900 CZK). Ongoing SEO starts at 12,900 CZK a month and includes technical work, 2 articles a month, Google profile and Firmy.cz, link building and a monthly report. All prices are in our price list. We are not VAT payers, so prices are final.
How to tell SEO is working
- search traffic grows in Google Search Console and Seznam Webmaster
- rankings improve for queries with buying intent (e.g. “web design Prague”), not just your company name
- more enquiries and orders come from search — measured in Google Analytics 4
- every month you know what was done on the site and why
Beware of promises like “guaranteed #1”. Google’s guidance on hiring an SEO is clear: no one can guarantee a #1 ranking.
What you can check yourself today
- Type
site:yoursite.czinto Google and see how many pages Google knows. - Set up Google Search Console and Seznam Webmaster — both are free and show queries, errors and indexing.
- Check that each service has its own page with a clear title.
- Open the site on your phone and test it in PageSpeed Insights.
- Make sure your Google Business Profile and Firmy.cz listing are complete.
Rather not do it yourself? Send us your website address and within 48 hours you get a free express check.
