SEO Strategy 2026: What Matters for Craft Businesses - The Position of Andor Palau

As part of my work, I closely study the strategies of SEO experts and take notes. There are many notes. This year, I decided to turn them into articles - each designed to help small companies understand what they actually need from the approaches proposed by specific SEO experts. I believe this format will help me structure my own thinking and help small businesses understand what from each expert is truly worth applying TODAY in their business. This is the first article in the series.

I should note that I will not translate all expressions in these articles. The reason is to avoid creating a barrier for readers who are already familiar with the terminology. Later, I plan to add tooltips with explanations for each term. This requires certain technical solutions, and I currently have other priorities. I ask for your understanding.

I am currently in Germany, so all examples take into account the specifics of the German market. However, I focus on universal principles that apply in other countries as well.

Goal: To translate website promotion recommendations from authoritative SEO experts into the language of small business - what from large-company approaches is realistically applicable to craft businesses, and what creates unnecessary complexity without return on investment.

Palau is the kind of person who comes in where a mistake costs millions. His task is to ensure a company does not lose already-earned traffic during a CMS change, architectural shift, or integration of new technologies. His clients are major publishers, marketplaces, and B2B platforms with tens of thousands of pages and millions of monthly visitors.

For a craft business, three elements from this approach are critical: technical infrastructure cleanliness from day one, professional protection during any site changes, and correct local optimization. But most of the enterprise methodology is not economically justified for traffic below 10,000 visitors per month.

Who Andor Palau Is and Why His Approach Matters

Palau specializes in enterprise-level technical SEO: his clients include international companies in the DACH region, large content platforms, SaaS products, and complex B2B portals. He works not with marketers, but with those who make decisions about CMS selection, platform migrations, or AI integration (C-level).

His logic is defensive and long-term: not to chase quick wins, but to systematically control technical infrastructure to avoid catastrophic traffic losses. Core focus areas include migrations, architectural decisions, crawl monitoring, indexation management, and log file analysis.

This is an approach for companies that already have something to lose - established organic traffic, rankings, search visibility. For startups searching for product-market fit or businesses with aggressive growth strategies, this methodology is excessive.

However, the foundational principles of this approach are relevant at any scale.

Palau’s Key Ideas for 2026

1. SEO Is Risk Management, Not “Hack” Hunting

Palau builds SEO processes around loss prevention. This means mandatory validation scenarios before any website changes, migration checklists, budget allocation for external audits, and rollback plans.

For a craft business, this means:
Before changing design, switching to a new CMS, or altering site structure - conduct a professional review. A single redirect error can wipe out years of work.

Typical mistake:
A craft company changes its website. Old URLs like domain.de/heizungsinstallation-muenchen are replaced with domain.de/leistungen/heizung. Redirects are not configured. Within a month, Google stops ranking the company for key queries. Traffic drops by 60–80%. Recovery takes 4–6 months.

2. Migrations and Relaunches Are High-Risk Zones

Changing a CMS, moving to a new domain, or refactoring architecture requires a dedicated project approach with resources and control. Palau uses conditional logic (Wenn/Dann rules) for all scenarios, defines technical CMS requirements before platform selection, and insists on staging environments and strict redirect control.

For a craft business, this means:
During any website change, it is critical to preserve the URL structure or implement proper 301 redirects from all old addresses to new ones. Every page indexed by Google must either remain accessible or have a clear redirect.

Typical situation:
A company has a page domain.de/badezimmerrenovierung-koeln that generated 20–30 inquiries per month for years. During a relaunch, the page is deleted or its URL changes without a redirect. Google sees a 404 error. Within weeks, the page disappears from the index. The inquiries stop.

3. Monitoring Is Not a Luxury

Palau uses complex alert systems: notifications about crawling, indexation, technical errors, automated redirect checks, and template change monitoring.

For a craft business, a basic level is sufficient:

• Connect Google Search Console and enable critical error notifications.
• Set up simple uptime monitoring (services like Pulsetic or UptimeRobot) to receive alerts if the site becomes unavailable.
• Enable notifications about sharp drops in indexation or manual Google penalties.

Monitoring does not need to be complex - but it must exist. The owner must learn about problems before they lead to lost inquiries.

4. Log Files as the Source of Truth About Google’s Behavior

Palau bases decisions on server log file analysis - real data about what Google crawls, not assumptions. This allows identification of problematic crawl patterns and architectural adjustments.

For a craft business:
Not relevant. Log analysis is not economically justified for websites with traffic below 10,000 visitors per month. Google Search Console data is sufficient.

5. Google Tightens Rules Against SPAM and Site Reputation Abuse

Large publishers and content platforms must reconsider monetization models based on “renting” domain reputation. Google is actively targeting advertorials and commercial content disguised as editorial.

For a craft business:
Not relevant, unless you monetize your site through affiliate materials or sponsored publications.

6. B2B Content Requires Systemic Structure

Palau recommends structuring content strategy around 3–4 content types: problem-focused (customer pain points), product (service descriptions), trust (cases, reviews), and thought leadership (expert materials).

For a craft business, a simplified version is sufficient:

Site structure:

• Homepage – brief company overview, service area, main services.
• Service pages – separate page for each key service with description, pricing (if possible), service area.
• Portfolio / Gallery – completed projects with photos and brief descriptions.
• Expert information – useful articles, FAQs, recommendations.
• Contact page – address, phone, email, contact form, directions map.

Each page solves one task: inform about a service, demonstrate competence, or facilitate contact.

Typical mistake:
All services are placed on a single page or only in a PDF price list. Google cannot properly index such content, and the company loses queries for specific services.

7. Structured Data (JSON-LD) Is Critical for Local Businesses

Palau emphasizes that technical elements like JSON-LD, pagination, and sitemaps are often underestimated, yet improper implementation can cause serious losses.

For a craft business, critical elements include:

• Local Business markup (address, hours, phone, service area).
• Service markup (service descriptions).
• Review markup (customer testimonials).

This is not magic, but it enhances visibility in local search. Google uses structured data to generate business panels, display hours, and integrate with Google Maps.

Validation:
After implementation, verify via Google Rich Results Test – https://search.google.com/test/rich-results.

Typical mistake:
Markup is installed but contains errors (incorrect phone format, nonexistent address, inaccurate service area). Google silently ignores it, and the advantage is lost.

8. Zero-Click Search Changes SEO Economics

The share of queries answered directly by Google without a site visit is growing (featured snippets, direct answers, AI integration).

For a craft business:
The issue exists but is not critical. For local craft services, most queries remain transactional - people search for a specific specialist in a specific city and visit the website.

More important: optimization of Google Business Profile and integration with local maps.

9. Domain Reputation Matters More Than Link Quantity

Strong internal signals (clean structure, logical internal linking, absence of technical errors) and avoidance of toxic practices are more important than traditional link building.

For a craft business, this means:

• Do not buy links.
• Do not participate in link exchange networks.
• Do not publish irrelevant content for SEO.
• Do not use hidden text or auto-generated content.

What actually works:

• A few quality mentions in relevant local directories (Gelbe Seiten, Yelp, Houzz for builders, etc.). Write to me at andrii@webgogol.com if you need a specific list for your region.
• Natural mentions from satisfied clients.
• Publications in local online media (local news, industry portals).

So What Is Applicable to Craft Businesses?

Minimum Digital Infrastructure Requirements for a Craft Business

1. Technical Architectural Stability

In practice, this means:

• URLs must not change automatically when page titles change.
• Each service must have its own permanent URL, not exist only within a PDF or gallery.
• The CMS must allow redirect management without a developer.
• No duplicate content (same information under different URLs).

Typical mistake:
The site is built on a builder generating random URLs like domain.de/page-123456. When structure changes, all old links break and historical equity cannot be restored.

2. Protected Migration Procedure

Required elements:

• Complete map of old URLs before changes.
• Redirect plan: each old URL → corresponding new URL.
• Staging environment for testing before launch.
• Full site backup for rollback.

Typical mistake:
The developer changes site structure without documenting old URLs. A month later (sometimes later), it turns out half the pages are inaccessible - but no one remembers the original addresses.

3. Correct Local Markup

Required elements:

• JSON-LD Local Business markup on the homepage (name, address, phone, hours, service area).
• Service markup on service pages.
• Review markup for testimonials.
• Integration with Google Business Profile.

Validation:
Go to https://search.google.com/test/rich-results, enter your homepage URL. If markup is correct, Google will show which data it can extract.

4. Basic Technical Monitoring

Required elements:

• Google Search Console connection.
• Email notifications for critical errors.
• Simple uptime monitoring (free services like Pulsetic or UptimeRobot).

You must receive alerts:

• If the site is unavailable for more than 5 minutes.
• If the number of indexed pages drops sharply.
• If Google applies manual penalties.
• If mass technical errors appear (500, 404 responses).

5. Mobile Optimization

This means:

• The site displays correctly on phones and tablets (responsive design).
• Buttons and forms are finger-friendly.
• Mobile load speed under 3 seconds.

Test:
Visit https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse, enter your site URL. If Google reports issues, they are critical.

Statistic:
For craft businesses, up to 70% of queries come from mobile devices. If your site is not optimized, you lose the majority of potential clients.

6. Legal Compliance

Required (I am in Germany):

• Proper Impressum and Datenschutzerklärung.
• DSGVO compliance (cookies, contact forms, customer data storage).
• Correct handling of customer reviews (publication consent).

Practical minimum:
Use reliable legal document generators (e.g., e-recht24.de) and update them when legislation changes.

7. Manageability Without Technical Knowledge

This means:

• You can update prices, add a new service, or upload project photos without a developer.
• The CMS interface is intuitive.
• Clear instructions exist for basic operations.

Typical mistake:
The CMS is configured so that editing page text requires code changes. The owner cannot update information independently; every change costs €50–100 where I currently live.

8. Performance and Availability

Required elements:

• Site availability 99%+ of the time (excluding scheduled updates).
• Homepage load speed under 3 seconds.
• Contact forms function correctly; emails are delivered.
• Images are optimized (not 5–10 MB each).

Typical mistake:
The site is hosted on cheap hosting that regularly “goes down.” Potential clients see an error and turn to competitors.

9. Transparency for Search Engines

Required elements:

• Correct robots.txt configuration (indicates which pages Google may crawl).
• Proper sitemap.xml (search engine site map).
• No blocking of important pages via noindex or robots.txt.
• Logical internal linking (from service pages to portfolio, from portfolio to contact).

Check:
In Google Search Console, the “Coverage” section shows how many pages are indexed. If important pages are missing, this is critical.

10. Long-Term Maintainability

This means:

• CMS and plugin updates must not break site functionality.
• Stable, supported solutions are used - not exotic platforms or custom-built engines.
• There is a plan for regular system updates (security, compatibility).

Typical mistake:
The site is built on an outdated CMS version or custom engine. After 3–5 years, the developer is unavailable and updates are impossible. Although with AI development, this issue is becoming less acute.

Where Is Risk Underestimated?

1. Migrations and Relaunches

Most craft businesses change websites without technical audits and lose accumulated traffic within 2–4 weeks.

Example:
A company built organic traffic for 5 years. During a redesign, old URLs were not preserved and redirects were not configured. Within a month, traffic dropped by 70%. Recovery took six months and required additional advertising investment.

2. JSON-LD and Structured Data

Incorrect markup or its absence deprives the business of local search visibility.

Example:
Two competitors provide identical services in the same city. One has correct Local Business markup; the other does not. Google shows the first in a business panel with hours, reviews, and a “Call” button. The second remains in standard results - lower and less visible.

3. Mobile Version

Sites not optimized for mobile lose up to 70% of potential clients in the craft sector.

Example:
A client searches for a specialist on a phone. The site loads - text is unreadable, buttons unclickable, contact form broken. The client closes the site and calls a competitor.

4. Load Speed

Slow sites are not indexed properly and have high bounce rates.

Example:
The site loads in 8–10 seconds due to unoptimized images. Most visitors close the tab before it finishes loading.

Where Is Risk Overestimated?

1. AI Overviews and SGE (Search Generative Experience)

For local craft businesses, these changes are not yet critical. People still search for a specific specialist in a specific city - and visit the website.

2. Complex Link Building

For a craft business, a few quality local mentions matter more than a hundred links from questionable sources.

3. Zero-Click Search

The issue exists, but for craft services, transactional queries still lead to website visits.

4. Constant Content Updates

It is sufficient to keep key information (prices, services, contacts, portfolio) up to date once per quarter. Weekly blog publishing is not mandatory.

Conclusions

Palau’s strategy represents a capital preservation position rather than capital growth. The logic is justified for companies with established traffic, for enterprise projects with high cost of error, for companies undergoing technological transformation, and for publishers and content platforms dependent on organic traffic.

For craft businesses, the foundational principles are applicable - but not the full methodology.

What is truly critical:

1. Technical infrastructure cleanliness – the site must be built on the correct foundation from day one. URLs must not change when titles change; each service must have its own page; the CMS must allow redirect management without a developer.

2. Protection during any changes – redesigns, new sections, or domain moves require professional review. A single redirect error can erase years of work.

3. Correct local optimization – for craft businesses, this is the primary source of inquiries. Proper Local Business markup, Google Business Profile integration, structured data for services and reviews.

4. Basic monitoring – you must receive alerts about critical problems: site downtime, indexation issues, manual penalties.

What can be ignored:

• Log analysis – economically unjustified for sites with traffic below 10,000 visitors per month.
• Complex alert systems – basic monitoring via Google Search Console is sufficient.
• Constant crawl budget optimization – relevant only for sites with thousands of pages.

I see in Palau’s approach a strategy of capital protection, not expansion. The logic is justified for companies with established traffic, but requires adaptation for Handwerksbetriebe.

For a craft business, what matters is not the monitoring methodology, but its result: a technical foundation capable of surviving migration or redesign without ranking loss.

This is a matter of site architecture - proper redirects, clean URL structure, correct local markup are implemented once and function for years. Enterprise tools like log analysis are not economically justified below the threshold of 10,000 monthly visitors.

If a site is built on a template with chaotic URLs, if the CMS does not allow redirect management, if structured data is absent or erroneous - there is simply nothing to protect. Technical infrastructure is not a set of tools; it is the foundation on which everything else stands. And that foundation must be solid.