Course · Search Engines & Performance
Get found and load quickly
0.1 / What it's about
Good websites are easily found and load quickly.
The course shows how search engines work and how to design websites so that they are found, understood, and enjoyed by users: search results, search intent, structure, structured data, loading times, local search, and fair tracking.
As a running example, you will be guided by Schreinerei Holzwerk, a fictional joinery in Riehen. You can also complete each exercise using your own website.
Key questions of the course:
QUESTION 1
How do search engines find and rank websites?
QUESTION 2
What content matches what people are searching for?
QUESTION 3
What does a website need technically so that machines can understand it?
QUESTION 4
How do you make a website fast, and how do you fairly measure its success?
Course framework:
TARGET AUDIENCE
Creators
Students in web, UX, or communication design, and self-employed professionals with their own website.
SCOPE
5 × 90 mins
Plus final project; each module can also be taken individually.
FORMAT
Hands-on
A brief introduction, tools, and hands-on practice on a real website.
REFERENCE
Cross-references
Links to UX & UI design, copywriting, content & social media, and accessibility.
0.2 / Learning objectives
After the course, you'll design websites that people can actually find.
After the course, you will be able to:
0.3 / Course content
All modules and sections at a glance.
Five modules, each with a core question and a tool. Briefly explained, then tested on your own website.
MODULE 01
How do people find you?
MODULE 02
What are people really looking for?
MODULE 03
Does the machine understand your page?
MODULE 04
How fast is fast enough?
MODULE 05
What are the benefits, and how do you measure it fairly?
0.4 / Procedure per module
Each module follows the same structure.
Each module has the same structure, so you can quickly find your way around and also use it individually.
01
Introduction (10 mins)
A search or measurement to start.
02
Input (20 mins)
Fundamentals and best practices.
03
Tool (15 mins)
Explore the topic in the interactive tool.
04
Exercise (35 mins)
Application to your own website.
05
Reflection (10 mins)
What are you implementing next?
In each section, you will find a bolded key point and a task for further reflection.
0.5 / Record of achievement
The final step is a website audit with actionable measures.
Final project: an audit of a real website with prioritised actions and one implemented improvement.
01
Search
Capture search terms, intent, and competition.
02
Content
Revise a page according to search intent.
03
Technology
Check structure, addresses and structured data.
04
Speed
Measure and improve Core Web Vitals.
05
Trade fairs
Define goals, UTM links, and a fair measurement tool.
Evaluation criteria: comprehensible analysis, appropriate measures, measurable improvement and respect for data privacy.
0.6 / Literature and Sources
Good websites have role models.
• Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide. developers.google.com/search
• web.dev: Core Web Vitals. web.dev/vitals
• Enge, E., Spencer, S. & Stricchiola, J. (2023): The Art of SEO. 4th edition. O’Reilly.
• Moz: The Beginner’s Guide to SEO. moz.com
• Schema.org: LocalBusiness. schema.org/LocalBusiness
• Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC): Information on the Data Protection Act. edoeb.admin.ch
• Google: Business Profile Help.
Please note: Search engines often change their rules; the providers' current help pages are authoritative. Not legal advice.