Introduction

SEO in India has changed dramatically. The strategies that worked in 2022 are no longer enough in a landscape where Google's AI is smarter, competition is fiercer, and user intent is more specific than ever.

After managing SEO for 80+ Indian businesses across verticals — from healthcare and real estate to ecommerce and SaaS — we've distilled the exact playbook that's working right now.

1. Core Web Vitals Are Non-Negotiable

Google's page experience signals are now a confirmed ranking factor. Indian websites typically score in the 40–60 range on Lighthouse — well below the 90+ threshold for competitive rankings.

Fixing Core Web Vitals alone has moved clients from Page 2 to Page 1 within 60 days. Prioritise LCP under 2.5s, FID under 100ms, and CLS under 0.1.

2. Target Bharat — Not Just Metro India

Tier-2 and Tier-3 city search volumes are exploding. 'Website development in Jodhpur', 'SEO agency in Udaipur', 'Google Ads in Kota' — these keywords have real buying intent with significantly lower competition than metro equivalents.

3. Build Topical Authority, Not Just Backlinks

Google's Helpful Content Update rewards comprehensive topic coverage. Instead of targeting individual keywords, build content hubs that cover an entire topic space — 15–20 interconnected articles that establish you as the definitive resource.