THE SEO SUCCESS FACTOR™ FRAMEWORK
Simplifying SEO so you can learn exactly how to get your business or product to show up in Google search and in Ai answers.
A big misconception about SEO is that it’s all technical.
In reality, SEO is about three Success Factors:
being seen (the technical setup),
trusted (your credibility and authority), and relevant (your messaging and content).
Strong and strategic SEO (which includes AEO and GEO) that will get your business on Google Page one, Ai Overviews and in LLMs needs all three.
Based on this, I developed the SEO Success Factors™ Framework to simplify and categorize SEO into clear, easy-to-understand outcome-based Success Factors: SEEN,
TRUSTED,
AND
RELEVANT.
This modern SEO framework breaks down SEO, which can feel extremely overwhelming, into a system that makes logical sense and is easier to understand and implement.
The SEO Success Factors™ Framework allows you to see how all SEO tasks work together to help your business show up online and grow.
SEO TRAINING JUST GOT AN UPGRADE
The SEO Success Factors™ is a modern, intuitive framework that organizes SEO tasks into result-driven outcomes: Seen, Trusted, and Relevant.
SEO Success Factors™
SEEN
Can search engines and AI find and read your website?
TRUSTED
Do they believe your site is credible and authoritative?
RELEVANT
Does your website match what people are searching for?
"Seen, Trusted and Relevant" mirrors how Google and AI discover, evaluate, and cite websites.
Learning this framework makes SEO clear, strategic, and easy to apply.
Every aspect of SEO— from on-page and off-page SEO, technical SEO, keyword strategy to AEO, GEO and everything in between— fits naturally into one of these three outcomes.
When you understand this,
SEO stops feeling overwhelming and finally makes sense—
it becomes simple, structured, and most importantly, doable.
The SEO Success Factors™ reframes SEO by shifting from scattered tactics to outcome-based clarity. These outcomes mirror how search engines and AI read, cite and recommend websites: Seen, Trusted, and Relevant.
By working the way Google and AI does,
SEO becomes more clear, more intuitive and most importantly,
finally doable.
SEO SUCCESS FACTORS™ FRAMEWORK
The SEO Success Factors™
SEEN
TRUSTED
AND
RELEVANT
SEEN
Every website needs the technical details and set up for Google and Ai (LLM's) to be able to find it, read it and understand it. Websites are not automatically set up to be read by Google, it has to be intentionally implemented.
This Success Factor: SEEN, is the type of SEO most people think of when they think of SEO. It's commonly referred to on-page and technical SEO.
In the world of Ai, all of this "traditional" SEO is still incredibly important—where do you think Ai gets its responses? Well-optimized websites, of course.
"... technical SEO, content depth, link structure—all those basics—still count. AI just listens if you’ve paid attention to them." —Forbes
TRUSTED
If you want your website to be recommended by Google or any Ai, they need to trust you.
This Success Factor, TRUST, is about building trust with Google and Ai (it is known as off-page SEO).
There are a million spammy websites with people and companies claiming to be something they aren't.
So trust is incredibly important—if they don't trust you, they won't show your website.
(How human is that?)
"... how the web talks about you shifts the needle. These days, online reputation, such as in reviews, mentions and general brand buzz, is a key AI ranking factor across platforms." — Forbes
AND
RELEVANT
Google and Ai (LLMs) also need to be certain that you are both relevant and the BEST match for the searcher. If they don't think you're the best match, they won't show your website.
This Success factor, RELEVANT, is all about Keywords & Content. Learning how to say the right things to both Google and Ai, but also to your ideal customer. Everyone needs to know you're relevant.
This is also where you blend your brand voice and messaging and social media content with SEO.
Say the right things so Google and Ai know that you are the best match and you label these words correctly behind the scenes on your website and use them across your social channels.
"Keyword-focused strategies still matter but no longer guarantee discovery. AI search prioritises meaning over match. It looks for context, trust, and relationships between information sources." — Ashish Shetty Digital Scouts
The SEO SUCCESS FACTORS™ Framework takes what people find confusing about SEO and turns it into a clear, doable, and empowering blueprint.
It connects the dots between how your website works, how Google and Ai think, and how your messaging
attracts both the right audience and Google.
An Industry-Shifting Approach
to SEO for the AI Era
SEO has always been explained with technical tasks: on-page, off-page, technical SEO, now AEO and GEO, these categories were built by coders for coders.
But search has changed.
AI has changed.
User behavior has changed.
And the industry has not evolved its language or its approach… until now.
Mel Zaelich reframed SEO from task-oriented to outcome-oriented, giving business owners:
A simple structure that mirrors how modern search engines make decisions.
Clarity about why each SEO action matters
A framework that works seamlessly with AI search, AEO, and evolving ranking factors
A path that eliminates overwhelm and restores confidence
This reframing removes unnecessary complexity and replaces it with
a model that is human, strategic, and future-proof.
SEO designed for business owners,
not coders.
When you stop viewing SEO as a list of technical chores and start seeing it as a set
of clear Success Factors, it becomes easier, more strategic, and surprisingly enjoyable.
The SEO SUCCESS FACTORS™ Framework gives you:
A clear path to follow
A simple way to understand why each task matters
A structure that works in the new AI-powered search landscape
A way to build your website like the 24/7 marketing assistant it should be
No overwhelm. No guesswork. Just clarity and results.
Enroll in the SEO STAR™ Masterclass
today and start getting seen tomorrow.
This comprehensive SEO Course shows you exactly WHAT, WHY AND HOW to:
• Make your website Seen through correct website set up (On-page and technical SEO)
• Build trust with Google and AI so your content rises above your competitors (Off-page SEO)
• Become unmistakably Relevant with keywords, content strategy, and answer-driven
optimization that positions you as the best choice
You’ll learn the complete system, the exact steps, and the modern techniques
that align with how search and AI work today and not five years ago.
The STAR™ Masterclass is designed for small business owners,
creatives, and entrepreneurs who want to reap the incredible benefits of organic search
and save thousands of dollars in the process by doing it, or managing it, themselves.
How This Can
Help You
SEO Success Factors™ online SEO Course gives small business owners, webs designers and copywriters, a simple, step-by-step framework
to understand, implement SEO, improve rankings, and create content that shows up in Google and AI. No overwhelm. Just results.
Who this is Created For
Small business owners, entrepreneurs, course creators, web designers, copywriters, and agencies who want a website that brings them lead after lead every day without extra work or constant social media posting.
It's SEO for beginners.
SEO for everyone.
Why It Works
SO WELL
SEEN (back-end visibility)
TRUSTED (authority + credibility)
RELEVANT (keywords + content)
This mirrors exactly how Google and AI decide what to rank. Plus it makes SEO outcome-based, more strategic and results driven.