The Impact of Online Tutorials on SEO: How to Create Step-by-Step Guides

Introduction to the impact of online tutorials on SEO

In today's digital age, the internet has become the go-to place for people looking for information and answers to their questions, and that's where online tutorials come in. These step-by-step guides, covering a range of topics and areas, can be accessed at any time of the day or night, making independent learning as simple as the click of a mouse. But these invaluable teaching tools are not just beneficial for users, they are also proving highly effective in increasing the visibility of a website and improving its positioning in search engine results, or SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

How to create effective step-by-step guides for SEO

When creating online tutorials, it's essential to bear in mind certain basic SEO principles to optimise their impact. The judicious choice of keywords, the quality of the content, ease of navigation, the relevance of the information provided, and the addition of videos or explanatory images are all factors that can greatly influence a website's ranking in search engine results. So it's not enough just to create a tutorial - it has to be done strategically, taking into account SEO criteria, to ensure optimum visibility.

The evolution of online tutorials and their influence on organic referencing

When the first discussion forums (Usenet, AOL, Yahoo! Groups) popularised the "step-by-step" format, the main objective was the transmission of knowledge between enthusiasts. No one was yet thinking about organic visibility. Two decades later, the granularity of these same explanations has become one of the cornerstones of SEO strategy. Google's Hummingbird algorithm (2013) crystallised this trend: by favouring content that responds precisely to the search intent, it transformed the tutorial into a traffic magnet. From 2015, the migration to featured snippets was the final step in convincing brands that each numbered step could conquer the featured snippet. The biggest DIY and cooking platforms (Leroy Merlin, Marmiton) have re-recorded their existing tutorials to inject semantic tags, boosting their share of voice on ultra-competitive queries from 30 % to 50 %. The technical evolution of the Web (semantic web, structured data, Core Web Vitals) has only accelerated this phenomenon: a well-structured tutorial can now be slipped into video carousels, enriched "How-to" results and even into the recommendation algorithms of connected speakers.

Why the step-by-step structure meets the requirements of search engines

According to a 2023 SEMrush study of 20 billion SERPs, "informative" search intent accounts for more than 60 % of queries. Search engines are therefore looking for pages that can clearly state a problem, detail the resources required and then provide a reproducible method. The step-by-step format ticks all these boxes: it combines granularity (each step targets a micro-need) and comprehensiveness (the entire approach). This combination reduces pogo-sticking - unwanted returns to the SERP - a parameter that is increasingly monitored by machine learning-based algorithms (RankBrain, BERT, MUM). By reducing the bounce rate and increasing the time spent per session, the tutorial sends a signal of relevance to the engine, which mechanically translates into better positioning.

The "fragment growth" effect in Google

Google doesn't read an article like a human; it breaks it down into "passages" (Passage Indexing since 2021). Each block of a numbered tutorial therefore becomes a potential response to a subquery. For example, a 3,000-word guide on "How to install a photovoltaic panel" could target simultaneously " Choosing the inverter , " Mounting on Roman tiles and " Connection to the ERDF grid . Companies that divide up their content effectively maximise the "crawl area": ten sub-headings = ten chances of appearing in the results.

Case studies: brands that have dominated their niche thanks to guides

HubSpot and the 10× Content effect

HubSpot published a 7,000-word mega-guide in 2017 entitled How to Start a Blog. The post, updated every six months, includes video tutorials, downloadable templates, an interactive quiz and a printable checklist. The result: over 23,000 referring backlinks (Ahrefs, May 2024) and a systematic ranking in position 0 on the English, French and German versions. The lesson: a tutorial can become a lasting SEO asset provided it is reworked like a product, not just a simple article.

Marmiton: from recipe to "micro-tutorial

Marmiton doesn't just list ingredients. Since 2020, each recipe has been broken down into filmed micro-steps (15 seconds vertical), accompanied by a text transcript marked HowTo. Thanks to this dual format, the platform captures both video requests on YouTube and enriched extracts in Google. In just one year, organic mobile traffic has jumped by 38 % and the average session length has risen from 3'10 to 4'45.

Leroy Merlin and the "mission-critique" internal network

Leroy Merlin distributes more than 1,500 practical guides (plumbing, electricity, home automation). Each tutorial includes a "Necessary products" block pointing to an e-commerce catalogue. Internal links generate 12 % of last-click attribution sales (Deloitte, 2022). In other words, the tutorial has become a transactional gateway without ever sacrificing its informative purpose.

Anatomy of an SEO-friendly tutorial

Intent research and segmentation

Before the first line of text, semantic analysis identifies three levels: primary intention (e.g. "to make a composter"), secondary intentions (price, safety, maintenance) and associated entities (bins, earthworms, humidity). Visual mapping (Miro, Whimsical) is used to divide these concepts into sub-sections, each of which is converted into H3. This mapping also serves as an internal networking silo, linking the tutorial to product sheets or related articles.

Revamped AIDA model

The AIDA marketing model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is perfectly suited to tutorials. The catchphrase (Attention) can be a shock statistic; the presentation of the material (Interest) formalises the promise; the visual demonstration (Desire) anchors the proof; the last step (Action) invites sharing or moving on to the next step ("download the full PDF , "discover the advanced video ). This multi-step structure follows the logic of Google's bots, which are fond of clear hierarchical signals.

Schema.org structured data: the HowTo tag

The JSON-LD "HowTo" tag describes each step, its title, duration, cost and even its level of security. SearchPilot's internal tests (2023) showed an average increase of 27 % in CTR when a tutorial benefited from this structured data. Bonus: the "estimatedCost" tag reassures the user, reducing cognitive friction before embarking on the project.

Visuals and accessibility

Today's search engines convert images into semantic vectors (CLIP, Vision Transformer). A descriptive alt-text ("Step 3: screw in the side jamb with a 5 × 40 mm Torx screw") indexes both the precise terminology and the material context. A properly captioned tutorial multiplies the number of entry points via Google Images and Google Lens, not to mention accessibility for screen readers, a parameter valued by the Page Experience algorithm.

Tools and methodologies for measuring impact

Google Search Console and URL segments

Creating a regular expression filtering "/guide/" or "/how-to/" isolates performance. The result is a dedicated dashboard: clicks, impressions, CTR and average position of tutorials. By comparing these metrics with the rest of the site, we can highlight the return on editorial effort. Brands can also identify "nugget keywords" - high-volume positions 8 to 15 - that merit on-page optimisation to aim for position 0.

Cohort Analysis and advanced analytics

In Google Analytics 4, the "Conversion path" tracker reveals the importance of guides in e-commerce tunnels. Mapping sometimes shows that a user reads three tutorials before adding an item to the shopping basket. By using BigQuery to merge SEO and CRM data, we can see that leads from guides have a CLV that is 15 % higher than the average, because the education provided upstream creates trust.

Heatmaps and A/B testing of sections

Crazy Egg and Hotjar highlight areas of abandonment. A cybersecurity company discovered that 40 % of readers stopped before screenshots because the source code was too dense. By inserting a "Copy to clipboard" button and a display toggle, it extended reading by 22 seconds, resulting in 12 % more clicks to the trial offer.

Link between tutorials, E-E-A-T and backlinking

Since the December 2022 update, Google has been integrating the "Experience" into the E-A-T (now E-E-A-T) model. A step-by-step guide embodies the practical experience by definition. Add original photos (maker, craftsman, developer): you're giving the search engine a signal of authenticity. In terms of netlinking, the tutorial becomes a key part of the "linkable assets" strategy. Tech journalists love quoting operational resources, and Zapier has won over 500 referring domains for its "No-Code" automation guide, published in 2021.

Social network synergy

Pinterest and TikTok amplify the visual reach of the steps. A DIY cosmetics brand turned each step into a Pinterest pin: 7 images = 7 entry points = 7 sources of potential backlinks. The hashtag #skintok boosted its organic traffic from 0 to 50,000 monthly visits, a clear example of SEO-SMO convergence.

Common errors and solutions

False granularity

Cutting a tutorial artificially ("Step 1: open the box") dilutes its relevance. Think narrative quality: each step should resolve a coherent micro-block. A benchmark of 2,400 guides (Backlinko, 2023) shows that tutorials with 8 to 15 steps outperform those with less than 5 or more than 20 for keywords such as "how-to .

Advertising overload

Full-screen interstitials and invasive banners lead to penalties in the Page Experience update. The solution: limit advertising density from the third mobile panel onwards and focus on indirect monetisation (contextual affiliation, native sponsor at the bottom of the page).

Insufficient updating

An abandoned tutorial loses 5 % to 10 % of traffic per quarter (Ahrefs, 2021-2024 panel). Add a quarterly audit routine: check for broken links, update software screenshots, insert new FAQs detected in AlsoAsked.

Into the future: conversational AI and interactive tutorials

The rise of ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude has shaken up the ecosystem, with users expecting near real-time responses. However, the need for detailed tutorials remains, but it is evolving towards customisation. Front-end frameworks such as Svelte and React can already integrate conditional steps ("If your version is earlier than 2.0, go directly to step 5"). On the algorithm side, Google SGE (Search Generative Experience) extracts segments to feed its AI responses. Producing modular tutorials, with deep anchors and precise Schema properties, therefore increases the chances of appearing among the sources cited.

Augmented reality and on-site tutorials

IKEA Place superimposes a virtual shelving unit on your living room; tomorrow, the same concept will guide users through room-by-room assembly. Publishers can already prepare their 3D resources (USDZ, glTF) and supplement their written guides with immersive artefacts. Beyond user satisfaction, these enriched formats will undoubtedly become behavioural signals measured by the engines.

Final checklist for creating an effective step-by-step guide

- Define the primary intention and three secondary intentions.
- Segment the content into 8-15 logical steps, each with an H3 and alt-text for the image.
- Implement the "HowTo JSON-LD" tag with duration, cost, difficulty, materials.
- Design a cover visual and a vertical mini-video (<60 s).
- Add a "Common errors" insert and a dynamic FAQ block.
- Link to at least two internal pages and one external authoritative source.
- Limiting advertising density and guaranteeing Green Web Vitals.
- Plan a quarterly review and monitor performance via GSC.
- Recycle each step in the form of micro-content on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Pinterest.
- Implement attribution monitoring (UTM, Data-Driven model) to measure business value.

Conclusion: the tutorial, a timeless SEO artefact

Between the quest for micro-knowledge and the advent of conversational search boosted by AI, the step-by-step tutorial remains the fundamental building block of a value-oriented SEO strategy. Where a simple, ephemeral news post drowns in the flux, a robust, structured and up-to-date guide becomes a referenceable asset over ten years. The company that invests in this format builds a relationship of trust, boosts its E-E-A-T and creates a direct bridge to conversion, whatever the future evolution of algorithms.

You may also be interested in these articles:

The Impact of Video Answers on SEO: How to Create SEO-Friendly Video Tutorials SEO and Video Marketing : How to optimise your videos for search engines How to Use Google Analytics to Improve Your Search Engine Optimisation Strategy Optimising page titles: How to write catchy, SEO-friendly titles The Impact of Educational Content on SEO: How to Create Online Courses and Guides