SEO doesn't have to be complicated
SEO has a reputation for being mysterious and technical. It's not. Most small businesses just need to do 6 things right. The rest is noise.
Here are those six things, with step-by-step explanations. No jargon. No tricks.
1. Google Business Profile (free, 10 minutes)
If you only do one thing from this list, do this. Google Business Profile is the free listing that appears when someone googles your business or searches for services in your area.
How to do it:
- Go to business.google.com
- Register your business with the correct name, address, and phone number
- Add opening hours, categories, and a good description
- Upload 5–10 photos of the business, products, or premises
- Ask happy customers to leave a review
Businesses with a Google Business Profile get 70% more visits than those without. Reviews are gold. 5-star reviews with text count the most. Ask your customers for them. Most will say yes if you ask.
2. The right keywords in titles and text
Google reads the text on your website to understand what you offer. If you're a plumber in Denver, the words "plumber" and "Denver" need to be on your site.
How to do it:
- Your homepage title should contain what you do and where. Example: "Plumber in Denver | Smith Plumbing"
- Use keywords naturally in the text. Don't stuff them in everywhere. Write for humans, not robots.
- Each page should have its own title and meta description. No duplicates.
Find your keywords: Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account) shows you what people search for. You don't need to run ads. Just use the tool to find keywords.
Example: "dentist Denver" gets 500 searches a month. "Dentist" alone gets 20,000, but the competition is enormous. Local keywords are easier to win.
3. A mobile version that works perfectly
Over 60% of all Google searches happen on mobile. If your website is hard to use on a phone, you're losing the majority of visitors.
How to check: Open your website on your phone. Can you read the text without zooming? Are the buttons big enough to tap? Does the page load quickly?
Google uses mobile-first indexing. That means they evaluate the mobile version first, not desktop. A website that looks great on a PC but poor on mobile will lose in search results.
Three common mobile mistakes:
- Text that's too small to read
- Buttons that are too close together (you tap the wrong one)
- Images that overflow the screen width
4. A fast website (under 3 seconds)
Speed is a ranking factor. Google says so themselves. Fast pages rank higher than slow pages.
How to check: Go to pagespeed.web.dev. Enter your web address. The goal is green (score above 90). Most business websites score between 40 and 70.
The most common causes of a slow site:
- Large images. Convert to WebP. Set max width to 960 pixels.
- Too many scripts. Chat widgets, analytics tools, animations. Each script slows things down.
- Poor hosting. Cheap shared hosting is the most common culprit.
A website that loads in under 2 seconds converts twice as well as one that takes 5 seconds.
5. Local keywords make all the difference
"Dentist" is nearly impossible to rank for. "Dentist Denver" is manageable. "Emergency dentist Denver evening" is easier than you think.
How to do it:
- Make a list of your services + location names. "Electrician Austin," "plumber Portland," "accountant Seattle."
- Use these combinations in page titles, headings, and text.
- Create separate pages for each service you offer. One page for "plumbing," one for "heat pumps," one for "bathrooms." Not everything on the homepage.
Local searches have high purchase intent. Someone googling "electrician Austin" needs an electrician now. Not next month. Now.
6. Updated content shows Google you're active
A website that hasn't been updated in 2 years sends a signal to Google: this business might not be active. That affects your ranking.
How to do it:
- Publish an article or news piece at least once a month. It doesn't need to be long. 300–500 words is fine.
- Update existing pages with fresh numbers and information.
- Share the content on social media. It drives traffic that Google notices.
You don't need to blog every week. One good article a month beats 10 half-hearted posts.
Tools you should use (both free)
Google Search Console: Shows you which keywords you rank for, which pages appear in Google, and if there are errors preventing indexing. Set it up today. It takes 5 minutes.
Google Analytics: Shows you who visits your website, where they come from, and what they do. Invaluable for understanding what works and what doesn't.
Things to avoid
- "SEO guarantees." No one can guarantee first place on Google. Anyone who promises that is lying.
- Buying links. Google penalizes websites that buy links. The risk isn't worth it.
- Keyword stuffing. Repeating a keyword 50 times on one page worked in 2010. Today you get penalized for it.
Good SEO is about building a website that's useful for people. Do that, and Google rewards you.
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Get in touch for a no-obligation chat about how we can help your business get found on Google.