SEO 101: How to Help More Customers Find Your Business Online
- Andrea Gross
- Jul 12
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 31
If you’ve ever wondered how some businesses always appear on the first page in online search results (and why yours might not), this post is for you.
The answer is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. But don’t let the term intimidate you. At its core, SEO is simply about creating content for your website that is easy for search engines (like Google) to understand. This enables them to show your business to the right people.
In other words, SEO helps more people find your business online without paying for ads.
What Is SEO for Small Businesses?
Part art, part science, SEO is a set of practices that enhance your visibility in organic (unpaid) search engine results.
Think of it like this: Search engines want to help people find the best answers to their questions. If your website provides clear, relevant, trustworthy information and is easy to navigate, Google and other search engines are more likely to recommend it.
SEO involves both what’s on your site (on-page SEO), off your site (off-page SEO), and under the hood (technical SEO). Let’s break it down.
The Building Blocks of Good SEO
Keywords: What Your Customers Are Searching For
These are the words or phrases your customers type into Google when they need help. If you’re a dog groomer in London, they might search “dog groomer near me” or “pet grooming London.”
A Little Nudge: Include these phrases using natural or conversational language in your website content, especially on service pages, blog posts, and your homepage.
Content: Show You’re the Expert
Search engines and your customers love applicable content. Writing blog posts, service descriptions, and FAQs that answer real questions builds trust and helps Google understand what you do.
On-Page SEO: What’s Happening On Your Website
This is the information that your customers rely on to navigate your page. This includes things like:
Clear page titles and meta descriptions
Headings
Image alt text
Links from your site to other relevant pages or posts on your site
A Little Nudge: Each page on your website should focus on a single topic or service.
Technical SEO: Behind-the-Scenes Details
These are the unseen elements that can be the difference between your customers converting and your customers leaving your website. This includes things like:
Mobile-friendliness (your site should look good on a phone)
Fast loading speed
Secure browsing (https instead of http)
Off-Page SEO: What Happens Away from Your Website
When you build your website’s credibility and authority through other online sources, this is referred to as off-page SEO.
These can come from:
Backlinks: links from other trustworthy websites to yours that help boost your site’s credibility and search engine visibility.
Local business directories
Social media profiles
Blog features or guest posts
Reviews on sites like Yelp or Google
Local SEO: Showing Up in Your Area
If your audience is in a specific location, local SEO is crucial. That means:
Claiming your Google Business Profile
Including your city or neighbourhood in your content
Making sure your contact information is consistent everywhere online
Why SEO Matters for Small Businesses
It builds trust. People who see your business listed in search results are more likely to view you as legitimate.
It drives traffic to your website. And more traffic means more leads, calls, and customers.
It supports long-term growth. Unlike ads, good SEO continues to work for you over time.
Be Patient, SEO Takes Time to Work
Small business owners need to understand that SEO efforts are not immediate. Typically, websites require 3-6 months before you start to see results, with some taking even longer.
This is because SEO is complicated and involves multiple factors in determining page ranking. Some of those factors include:
Website Age and Authority: Search engines require time to evaluate and establish trust in your website. Newer websites are likely to haven’t built up the same number of backlinks or content as an older site.
Website Health and Technical SEO: Slow loading speed and lack of mobile optimization can impact your page’s ranking.
Local SEO: You can get ranked faster by optimizing your Google Business Profile and building local citations by creating business profiles on sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Google Algorithm Updates: Google, Bing, and other search engines regularly update their algorithms. These changes can cause unpredictable results for your page rank.
We’ll Help You Get Started
At Little Nudge Marketing, we help small businesses like yours get found online.
Want to know how your website is doing?
Curious about what keywords your customers are actually using?
Not sure where to start?
Let’s talk. Schedule your free 15-minute consultation to find out how we can help your business grow through SEO and more.
