SEO basics for business websites

Google's advice to business owners is simpler than most SEO sales pitches suggest. Make pages that help people, describe each one clearly, link them so they can be found, and make them quick and easy to use on any screen. This guide walks through what Google's own documentation says it looks for, and what you can do about each part, whether you work with us or not.

Start with the people searching

Google says its ranking systems aim to put forward useful, trustworthy information made to help people, not pages built to game the results. Its guidance calls this "people-first" content, and it asks one question above the rest: why does this page exist? If the honest answer is "to rank", the page is working against you.

For a business website, people-first usually means answering what customers really want to know before they get in touch:

• What exactly do you do, and for whom?
• Where do you work, and how can people reach you?
• What does the process look like once they make contact?
• Why should they trust you: your experience, your past work, the people behind the business?

Google's guidance also asks whether your writing shows first-hand expertise, the kind that comes from having actually done the work. A page written by someone who knows the trade, in plain words, is far more useful to a reader than one padded out to reach a word count. Write for the customer first. That's what Google is trying to reward too.

Titles and descriptions that earn the click

When your page appears in Google, people usually see two things before deciding to visit: a title link and a short snippet of text under it. The title link mostly comes from the page's title, which is set in the page's code and isn't always the same as the heading people see on the page.

Google's guidance on titles comes down to a few habits:

• Give each page its own title. If many pages share the same wording with one detail swapped, searchers can't tell them apart.
• Be descriptive and brief. Say what the page is about. "Home" or "Services" tells nobody anything.
• Don't cram in search phrases. Repeating the same words several times looks spammy to people and to Google.
• Add your business name once, usually at the end, without a long slogan.

The snippet is often taken from the text on the page, but Google may use your meta description, a short summary in the page's code, when it describes the page better. So write one for each page: a sentence or two telling a searcher what they'll find and why it's worth a visit. Google advises against reusing one description across a site, because identical summaries don't help anyone choose.

One page for each service and each place

A single services page that lists everything in one paragraph gives Google little to match against a specific search, and gives a customer little to read. A clearer structure gives each main service its own page, explaining what it is, who it's for, how it works and how to ask about it. If you serve customers in more than one town or region, a page for each place can help, as long as each one says something true and useful about working there.

That condition matters. Google's spam policies warn against doorway pages: near-identical pages aimed at a list of cities or regions that all funnel visitors to the same destination. Swapping the town name on otherwise matching pages is exactly what that warning describes. If you have nothing particular to say about a place, you're better off leaving it out.

Links people and Google can follow

Google discovers most pages by following links, and its documentation says it can generally only follow a standard HTML link with a web address in it. Menus built from buttons or scripts without real links can hide pages from it. Two habits help:

• Link each service page to the related places, projects and questions, and link back again, so nothing important sits on its own.
• Use link words that say where the link goes, such as "website care plans", rather than "click here". Google says the visible link text tells both people and its systems what the linked page is about.

Fast pages that work on any screen

Google looks at the mobile version of your website when it indexes and ranks it, which it calls mobile-first indexing. A site that only works well on a large screen starts at a disadvantage. Google recommends responsive design: one page and one address for everyone, with a layout that adapts to whatever screen is in front of them.

Speed and stability are measured with Core Web Vitals. web.dev, Google's site for web developers, gives a threshold for a good experience on each of the three measures:

web.dev suggests judging these at the 75th percentile of page loads, looking at mobile and desktop separately. In plain terms, the target should hold for the large majority of real visits, not just for a quick check on your own fast connection.

Slow pages usually come down to oversized images, too many add-ons and scripts, or underpowered hosting. We build websites to load fast and be found on Google, and our SEO audit checks how quickly your current site loads on any screen.

Google Business Profile for local searches

When someone searches for a service near them or in a named town, Google often shows a map with a handful of businesses beside it. Those listings come from Google Business Profile. Google's help pages say local results depend mainly on relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the person searching) and popularity (how well known and well regarded your business is).

You can't change distance, but you can work on the rest:

• Verify your profile, so Google knows you're entitled to manage the listing.
• Fill in everything that applies: your category, opening hours including holiday hours, and your address if customers visit you.
• Keep it accurate. Google warns that a profile with wrong details may not appear for relevant searches nearby.
• Reply to reviews, good and bad. Google notes that replies show customers you value what they say.
• Add real photos of your work, your team or your premises.

Google also states plainly that there's no way to buy or request a higher local ranking. Anyone offering to sell you a better spot on the map is offering something Google says doesn't exist. Our local SEO work sets up your profile and keeps it current alongside your website.

See how you're found with Search Console

Search Console is Google's own tool for website owners. Once you've confirmed that the site is yours, its performance report shows the searches that brought people to you, the pages they found and the countries they searched from, with clicks and impressions (how often you appeared) over time. You can also submit a sitemap there, a list of your pages that may help Google discover them sooner.

Three things are worth a look each month:

• The searches you appear for. Are they the words your customers use? If not, your pages may not describe your services the way customers do.
• Pages that appear often but get few clicks. A clearer title or description may help.
• Any messages about pages Google couldn't index, which often point to a fix you can make quickly.

Give changes time. Google's starter guide says some take effect within hours while others can take months, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging whether a change helped.

How to judge an SEO offer

Google publishes its own advice on hiring an SEO, and it's worth reading before you sign anything. Its plainest line is that nobody can promise you the number one spot on Google. It also tells you to be wary of anyone claiming a special relationship with Google or a priority way to submit your site, and to look elsewhere if someone says their changes will put you first in the results.

Questions Google suggests asking include:

• Can you show me earlier work and explain what you did?
• Do you follow Google Search Essentials, the rules Google publishes for websites?
• What results do you expect, over what period, and how will you measure them?
• What experience do you have in my industry, and in my country or city?
• How will we keep in touch, and will you explain each change you make and why?

A sound audit, Google says, gives you realistic estimates and an idea of the work involved. While someone is reviewing your site, give them read-only access to Search Console rather than the ability to change settings.

That's how we work too. We tell you what we'd change and why, give you a written quote before any work starts, and report plainly on what we did. We won't promise you a position on Google, because no one honestly can. You can read how we approach it on our SEO services page, and see what websites cost on our pricing page. Once your site is live, looking after it properly after launch protects all of this work.