S.E.O. Basics for Busy Small Business Owners: 7 Simple Wins
S.E.O. sounds technical and time consuming, which is why most small business owners ignore it completely.
The secret? You don't need to understand algorithms or spend hours a week on it. 💜S.E.O. sounds technical and time consuming, which is why most small business owners ignore it completely.
But here is the secret: you do not need to understand algorithms or spend hours a week on it.
A few simple habits will put you ahead of most of your local competitors.
Here is S.E.O. in plain English, boiled down to the wins that matter most.
🔎 What S.E.O. Actually Is (in Plain English)
S.E.O., or search engine optimization, just means making it easy for Google to understand your business and show it to the right people.
When someone nearby searches for what you do, good S.E.O. is what puts your business on that first page of results instead of page five where nobody looks.
Claim and Complete Your Google Business Profile
This is the single highest impact free thing you can do.
Your Google Business Profile is the listing that appears in Google Maps and in local search results.
Claim it, fill out every section, add real photos, list your services, and keep your hours accurate.
Use the Words Your Customers Actually Use
Google matches searches to the words on your pages, so use the same language your customers use.
If they search for "affordable wedding photographer in Brunswick," your page should say something close to that, not "visual storytelling artisan."
"Visual storytelling artisan creating timeless moments."
"Wedding photographer serving Brunswick, Georgia."
Give Each Service Its Own Page
A single "Services" page that lists everything you do in bullet points is a missed opportunity.
Create one focused page per service instead.
This gives Google a clear, dedicated page to show for each specific search, and it gives visitors exactly the information they are looking for without distractions.
Get More Google Reviews
Reviews can help strengthen your local search presence while also helping potential customers decide whether they trust your business.
After every happy transaction, send a quick thank you message with a direct link to your Google review page.
Name Your Images Like a Human
Google can use information surrounding your images, including descriptive file names and alt text, to better understand what an image represents.
A photo named:
tells very little about what is actually in the picture.
A descriptive file name such as:
is much more meaningful.
Add useful alt text that describes the image for visitors who use screen readers as well.
Make Sure Your Site Works Beautifully on Phones
Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site when indexing and evaluating your pages, and many of your customers are browsing on phones anyway.
If your site is hard to use on a small screen, you can create problems for both visitors and your search performance.
Keep Things Fresh
You do not need to post every day.
But your website should continue to accurately represent your business.
Update outdated information, add new photos of recent work, improve existing pages when you have something useful to add, or publish an occasional helpful blog post.
💜 S.E.O. Is a Habit, Not a Project
You do not need to do all seven of these this week.
Start with your Google Business Profile and one or two quick wins, then build the habit of keeping your site useful, accurate and collecting genuine reviews.
Want a Website Built With S.E.O. in Mind? 💜
And if you would rather have S.E.O. handled for you from the start, that is what we do.
Xenbunny Web Designs builds custom websites for small businesses with S.E.O. considered from day one: clear page structure, useful content, descriptive page information and a setup designed to support your business as it grows.
Let's Get Your Business Found →Xenbunny Web Designs • Where Creativity Meets Digital Brilliance.
