SEO basics for small business
A plain-language guide to getting found on Google and in AI answers: pages, keywords, content, technical basics and a monthly routine.
Search engine optimisation does not need to be mysterious. This guide covers the essentials for a small business website and a simple monthly routine.
1. Know what people search for
- List the services you offer and the words customers use to describe them
- Write down the questions customers ask before they buy
- Check search suggestions and "people also ask" results for ideas
- Choose one main topic for each page
2. Make each page clear
- Put the main topic in the title, the H1 and the first paragraph
- Answer the question in the first one or two sentences
- Use short paragraphs and descriptive subheadings
- Add helpful images with alt text
- Link to related pages with descriptive link text
3. Get the technical basics right
- Use HTTPS and a single version of your domain
- Make the site fast and mobile friendly
- Submit an XML sitemap in Search Console
- Fix broken links and error pages
- Add structured data for your organisation, services and FAQs
4. Build trust
- Show who you are, where you are and how to contact you
- Collect genuine reviews
- Keep business details identical on your website, Google Business Profile and social profiles
- Earn links by being useful: guides, tools and partnerships
5. Publish helpful content
- Write one genuinely useful article or guide each month
- Answer real customer questions with specific detail
- Update old pages when facts change
- Be honest about limits and cite sources for numbers
6. Monthly routine
- Check Search Console for errors and top queries
- Review your most visited pages and improve one
- Check page speed on key pages
- Publish or update one piece of content
- Write down what changed and what happened
