SEO for small business: the plain-English guide.
SEO means showing up when people search for what you do. This guide explains how Google picks local results in plain words, gives you a ten-point checklist you can start this week, and tells you when it is worth paying for help.
How Google picks
Four plain things: the words on your page, your Google Business Profile, reviews from real customers, and mentions of your business on other sites.
Do it this week
Claim your Google Business Profile. Add photos. Ask happy customers for reviews and reply to every one. Put your town name on your pages. Make sure your name, address, and phone match everywhere. Make the site fast on a phone.
AI answers
People now ask ChatGPT and Google AI for recommendations. Clear, matching facts about your business help them mention you.
Honest timing
Weeks to months of steady work, not days. Anyone who promises page one in a week is not being straight with you.