Article Summary

  • SEO is the process of helping search engines find and trust your website.
  • On-page SEO involves optimising your content and structure.
  • Off-page SEO focuses on building your reputation through external links.
  • Technical SEO ensures your website is fast, secure, and easy to crawl.
  • Local SEO helps you show up in searches for services in your specific area.
  • While you can do the basics yourself, professional management saves you time.

As a small business owner, you are used to wearing many hats. You are the manager, the accountant, and often the marketing team too. When it comes to getting more customers from Google, you might be wondering if SEO is something else you can add to your to-do list.

The short answer is yes, you can do the basics yourself. However, SEO is a broad subject with a few different moving parts. To help you get started, we have broken down the four main areas you need to know about.

What Is On-page SEO?

On-page SEO is all about the things you can control directly on your website pages. It involves making sure your content is easy to read and relevant to what people are searching for. This includes choosing the right keywords, writing helpful blog posts, and ensuring your page titles clearly describe what you do.

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Understanding Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the behind the scenes work that helps search engines crawl and index your site. If your website is slow to load or doesn’t work well on a mobile phone, Google might not want to show it to users. It also covers things like site security and making sure there are no broken links that lead to dead ends.

Think of technical SEO as the foundations of a house. If the foundations are weak, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the wallpaper is, the house won’t be stable. Similarly, if your technical setup is poor, your great content might never even be seen by potential customers because search engines struggle to read it.

To get started with your own technical check, here are some crucial points to look at:

  • Site Speed: Ensure your images are not too large and your hosting is reliable, as slow websites frustrate users and search engines.
  • Mobile Friendliness: Most people browse on their phones now, so your site must look and work perfectly on smaller screens.
  • SSL Certificate: This is the padlock icon in the browser bar. It keeps your site secure and is a must for building trust with Google.
  • XML Sitemap: This is essentially a map of your website that tells Google exactly where all your pages are.
  • Broken Links: Regularly check that you do not have any 404 error pages, as these stop search engine bots in their tracks.
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Off-page – Why It’s Important

Off-page SEO is about building the reputation of your website. This is mostly done through getting other reputable websites to link back to yours. These links act like a vote of confidence in the eyes of search engines. When another trusted site links to you, it tells Google that your content is valuable and worth sharing.

Beyond just getting links from news sites or blogs, off-page SEO also includes managing your digital footprint across the wider web. This is where directory listings become very important for small businesses.

To build your authority outside of your own website, you can focus on these areas:

Off-page SEO is about building the reputation of your website. This is mostly done through getting other reputable websites to link back to yours. These links act like a vote of confidence in the eyes of search engines. When another trusted site links to you, it tells Google that your content is valuable and worth sharing.

Beyond just getting links from news sites or blogs, off-page SEO also includes managing your digital footprint across the wider web. This is where directory listings become very important for small businesses.

To build your authority outside of your own website, you can focus on these areas:

  • Business Directories: Getting listed on sites like Yell, Thompson Local, and industry specific directories helps confirm your business is legitimate.
  • Local Citations: Ensuring your business name, address, and phone number are identical across all listings helps Google trust your location data.
  • Brand Mentions: Even if a website doesn’t link to you, having your business name mentioned on a reputable local site can still help your reputation.
  • Social Media Signals: While social media likes don’t directly change your rank, a strong presence helps drive traffic and brand awareness.

Local SEO

Local SEO is particularly important if you have a physical shop or serve a specific area, like the Isle of Wight. This involves managing your Google Business Profile and making sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web so local customers can find you easily.

When someone searches for a service near them, Google uses a different set of rules to decide who shows up in that helpful little map at the top of the results. If you want to be the business they call, you need to show Google that you are a prominent part of the local community.

You can improve your local presence by focusing on a few key tasks:

  • Google Business Profile: Keep your profile updated with fresh photos, your current opening hours, and regular posts about your services.
  • Customer Reviews: Encourage your happy customers to leave reviews. Replying to these reviews shows both Google and potential customers that you are active and helpful.
  • Local Content: Mentioning local landmarks or areas you serve on your website helps search engines connect your business to your specific town or region.
  • Consistency: Make sure your contact details are exactly the same on your website, your Facebook page, and any local directories. Even a small difference in how you write your address can cause confusion for search engines.

Should You Manage Your Own SEO?

While learning the basics is a great way to understand how your business grows online, SEO is an ongoing task that requires constant attention. As your business grows, your time becomes your most valuable asset.

At Suki Marketing, we provide fully managed SEO services so you can focus on running your business while we handle the technical details, content writing, and strategy. If you would rather spend your evenings growing your brand instead of checking meta descriptions, we are here to help.

Ready to get started? Get in touch with our team today for a quick fuss-free chat.