The SEO guide every small business needs to read

In today’s digital-first world, having a strong online presence is no longer optional – it’s essential. Whether you run a local bakery, a consulting firm or an ecommerce store, search engine optimisation (SEO) is the key to attracting more customers and staying ahead of competitors.

But with ever-changing algorithms and endless advice, where should small business owners start?

This guide breaks down SEO for small businesses into clear, actionable steps, helping you optimise your website, improve rankings and drive organic traffic without breaking the bank. From keyword research to local SEO tactics, we’ll show you exactly how to get noticed by search engines and potential customers alike.

If you want to promote your business and increase visibility in search results, we have all the intel you need. Keep reading to unlock the strategies that will help your small business grow online.

What are the benefits of SEO?

The most well-known benefit of SEO for small businesses is ranking higher in search results – but that’s not the only one.

SEO allows you to drive long-term growth and attract engaged customers. Below we’ve listed the key benefits of SEO and why every small business should make it a priority.

Benefit	Why it matters for your business
Generates “free” traffic	SEO helps your website rank higher in search results, bringing in potential customers without the cost of paid ads.
Builds credibility and trust	High rankings signal to users that your business is reputable and authoritative in your industry.
Improves user experience	Good SEO practices enhance website speed, mobile-friendliness and navigation.
Targets the right audience	SEO helps you reach people actively searching for your products or services, increasing conversion rates.
Increases brand awareness	The more often people see your business in search results, the more likely they are to recognise and trust your brand.
Boosts local business presence	Local SEO strategies help small businesses appear in local/location-specific searches, driving foot traffic.

Business SEO guide: how to do it

So how can you build an SEO strategy for your small business?

Below we’ve broken down all the key aspects of SEO that you need to know to help you transform your online presence.

1. Understand search engines

Search engines like Google are the key to online visibility. In 2025, Google processes over 13.7 billion searches per day, meaning if your business isn’t ranking well, you’re invisible to potential customers.

To drive traffic, generate leads and boost sales, you need to understand how search engines operate and what it takes to rank.

What is Google’s ranking process?

Google follows three key steps to deliver search results:

1. Crawling: Google’s bots scan web pages by following links.
2. Indexing: after crawling, Google stores the page in its index.
3. Ranking: Google ranks indexed pages based on over 200 ranking factors to display the most relevant results.

If Google can’t crawl or index your site, it won’t show up in search results. Poor structure, slow loading speeds and broken links can all stop Google from discovering your content.

The key ranking factors

Google uses complex algorithms to rank pages. Some of the top factors in 2025 include:

• High-quality content: Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) framework prioritises valuable, well-researched content.
• User experience (UX): fast-loading, mobile-friendly, easy-to-navigate websites rank higher.
• Backlinks: authoritative websites linking to you boost your credibility.
• Search intent: content must match what users are actually searching for.
• Local SEO: for small businesses, Google Business Profile optimisation is key.

2. Create a Google Business profile

A Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful tools for improving local SEO and increasing visibility in search results.

Whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business or ecommerce company, setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile is essential for attracting local customers.

Step 1: Create or claim your profile

To get started, visit Google Business Profile and follow these steps:

1. Sign in with a Google account (preferably your business email).
2. Search for your business name – if it already exists on Google’s database, claim it. If not, click “Add your business to Google.”
3. Choose the correct business category (this helps Google match you to relevant searches).

Step 2: Complete the verification process

Google requires verification to prevent fake or duplicate listings. Depending on your business type, you’ll verify via:

• Postcard (most common)
• Phone or email
• Video call

How Long Does It Take?

Verification usually takes 5-14 days, but you can still edit your profile while waiting.

Step 3: Add essential business information

Google prioritises complete and accurate business listings. Ensure you include your:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Business hours
• Website link

Step 4: Collect and respond to reviews

Positive Google reviews help with ranking, credibility and conversions.

Ask satisfied customers to leave you a review once they have received their product or service. You can even encourage reviews by offering incentives such as discounts or loyalty points.

3. Set your website up for success

Before diving into keyword research and content creation, your website needs a strong technical foundation. A well-structured, fast and secure website makes it easier for search engines to crawl, index and rank your content.

Below we’ve broken down some of the key things you can do to set your small business website up for success.

Choose the right domain name

Your domain name is the first thing Google and users see. A clean, memorable domain can boost brand recognition and trust. Keep it short and simple, and easy to spell to avoid confusion and mistakes.

Secure your site with HTTPS

Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking factor. A secure website protects user data and builds trust. If your site isn’t HTTPS, users will see a “Not Secure” warning.

To set up HTTPS:

• Purchase an SSL certificate from your hosting provider.
• Update your website URL to https:// in Google Search Console.
• Ensure all internal links use HTTPS.

Build a search-friendly site structure

A clear site structure helps Google crawl and index your pages efficiently. It also improves user experience, keeping visitors engaged in your content.

Use a logical hierarchy within your pages, for example Homepage > Category > Subcategory to make it easy for users and Google to move around your website and find the content they’re looking for.

Make your website mobile-friendly

Google now ranks the mobile versions of websites first. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing rankings and traffic and therefore customers.

Some top tips to ensure your website is optimised for mobile users are:

• Use a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes.
• Avoid pop-ups.
• Ensure buttons and links are easy to find and click.

Haven’t set up your website yet? Take a look at our list of the best small business website builders.

4. Prioritise user experience

SEO isn’t just about pleasing search engines, it’s about creating a smooth, engaging and enjoyable experience for your visitors.

When people have a great time on your website, they stay longer, explore more and are more likely to convert into customers. Google notices this and rewards user-friendly websites with higher rankings.

For small businesses, prioritising user experience is a game-changer for standing out online. So, how can you ensure your user experience is the very best it can be?

Make your website fast

Slow sites drive visitors away. If your page takes too long to load, people will bounce, and Google will notice. Some of the best ways to improve your site speed include compressing images, enabling browser caching and minimising CSS within your website.

Keep navigation simple and intuitive

If visitors can’t find what they need quickly, they’ll leave. A clear, easy-to-use menu keeps people engaged. Stick to simple and logical menus and consider adding a search bar for quick access to content and products.

Write for humans, not just search engines

SEO-friendly content should still be easy to read and engaging. Don’t fall into the trap of focusing solely on writing for Google and forget about real-life users. Use short paragraphs, bullet points and headings (just like we have done in this article!) to make it easy to read.

5. Do keyword research

Keyword research is the foundation of every successful SEO strategy. Targeting the right keywords helps businesses attract high-intent customers, increase traffic and drive sales. Without it, you risk creating content no one searches for.

But how do you know what keywords to target?

You need to decide which terms are relevant to your business and assess the search volume and competition for your chosen keywords.

• Use Google Keyword Planner for search volume insights.
• Analyse competitors with SEMrush or Ahrefs.
• Prioritise long-tail keywords (for example, “best SEO agency in London” over “SEO agency”) as they’ll be more tailored to your business and tend to be less competitive.
• Understand the search intent behind each keyword – is the user looking to learn something, buy something, or compare options?

6. Create SEO content

Creating high-quality SEO content is one of the most impactful things a small business can do to improve its online visibility and should form a key part of your overall digital marketing strategy.

It’s not just about ranking higher on search engines; SEO content helps your business connect with potential customers, answer their questions and showcase your expertise.

In today’s digital world, content is king, and for small businesses, it’s a powerful tool to drive traffic and build credibility.

Why SEO content matters for small businesses

For small businesses, SEO content provides an opportunity to level the playing field. Competing with larger companies can seem daunting, but optimising your content for search engines helps increase organic traffic without breaking the bank.

When you consistently produce helpful, keyword-optimised content, you create a reliable, long-term strategy to attract new customers.

SEO content is more than just keywords; it’s about understanding your audience’s needs and creating content that provides value. This builds trust, encourages engagement, and, ultimately, boosts your sales.

Types of SEO content small businesses should create

• Blog posts: a great way to answer common customer questions, share expertise and incorporate long-tail keywords.
• Landing pages: optimised pages for specific products or services that encourage conversions.
• FAQs: help customers with quick answers while also targeting voice search queries.
• Case studies: showcase real-world examples of how your business has solved problems for customers.
• Customer reviews and testimonials: positive, keyword-rich reviews help with local SEO and build trust.

Getting into marketing? Be sure to check out our top tips for marketing your business.

7. Optimise your pages

Your website’s pages are the foundation of your SEO success. If they aren’t optimised properly, search engines and potential customers may never find you.

For small businesses, every page is an opportunity to rank higher, attract more visitors and convert them into customers. The secret? Smart keyword placement and well-structured pages.

Where to use keywords for maximum impact

Placing keywords strategically helps search engines understand your content without overloading it. Here’s where to include them:

• Title tag: this is the clickable headline on Google. Make it compelling, under 60 characters and include your main keyword.
• H1 heading: your page’s main headline should be clear, engaging and include your primary keyword naturally.
• URL structure: keep URLs short, readable, and keyword-rich.
• First 100 words: Google gives more weight to the start of your content, so mention your keyword early while keeping it natural.
• Throughout the content: use variations of your keyword naturally but avoid keyword stuffing.
• Image alt text: search engines can’t “see” images, so describe them using keywords in image alt text to improve accessibility and rankings.

8. Write for your audience

SEO isn’t just about ranking. It’s about attracting the right audience and keeping them engaged.

Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) framework rewards content that genuinely helps users. For small businesses, this means understanding what your customers are searching for and creating high-quality, user-first content that answers their questions.

Before writing, analyse the search engine results page (SERP) for your target keywords. What types of content rank? Are they blog posts, product pages or local listings? This tells you what Google thinks users want – and what you need to create.

How to align your content with your audience’s needs:

• Research intent: are users looking for information, comparisons, or to buy? Match your content accordingly.
• Study competitors: see what top-ranking businesses are doing well and find gaps you can fill.
• Speak your customers’ language: scan reviews, forums and social media to learn how your audience talks about your industry.

9. Get your linking right

Internal links and backlinks are the dynamic duo of SEO, especially for small businesses looking to compete with the big players.

Internal links help search engines understand the structure of your site, guiding visitors (and Google) to your most important pages. Think of them as signposts that keep users engaged and exploring your content longer, boosting your chances of conversions.

Meanwhile, backlinks act like digital word-of-mouth, signalling to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. The more high-quality sites linking to you, the higher your rankings climb.

There are a few things you can do to earn more backlinks:

• Conduct research, such as a survey, that’s relevant to your industry, and outreach the results to websites that may want to share it (with a link back to you as the source).
• Create resources like guides, templates, graphics, and tools that other websites will want to link to.
• Offer to write guest posts for other websites that will contain a link to your site
• Look out for websites that have already mentioned your brand without linking (using Google Alerts, for example), and ask them to insert a link.

10. Optimise for AI

With AI-powered search engines and chatbots answering more queries, small businesses need to optimise their content and consider AI marketing to stay visible.

AI tools pull information from authoritative, well-structured sources, so if you want to appear in AI overviews and chatbot responses, your website needs to be clear, credible and context-rich.

How to optimise for AI search & chatbots

• Use conversational keywords: AI-driven search relies on natural language. Optimise for long-tail, question-based phrases like “What’s the best bakery in Manchester?” instead of just “Manchester bakery.”
• Provide clear, structured answers: AI favours easy-to-digest content. Use bullet points, FAQs and concise, well-formatted information that AI can quickly scan.
• Optimise for featured snippets: AI often pulls from featured snippets, so structure content to directly answer common customer questions.
• Strengthen your local SEO: AI chatbots prioritise up-to-date Google Business Profiles, local keywords and positive reviews.

11. Optimise social profiles

Your social media profiles aren’t just for engagement, they’re a powerful tool for boosting your SEO.

Search engines index social pages, meaning a well-optimised profile can help your business appear in more search results. A clear, keyword-rich business description, high-quality images and a direct link to your website all contribute to better visibility.

For small businesses, this can be a game-changer, driving more organic traffic and potential customers to your site.

Keep your business information consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to SEO. Use the same business name, contact details and branding across all social platforms. This builds trust and makes it easier for customers (and search engines) to recognise your business. Inconsistent information can create confusion and harm your credibility.

Post regularly and engage with followers

An unused social media profile won’t do much for SEO. Regularly posting valuable content, responding to comments and encouraging customer reviews all signal to search engines that your business is active and relevant.

Engaging with your audience also increases the chances of your content being shared, which can lead to more backlinks and visibility.

12. Monitor your success

SEO isn’t something you do once and then forget about; it’s a long-term strategy that needs regular check-ins to see what’s working and what’s not.

For small businesses, tracking your SEO success means making sure your efforts are actually bringing in more website visitors, leads and sales.

But how do you measure SEO success, and what happens if something goes wrong?

• Organic traffic: check how many visitors are coming to your site from search engines. If this number is growing, you’re on the right track!
• Keyword rankings: are your target keywords moving up in search results? This tells you if your content and optimisation efforts are working.
• Click-through rate (CTR): if people are seeing your pages in search results but not clicking, you may need to tweak your meta titles and descriptions to make them more appealing.
• Bounce rate and time on site: if visitors leave quickly, your content might not be what they expected. Engaging, relevant content keeps them around longer.
• Conversions: more traffic is great, but is it leading to sales, sign-ups or inquiries? Tracking conversions helps you measure real business impact.

How much does SEO cost for a small business?

The cost of SEO for small businesses in the UK varies depending on factors like the keywords you want to target, the size of your website and whether you work with a digital agency, freelancer or decide to do it yourself.

On average, UK small businesses can expect to pay:

• DIY SEO (£0-£80 per month): if you have time to learn, you can handle SEO yourself using free or low-cost tools for keyword research, website audits and tracking rankings.
• Freelancer SEO Services (£400-£1,500 per month): hiring an independent SEO expert is a more affordable option than agencies. They can help with audits, keyword optimisation and content creation.
• SEO agencies (£1,200-£4,000 per month): agencies offer a full range of services, from content and link-building to technical fixes and local SEO.
• One-off SEO audit (£400-£4,000): a one-time audit provides an in-depth analysis of your website’s SEO health, highlighting technical issues and improvement opportunities. This is useful for businesses looking to refine their strategy before committing to ongoing SEO. The cost of this will usually depend on the size and complexity of your website.

These costs typically cover keyword research, content creation, on-page optimisation, technical SEO, link building and local SEO like optimising your Google Business Profile.

SEO handbook: roundup

If you’re a small business owner then mastering SEO is one of the smartest ways to attract customers, boost brand visibility and drive long-term growth.

By focusing on tasks such as keyword research, on-page optimisation and creating quality content, you can improve your rankings without breaking the bank.

Now that you have these SEO optimisation tips under your belt, it’s time to take action. With the right strategy, SEO will work for you, helping you promote your business and grow your customer base.