A practical small-business SEO foundation

SEO advice is often written for large sites with large teams. A small business needs a foundation it can actually maintain. Here is one.

Get the technical basics right once

• One version of your site (www or non-www, HTTPS) with the other redirecting.
• Every important page reachable within two or three clicks from the homepage.
• Fast pages — compressed images, no bloated plugins.
• A sitemap submitted in Google Search Console.

One page per thing you sell

A single "services" page that lists everything rarely ranks for anything. Give each core service its own page that explains the problem, the process, who it is for, and how to enquire. Write for a person, not for a keyword list.

Match the words people use

Look at how customers describe their problem in emails and calls. Those phrases belong in your headings. Search Console will show you which queries already bring impressions — start there.

Local signals if you are local

Keep your Google Business Profile accurate and active, make sure your address and phone match everywhere, and ask real customers for reviews with a simple, consistent process.

Internal links are free

Link from articles to service pages and from service pages to related services. Use descriptive anchor text. This helps visitors and search engines understand what matters.

Publish less, but useful

One well-answered question a month beats four thin posts. Answer what customers actually ask before they buy.

Measure what matters

Track enquiries and calls from organic search, not just sessions. SEO takes months; the measure of progress is more of the right visitors doing the right thing.