A 5 Step SEO Guide
If you own and/or run a small business in Sussex and have a website, SEO is essential. The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to spend thousands of pounds each month to see results. For me, part of SEO’s charm is that improvements don’t often happen quickly. Yes, that can be frustrating but if you want to go from the bottom to the top of page 1 of Google after 1 day, SEO isn’t for you and you can probably stop reading this blog here. It can take time to see improvements, but this also gives businesses more time to consider what changes to make and review results in a calm and composed way, before making the next move.
What is SEO?
The answer to this used to be a lot simpler. Search Engine Optimisation – Getting users and customers to click on the link for your website because your business appears at the top or near the top of search results, without paying for the top spot with a huge ad spend. These days, it’s got a bit more complicated with AI and the changes to the way search engines find and use your information, but it’s essentially still the same concept, having a decent website that enables customers to find you and buy from you. Whether it’s SEO, GEO or AEO, if you’re not visible to the technology you won’t be visible to your customers either.
Why do we concentrate on Google?
You’re right, Google is not the only search engine out there. But, it is by a mile, the best used one. Google has over 3 billion searches per month and in the UK accounts for approx. 93% of searches compared to Bing which is about 4% (Statcounter data). Plus, although not exactly the same, similar principles apply to ranking practices for the other search engines. For more info about the UK, Ofcom has a data filled article about online trends in 2025.
In this blog I hope to give you more information about how to do SEO for your small business in 5 steps, in a way that’s practical, realistic, and focused on getting you more leads.
Step 1) Know what your customers/clients/patients are looking for
This will be different depending the stage customers are at in the decision making process. I always like to do some keyword research for my clients and depending on the package you’re on the amount of time allocated for this will vary. I’m afraid anecdotal evidence isn’t enough. Just because 1 customer 3 months ago said they found you on Google, doesn’t mean everyone can.
- Focus on location – does your website say where you are? Often customers want something local. Also, the settings in Google are often pre-set to show local companies to serve more relevant results to users.
- Are customers trying to solve a problem? E.g who to call for a broken window. They might search this first so do you appear in results?
- If customer know what they are looking for and have ‘high-intent’ they’ll be closer to buying. In this case the search changes from problem to provider. In this example it now becomes ‘urgent glazier appointments Chichester’.
Step 2) How to know what keywords to use and what to do with them
There are loads of tools you can use, and many SEOs do, but some are paid for. Here are a few free ones to try though:
- Google autocomplete – see what lists of alternatives come up
- Google trends – can be really useful for seeing how much demand there is
- Also Asked – gives keyword ideas
Now you need to make sure keywords are on your website and in the right places. For some website providers, especially those used by small businesses, you may not have all the control you need to manage these. If not, it’s worth checking with your developer or website builder to see if the changes you want to make can be done.
In an ideal world though, here are the key elements to optimise:
- Page title (include keyword + location)
- Headings. Not just the visual headings and sub-headings on the page, but the ‘labels’ given in the backend of the website to the elements on the page i.e H1, H2 etc.
- Meta description
- URL – if your website is built and the page exists already then try not to edit the URL without checking with an expert. The perfect time to optimise a url is before it goes live.
- Content (clear, helpful, using language your customers, clients or patients would use)
Step 3) Your Google Business Profile – the ‘digital shopfront’
Some people now say your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often more important than your actual website. I’m not totally sure on that one, but it does feed what appears in Google Maps and the “Local Pack.” Although for many it’s not considered a social media platform like Facebook or LinkedIn so it can be overlooked, but Google now prioritises profiles that show “signs of life” so regular posts and updates are encouraged. Things to include:
- Correct (primary) business category
- Ensure name, address and phone number match what’s on your website
- Include keywords/phrases in the description
- Add services
- Use high-quality photos
- Opening days/times
NB: More recently GBP has made it more difficult to verify your account. Be prepared to record a video of your business to jump through this hoop. If you don’t have a physical shop or place of work you may still need to show things like business cards, headed paper or door address.
Step 4) (Google) Reviews and testimonials
Social proof that you do a good job is always a winner. And Google love them too. Once your Google Business Profile is set up and verified, share the link to your reviews section with previous clients, customers or patients and ask them for feedback on their experience. Obviously, the more 5*s you get, the better.
Occasionally there have been instances where you might receive a bogus review, from some you have never heard of. If this happens you can report it to Google and ask it to be removed. This doesn’t always work though and there can be a time delay even if it does. In this case you can reply nicely to the review explaining in a professional manner that you don’t have a record of them being a customer.
Step 5) Data – Track what’s working (and what’s not)
SEO isn’t guesswork, you need data to drive decision making.
Again, there are paid tools and software you can invest in, but in the very least you should have:
What data you track and look at, to a certain extent, depends on your business. What data you track and look at will also have changed in the last 2 years or so. With the retirement of Universal Analytics (in 2024) and improvements to GA4 there are slightly different metrics to keep an eye on. Also with the growth of AI use, changes to search behaviour are affecting the data. Although site traffic is still available, it’s not the be all and end all now. Some customers won’t even visit your website because AI tells them what they want to know.
GA4 and GSC can give you key business insights though, such as engagement, acquisition and keywords. Focus on what brings results, not just website visits.
Summary
It goes without saying that there is a lot more to SEO than just these 5 steps (but I’m just saying!), such as page speeds, blogs and digital PR, but hopefully these are a good reference for businesses not knowing where to start.
If you’re not sure whether your business is appearing at it’s best online and are looking for SEO support for your small business in or near West Sussex, then message me today and we can discuss how I can help.
