If you run a small or local business, chances are you’ve heard of SEO, but it probably feels like something for bigger companies with deep pockets and marketing teams.
I see it all the time: business owners assume SEO is too expensive or too technical, so they do nothing at all.
But here’s the truth: doing nothing can quietly cost you more than you think. When the basics are missing, your website isn’t just underperforming, it might not even be showing up.
Here’s a typical example.
A local tradesman gets in touch after running his website for several months. It looks sharp, clean layout, good photos, clear services. But he’s not getting enquiries.
A quick SEO check shows:
No proper page titles or descriptions
Missing location references
Images with no alt text
A homepage that just says “Home” in the browser tab
This is common. In fact, a 2023 study by BrightLocal found that only 37% of small businesses feel confident in their local SEO setup, and fewer still have the technical parts properly in place.
And it’s not about doing anything wrong, it’s simply that SEO wasn’t part of the plan when the site was built.
I’m not talking about complex link-building or deep content audits. The basics are the essential foundations that help Google and other search engines understand:
Who you are
What you offer
Where you’re based
And why your website is worth showing to searchers
Here’s what that includes:
Each page should have a descriptive title like “Electrician in Fareham, XYZ Electrical” instead of just “Home” or “Welcome”.
These are the short blurbs under your site title in Google. They don’t affect rankings directly, but they help persuade someone to click, and that does matter.
Proper heading structure helps both users and search engines make sense of the page. Skipping these is like writing a book with no chapter titles.
These help with accessibility and tell Google what the image is about, especially helpful for local SEO when images show your location or service.
According to Google, over 60% of searches come from mobile devices. If your site doesn’t load well on a phone, people (and Google) won’t stick around.
If you serve a specific town or area, make sure your content says so. If Google can’t tell where you operate, it won’t include you in relevant local results.
You don’t need to rank nationally. You just need to show up for the people nearby who are searching for what you offer.
Let’s say someone Googles “web designer in Hampshire”. If your website doesn’t have that phrase anywhere — and your competitors’ do — they’re going to show up, not you.
The more relevant and local your website appears, the more likely it is to feature in results. This isn’t guesswork, Google’s own documentation on local results confirms that relevance, distance, and prominence are major factors in what gets shown.
There’s a myth that SEO is only worth doing if you’re a national brand or a large ecommerce store.
In reality, the opposite is often true.
Small, local businesses often have the most to gain by doing the basics properly, because so many others don’t.
That means the bar to outperform them isn’t as high as you might think.
In fact, Backlinko‘s 2023 local SEO analysis showed that properly-optimised title tags and local keywords are among the top on-page factors influencing local rankings — ahead of backlinks or long-form content.
The good news? You don’t need to throw thousands at this. You just need to get the essentials sorted. Here’s where I recommend starting:
Let someone (like me!) review your site with fresh eyes and spot what’s missing.
Update your titles, headings, and image alt text. These are low-effort, high-impact changes.
Make sure it’s included naturally in your homepage, contact page, and service content.
Claim your Google Business Profile, add your address, photos, services, and collect reviews.
Link between relevant pages on your site using descriptive anchor text. Google sees that structure.
Your website doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be clear.
Getting the SEO basics in place gives your site the best chance of doing what it’s meant to do, help people find you, and get in touch.
If you’re not sure what shape your site is in, drop me a line. I’ll take a look and give you some straight advice, no jargon or pressure.
