SEO Guide: Getting Found on Google — A Self-Serve Toolkit for Small Businesses

Get found by the people already looking for you.

Description

Someone typing emergency plumber Halifax has already told you exactly what they want. They aren't being interrupted or advertised to — they have a problem, and they're choosing from whoever appears. That's an unusually good position for a small business to be in, because it doesn't require you to outspend anyone.

This toolkit explains how to get there, in language you'd actually use. No jargon, no assumed knowledge, and no pretending it happens in a fortnight.

It covers how search actually works, how to find the phrases worth competing for, the on-page work that costs nothing but attention, local SEO (usually where your fastest wins are), the technical basics and what to ask a developer for, and how to build content that earns rankings rather than filling space.

It's honest about the parts most people sell badly. Links are the least urgent thing for most local businesses, not the most. Ranking first for a phrase nobody searches is worthless. And if you need customers this month to make payroll, SEO is the wrong tool — the guide says so, and tells you what to do instead.

What's inside

• How search actually works — crawling, indexing and ranking, without the jargon
• The six building blocks, and how to split your effort between them
• Finding keywords worth competing for, and judging whether you can win
• On-page work: titles, headings, images, internal links
• Local SEO and the business profile most competitors never finish
• Technical foundations, and exactly what to ask your developer for
  Ten quick wins, ranked by return for the effort involved
• A self-audit with a scorecard
• A 90-day plan broken into weekly actions
• A check-in quiz to retake in three months
• Five printable worksheets and a full glossary

Who it's for

Owners who know they should be more visible in search but have been put off by the jargon or burned by an agency. No technical background needed. Around two hours for a first pass, then work at your own pace.

Who it's not for

If nobody can find you and you need work this month, start with the Digital Marketing Campaigns toolkit instead. SEO is a three-to-six month proposition and this guide won't pretend otherwise.