When you search for something like "phone repair near me" on your phone, Google chooses which businesses to show you first. Getting to the top of these search results is important because it helps more customers find your business. Google looks at two main things to decide if it can trust your business:
- Local information: Proof that you're a real business in the area and that you're open for customers
- Trusted websites linking to you: When other good websites mention your business, it shows Google that you're reliable
If you can get these two things right, you'll be doing better than many other businesses. Want to be even more successful? You'll need:
- Ways to quickly build trust
- A method to track how well you're doing
- A simple 3-month plan to follow
Let's look at how to do all of this.
Showing Google You're a Local Business
Think of your business online like a physical store. Having missing or incorrect information on Google is like having a store with no sign and a locked door - people can't find you! When you fill out your Google Business Profile correctly and keep your contact information organized, you show both Google and potential customers that you're a real local business. This helps them understand exactly where you are, when you're open, and that you're here to serve people in the neighborhood.
How To Make Google Show Your Website/Business
Start by making your business profile complete.
Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are written exactly the same way everywhere online. Add clear, recent photos showing your storefront, inside your business, your team, and what you sell or do. Also check that all your business hours are correct, especially during holidays, so customers know exactly when you're open.
Write conversational FAQs
Write down the common questions customers ask when they call or search online. For example: "Can you fix my phone screen today?" or "Why did my phone screen go black?" For each question, write a brief, clear answer (keep it to about 40 words) and add it to your website. When you use simple, everyday language, your business is more likely to appear when people use voice search or ask questions on their phones. To find popular questions in your industry, try using the Answer The Public website.
Make your content voice-search friendly
Want your website to work with tools like Siri or Alexa? You can mark certain parts of your text as "speakable" using your website editor. This tells these tools which text they can read out loud. Focus on simple things like your business hours, prices, and a short description of what you do. If you get this right, when people ask their devices for local businesses, yours could be the one they hear about.
Get better reviews
When happy customers write reviews, ask them to mention what you did and where your business is located. For example: "Fixed my screen in Silver Lake in 30 minutes!" Google will highlight these specific details under your business listing. This helps you stand out and get more clicks, even if you're not at the very top of the search results.
Create location-specific pages
Make a simple web page for each area where you do business. For example, if you fix phones in Glendale, create a page titled "Same-Day Phone Repair in Glendale." Add a map showing how long it takes to drive there and include some pictures of your business in that area. This helps Google understand that you really work in these locations.
Make your website fast on phones.
Since most people search on their phones, your website needs to load quickly. To speed things up, make your pictures smaller, remove any website tools you don't use, and keep your pages simple. Google likes websites that load fast.
If you do these two things, you'll start seeing results within a few weeks. More people will find your business on Google Maps, and you'll hear customers say they found you through their phone searches. That's how you know it's working!
Backlinks: Getting Other Websites to Link to You
Getting other websites to link to yours is like getting recommendations from trusted friends. When well-known websites mention your business, Google sees this as a sign that you're trustworthy. For small local businesses, even just a few good links can help you rank better in search results.
Start in your local community
There are many simple ways to get links:
- Support a local kids' sports team or help clean up your neighborhood - they'll usually thank you with a link to your website
- Be a guest on a local podcast - they'll add your website link when they post the episode
- Share helpful tips with nearby businesses, like coffee shops, and trade website links with them
This works well because you're building real relationships in your community while also helping your website.
Create something worth sharing
Make something helpful that other websites will want to link to. For example:
- A simple checklist people can print
- A story about how you helped a customer
- A basic guide that solves a common problem
Put it on your website, and when others find it useful, they'll naturally link to it.
Remember: It's better to get one good link each month than lots of low-quality links all at once. This steady approach builds trust with Google and helps avoid any problems.
5 Simple SEO Tips That Work Right Away
Bold Review Text
When people see your business on Google Maps, they'll notice bold text snippets taken from your customer reviews. Ask your customers to mention what specific service you provided and how quickly you did it in their reviews. This helps your business stand out, even if you're not at the top of the search results.
Make Your Content Work with Voice Search
Add special labels to your most important information so devices like Siri and Alexa can read it out loud. Keep these sections short and simple - about 30 seconds when read aloud. Start with basic details like your business hours, prices, and a quick description of what you do.
Automatically Remove Old Content
When you keep outdated promotions and deals on your website, it can make your site look messy to Google. You can add a special setting that automatically hides old content after a certain date. This helps keep your website fresh and organized, which Google likes.
Create Detailed Topic Pages
Don't put all your services on one big page. Instead, make separate pages for each service you offer. For example, if you're a plumber, create different pages for pipe repairs, finding leaks, and fixing water heaters. Connect these pages to each other with links. This helps Google understand that you're an expert in your field.
Show Behind-the-Scenes Content
Take pictures or videos of your daily work, like baking bread early in the morning or giving a quick tour of your shop. These real, unpolished moments help people connect with your business. Google now shows this kind of authentic content in special sections of search results, helping new customers discover your business naturally.
3 Common SEO Myths That Stop Business Owners from Getting Started
Myth 1: "SEO is too hard for non-experts."
Most SEO success comes from simple things you're already doing: giving honest answers to customer questions, keeping your business information up-to-date, and showing examples of your good work. Special tools can help, but being clear, fast, and trustworthy matters most.
Myth 2: "I should just pay for ads instead of doing SEO."
Think of paid ads like a water tap - when you stop paying, the water stops flowing. But SEO is like digging a well - you do the work once, and it keeps giving you results for free. Smart business owners use both, but having SEO means you'll still get customers even when you can't spend money on ads.
Myth 3: "I need to write tons of blog posts."
Good content is better than lots of content. Ten helpful, well-written pages can bring in more customers than a hundred low-quality posts. Focus on quality over quantity.
How to Track Progress Without a Marketing Degree
- Website traffic
- Check Google Search Console once a month to see how many people find your website in search results. Compare this month with last month - if the numbers are going up, it means more people are seeing your business in Google searches.
- Customer sources
- When new customers contact you, ask them how they found your business. If more people say they found you through Google (like going from 5% to 20% of customers), it shows your SEO work is bringing in new business.
- Customer reviews
- Keep track of how many reviews you get and what words customers use in them. When you get more reviews that mention your services, Google is more likely to show your business to people.
- Sales growth
- Look at your monthly sales over time. SEO usually starts showing small results after 3 months, clear improvements after 6 months, and big results after that.
Your 3-Month SEO Plan
Month 1: Getting Started
First, make sure all your Google Business information is correct. Then, update your website's main pages (Home, Services, and Contact) to each focus on answering one important customer question. Also, make your website faster by making images smaller and removing any unused website tools.
Month 2: Building Trust
Ask five happy customers to write detailed reviews about your business - you can help them get started with an example. Write two simple how-to guides that answer common customer questions. Take some natural photos of your daily work and add them to both your website and Google Business profile.
Month 3: Growing Your Presence
Team up with another local business (like a coffee shop partnering with a bakery) and create content that links to both of your websites. Make one clear FAQ that voice assistants can read. Add expiration dates to any old promotional content. Look at Google Search Console to see what people are searching for, and create new pages about popular topics.
After these three months, you'll have: a verified Google profile, a faster website, genuine customer reviews, helpful content that works with voice search, at least one good link from another website, and data showing your progress. This is a strong foundation that puts you ahead of many other businesses.
SEO helps in more ways than just getting website visitors. When you look at what people search for online, you learn how real customers talk about your services. For example, a landscaper might find that people search for "water-saving garden ideas" much more than the technical term "xeriscaping." When you use simple, everyday words like your customers do, more people find and click on your website. This knowledge helps improve everything in your business - from your advertising to how you package your services and talk to customers.
Start Small: Easy Steps to Begin
Don't worry about doing everything at once. Just pick one simple task from this list to do this week:
- Ask a customer to write a review mentioning what you did and where you're located.
- Choose one frequently asked question (about 40 words) and mark it for voice search.
- Remove old promotional content from your website.
- Make a list of four main topics about your services to write about.
- Keep track of how many customers find you through Google.
These five simple steps are easy to do and help your website rank better on Google. Do them regularly, and within a few months, you'll see more visitors to your website, more interested customers, and better business results. It's not complicated - it's just about being consistent.