SEO stands for search engine optimisation, which is a fancy way of saying “getting found on Google”. If you’ve ever searched for a plumber, a cafe, or a solicitor near you, SEO is the reason some businesses show up first and others don’t.
Here’s how it works, in plain English.
Why some businesses show up and others don’t
When you type something into Google, it decides which pages to show based on a few things:
- Relevance. Does the page match what you searched for?
- Trust. Do other websites link to it? Does it look credible?
- Speed and experience. Does the page load fast and work on a phone?
- Location. For “near me” searches, how close is the business?
SEO is the work of making your website tick those boxes, so Google feels confident putting you in front of the right people.
The three parts of SEO
1. On-page. Getting your own pages right: clear headings, useful content, the words your customers actually search for, and fast loading. This is the foundation, and it’s the biggest quick win for most small businesses.
2. Local. If your customers are nearby, this is gold. It’s about your Google Business Profile, your reviews, and making sure “web design in Manchester” (or whatever you do, wherever you are) points at you.
3. Off-page. Other trustworthy websites linking to yours. This takes longer and builds over time.
How long does it take?
This is the part people don’t want to hear: SEO is a slow burn. You’ll usually see movement within a few months, and it builds from there. Anyone promising to get you to the top of Google overnight is not being straight with you.
The upside is that once you’re ranking, that traffic is free. Unlike ads, you don’t pay per click. It keeps working while you sleep.
Three things you can do today
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It’s free, and it’s the single biggest lever for local searches.
- Ask happy customers for reviews. They help you rank and they help people choose you.
- Make sure your website loads fast on a phone. Google cares, and so do your customers.
When it’s worth paying for help
If you’re in a competitive area or you just don’t have the time, professional SEO pays for itself by bringing in customers who are already searching for what you do. Good SEO isn’t smoke and mirrors. You should always understand what’s being done and what it’s achieving.
At Inspired Studios we build every website to be found on Google, and we offer local SEO with plain-English monthly reports. If you want to show up when nearby customers search, talk to us.
