Search Engine Optimization

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of improving your website and online presence so that your pages appear higher in search engine results (like Google) when people search for keywords related to your business, products, or services.

Big Picture Explanation for Business Owners:
SEO isn’t about “tricking Google.” It’s about proving you’re the best answer for your customer.

When your website shows authority, relevance, trust, and strong performance, Google feels confident putting you at the top.

A simple SEO framework

SEO can feel complicated, but at its core, it comes down to five simple pillars. When your website shows authority, relevance, trust, strong performance, and clear location targeting, Google sees you as the best answer for your ideal customer.

Mastering these five areas ensures you not only show up online, but you show up in the right place, at the right time, for the right people.

1. Authority

Think of Google like a popularity contest. The more people talk about you and recommend you, the more important you look. In SEO, this means:

• Other websites linking to yours (backlinks)
• People mentioning your brand online
• Consistently publishing valuable content

Example for business owners: If your business is mentioned in local news, industry blogs, or directories, Google sees you as more “important” and is more likely to rank your site higher.

👉 Translation: The stronger your authority, the easier it is for your business to show up ahead of competitors.

2. Relevance

Google’s job is to show people the right result for their search. If someone types “plumber near me” and your website talks clearly about plumbing services in their area, you’re relevant.

Ways to show relevance:

• Using the right keywords (the way your customers actually search)
• Writing clear service pages that answer customer questions
• Keeping content focused and up-to-date

Example for business owners: If you own a bakery and your site has a page for “custom wedding cakes in Vancouver,” Google knows exactly who to send when someone searches for that.

👉 Translation: The more relevant your content, the more likely customers find you instead of your competitors.

3. Trust

Just like in real life, people buy from businesses they trust. Search engines look for trust signals too:

• Positive reviews across Google and other platforms
• Consistent business information (name, address, phone) everywhere online
• Secure website (HTTPS, no sketchy popups or errors)

Example for business owners: If your business has strong Google reviews, the same phone number everywhere online, and a secure website, Google feels confident showing you to customers.

👉 Translation: The more trust you build online, the more likely people (and Google) are to choose you.

4. Performance & Security

This is the behind-the-scenes technical stuff, but it matters a lot. Google wants websites that load fast, look good on mobile, and keep visitors safe.

Key factors:

• Page speed (slow websites lose customers and rankings)
• Mobile-friendliness
• Security (SSL certificates, malware-free, safe browsing)

Example for business owners: If your site takes 8 seconds to load, most customers leave before they even see your page. That tells Google your site is a bad result, so you drop in rankings.

👉 Translation: A fast, secure website = more visitors, better rankings, and happier customers.

5. Location

Google doesn’t just want to know what you do — it also wants to know where you do it. Your target location tells search engines which customers to connect you with:

• Local SEO: Winning in your city or region (e.g., “plumber in Phoenix”)
• National SEO: Competing across the whole country (e.g., “best payroll software USA”)
• Global SEO: Reaching customers worldwide (e.g., “cloud hosting provider”)

Example for business owners: If you run a restaurant in Vancouver, you don’t need to rank in Toronto. But if you sell products online, you might want to appear across Canada, or even worldwide.

👉 Translation: Defining your location focus makes sure your SEO budget goes toward winning where it matters most — not wasting energy where your customers aren’t.

Types of SEO

Local SEO

Focus: Getting found by people in a specific geographic area (e.g., “dentist near me” or “plumber in Vancouver”).

Key elements: Google Business Profile, local citations, local keywords, reviews, localized content,  link building.

Best for: Service businesses, brick-and-mortar shops, restaurants, healthcare providers anyone who serves a specific area.

National SEO

Focus: Ranking for keywords regardless of location. Aims to reach a wider or country-wide audience.

Key elements: Website content optimization, link building, technical SEO, authority building.

Best for: Online stores, software companies, blogs, national brands anyone targeting a broad audience.

Global SEO

Focus: Optimizing your site for different countries and languages.  

Includes everything in national SEO.

Key elements: Multilingual content, country-specific domains or subfolders, hreflang tags, local currency/pricing.

Best for: Companies selling globally or targeting different countries (e.g., an e-commerce brand shipping worldwide).

Goals of SEO

Increase website traffic
Attract more qualified visitors to your site through higher visibility in search engines.

Improve search rankings
Move your website higher up in search results for important keywords your audience is searching for.

Increase conversions
Turn more visitors into leads, calls, bookings, or sales by optimizing content and user experience.

Website performance
Make your website faster, more mobile-friendly, and easier to navigate improving both user experience and SEO.

Accessibility
Ensures your website text, links, buttons, images, and menus are easy see/read and use for all users, even those with disabilities and impairments.

Ranking Factors that Affect SEO

These are factors that you can directly influence through SEO.

Backlinks

Importance: High

Backlinks are links to your site from other good websites. They bring you traffic and are an important ranking factor.

• Quality and relevance matter more than quantity.
• High-quality backlinks improve your authority, which helps you rank higher.

Reviews

Importance: High

• Positive Google reviews directly influence your credibility and local ranking.
  
• The number of reviews, how often you get them, and the words people use all make a difference.
  
• Responding to reviews also signals activity and engagement to Google.

Citations

Importance: Medium

• Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on online directories and business listings.
  
• Consistency across all listings helps Google trust your information.
  
• Examples: Yelp, Yellow Pages, local business directories.

Google Business Page

Importance: High

• Essential for local SEO.
  
• Make sure your profile is complete, verified, and regularly updated.
  
• Use correct categories, keywords in your description, and upload high-quality photos.

SEO Health (On-page signals)

Importance: High

Your website itself is your foundation. Key aspects include:

Page speed & technical health: Check with tools like PageSpeed Insights and GT Metrix.

SEO technical issues: Fix errors like broken links, duplicate content, or missing metadata.

Content optimization: Use relevant keywords naturally, create quality content, and ensure easy readability.

Page titles & descriptions: Write clear, keyword-rich, and compelling titles and meta descriptions.

Content quality & structure: Maintain well-organized service pages, blog posts, and portfolio entries to support SEO and user experience.

SEO Campaigns

Any change to your website or online presence should be strategic and data-driven.

Always have a plan, based on:

• SEO site assessment
• Keyword and competitor research
• SEO best practices

Goals, deliverables, outcomes should be clear. Every SEO project starts with an SEO assessment and online research to determine exactly where you are vs your competition and what needs to be done.

SEO assessment include:

• Keyword position tracking (identify your current rankings)
• Website traffic analysis (how much traffic and from what sources)
• Conversion tracking (how many leads are you getting from website traffic)
• Ranking page size and quality analysis (your competitor ranking pages vs your target pages)
• Content analysis (are target pages 500 words or more and keyword optimized for your goals)
• Performance optimization opportunities (identify issues that impact your ranking- SEO errors)
• Google Business Page performance (complete profile, verified, using photos, correct categories and keywords)
• Reputation (count review total and overall rating vs competitors)
• Overall SEO health score (performance & security errors, general SEO errors)

Rationale for Changes

Changes must be information backed

No changes should be made without clear reasoning and evidence.

Example justifications:

“We found these keywords have good search volume and are easier to win. We will add a blog post on [specific keyword topic] to increase your relevance and improve rankings for these targeted keywords.”

“Your website needs more backlinks to improve your rankings, bring more traffic. We’ll start a backlink outreach campaign (guest posts, partnerships) to build authority and improve rankings over time.”

“We identified technical SEO issues (e.g., slow-loading pages or broken links) that we will fix to improve your site’s overall health and performance.”

Managing and Measuring Your SEO Campaign

Track Effectiveness

• Keyword rankings: Monitor where your important keywords are positioned in Google.
  
• Website traffic: Check how many visitors come to your site and which pages they visit most.
  
• Conversions: Measure how many visitors turn into leads, calls, bookings, or sales.
  
• Google Business Profile performance: Track views, actions (calls, website clicks), and map visibility.
  
• SEO health score: Regularly review technical issues, site speed, and content quality.

Set Clear Goals

• Define exactly what will be done (e.g., new blog posts, backlinks, page optimizations).
  
• Include expected outcomes, such as “increase in local keyword rankings” or “improved site load speed”.
  
• Agree on timelines and milestones so progress can be reviewed.

Use Data to Justify Changes

• Every update should be explained with a clear reason and expected benefit.
  
• Base decisions on audit results, keyword research, and competitor analysis.

Review and Adjust Regularly

• SEO is ongoing — track monthly or quarterly reports.
  
• Adjust strategies based on performance trends and new opportunities.

Summary

SEO is a long-term, evolving strategy. By tracking results, defining your goals clearly, and making data-driven changes, you ensure your site continues to improve, attract more qualified traffic, and convert visitors into loyal customers.