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Let's begin by understanding SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization. The goal of SEO is to optimize your website in such a way that it can be easily found by search engines. This means that when a potential customer searches for a product or service on their favorite search engine, your website will ideally appear near the top of the front page.

In the past, a few keywords and phrases were sufficient to get your website to the front page. However, SEO today involves much more than that. While everyone would love to be at the top of the front page of a search engine, achieving this nationally or globally can be challenging. It's worth asking yourself if you really want to be at the top of the front page nationally, as it can have other implications.

The average small business can get enough local business without needing to pay for Pay Per Click (PPC) ads. Organic growth, while taking longer, is possible to achieve and can help you reach the front page of any search engine.

Google is currently the top search engine in the world, processing over 8.5 billion searches per day. There are around 1.14 billion websites in the world, with 250,000 new websites being added every day.

While many small business owners don't have the time or inclination to learn about SEO, they may feel that it should be handled by an expert. However, unless you have some understanding of how SEO works, you may not know if you're being taken for a ride. It's not difficult to take advantage of people who don't have a basic understanding of SEO.

There are two ways to approach SEO. The first is to view it as an important part of your business and make an effort to understand how it works. You can then hire a third party to help you with your SEO while retaining some knowledge of the subject. The second approach is to believe that SEO is important simply because someone else told you it is. This is often the case with web designers who claim to be SEO experts.

Today, SEO is more about the content of the website than just using keywords. For example, if you're a plumber in Brighton, your website should mention on the front page that you're a plumber in Brighton. Google will then look for websites that mention "plumber in Brighton" in their content, title, heading, and even their social media profiles, and display them to searchers looking for plumbers in the Brighton area.

In my opinion, there are only two ways to get on the front page of Google. The first is to pay for it, which will get you on the front page but is a short-term solution. The second is organic growth, which takes longer but is sustainable as long as your content is relevant to your business.

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Website

"Why should you have a website?" you might ask. Absolutely, you should! I often come across people who don't have one and wonder why not. A website isn't just about selling products; it can also be a platform for providing information, advice, and assistance. It's a marketing tool that allows you to promote your business, services, and products. Furthermore, it's an excellent way for people to get to know your company and what you do.

However, some may find the idea of creating a website daunting. They may think it requires a domain name, an email address, a website designer, and content creators. Although this may seem overwhelming, there are many online resources, such as YouTube videos or Google, to guide you through the process of purchasing a domain name and building a website.

In fact, many companies, like Godaddy, Shopify, and Squarespace, offer platforms to help you create your own website with ease. While having a website can be time-consuming and require some effort to learn, it doesn't have to break the bank. You can learn the basics as you go and at your own pace.

Having a website is crucial because it provides credibility and authenticity to your business. Your customers can see that you exist, they can contact you, and they can explore your products and services. They can assess your grammar, writing style, and content to decide whether they want to do business with you. Essentially, they window-shop on your website.

So, while you may not want to become an expert in domain names or website building, it's important to learn the basics. Ignorance can cost you dearly. I know of companies that paid thousands of pounds to have their website designed, built, hosted, and managed because they didn't know what they were doing. So, trust me when I say that a little learning can save you a lot of money in the long run.