Search engine optimization sounds technical, but the foundations are about making useful pages that search engines can find and understand.
At a glance
- Search engines discover pages, try to understand them and then rank them for searches; good SEO helps with all three.
- Google’s Search Essentials emphasize helpful, reliable content written for people, not for search engines.
- Give every page a unique, descriptive title and meta description so searchers know what they’ll find.
- Set up Google Search Console to see how your site appears in search and spot problems.
- Be wary of anyone promising guaranteed rankings; no one can guarantee a top position in Google.
For a small business, showing up when people search for what you offer can be worth more than any ad. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the work of helping search engines find your pages, understand them and show them to the right people. You don’t need to be technical to get the foundations right.
How search works, briefly
Search engines do three main things:
- Crawling: automated programs discover pages by following links and reading sitemaps.
- Indexing: the search engine tries to understand what each page is about and stores it.
- Ranking: when someone searches, the engine chooses which pages best answer the query.
Most SEO work aims to make each of these easier for your site.
Start with content for people
Google’s Search Essentials describe the core practices for appearing in Google Search. Among them: create helpful, reliable, people-first content. In practice, that means:
- Answer the questions your customers actually ask, in the words they use.
- Show what makes you trustworthy: clear contact details, real examples of your work, accurate information.
- Keep pages up to date, especially prices, hours and services.
- Avoid thin or copied content, such as dozens of near-identical pages for each town you serve.
Get the basics on every page
- Unique titles and meta descriptions. Google’s guidance notes that a clear, unique title and description for each page helps people understand how it relates to their search. Our guide to title tags and meta descriptions goes into detail.
- Descriptive headings that make the page easy to scan.
- Descriptive link text, such as “see our wedding cake prices” rather than “click here.”
- Alt text for images that describes what’s in them.
- A fast, mobile-friendly site, since many customers search on phones.
Try this
Write down the 10 questions customers ask you most often, by phone, email or in person. Each one is a candidate for a page or a section on your site.
Set up Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that shows how your site performs in Google Search: which searches show your pages, how often people click and whether Google has trouble crawling or indexing your site. Verify your site, submit your sitemap and check it monthly. Our guide to measuring marketing results explains the key numbers.
Local businesses: start with your profile
If you serve customers in a specific area, your Google Business Profile can matter as much as your website. Our guide to local SEO covers setting it up and earning genuine reviews.
Watch out for SEO promises
No one can guarantee a top ranking in Google. Be cautious with anyone who promises fast, guaranteed results, offers to buy links in bulk or suggests hiding text or keywords on your pages. Tactics like these can backfire and lead to your site being ranked lower or removed from search results.
Questions readers ask
How long does SEO take to work?
It varies. New pages can take time to be crawled and indexed, and improvements in rankings often build over months. SEO is a long-term investment rather than a quick switch.
Do I need to hire an SEO agency?
Not necessarily. Many small businesses handle the basics themselves. If you hire help, ask for clear explanations of what they’ll do, and avoid anyone who promises guaranteed rankings or uses tactics that break search engine guidelines.
Does social media affect SEO?
Social media can bring visitors and attention to your content, which may lead to links and searches, but it isn’t a substitute for useful pages on your own site.
Should I worry about Bing and other search engines?
The same basics, such as useful content, clear titles and a crawlable site, help across search engines. Bing has its own webmaster tools if you want to monitor your site there too.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Platform rules and CASL guidance change, so check Google’s documentation and the CRTC’s guidance before you rely on it.