SEO is one of those terms people love to throw around. “You need SEO,” they say — as if it’s a magic switch you forgot to flip.

But what actually is SEO? And do small businesses really need to worry about it?

Let’s cut through the fluff and get to the point.

🟡 SEO, in plain English

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It’s the practice of improving your website so that it shows up in Google (and other search engines) when people search for things related to your business.

Think of it this way: if someone types “solar panel installer Liverpool” into Google — is your business showing up, or is it buried five pages deep?

🔍 What SEO isn’t

  • It’s not instant.
  • It’s not just stuffing keywords into paragraphs.
  • It’s not something you “do once and forget.”

SEO is a long game — and it’s not about tricking Google. It’s about making your content useful, clear, and technically sound, so it’s easy for search engines and humans to understand.

✅ What business owners should focus on

If you’re running a small business, here are the three most important areas of SEO to worry about:

1. Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

These are what show up in search results. Make them clear, compelling, and unique to each page.

2. Content That Answers Questions

Your homepage, services, and blog posts should speak directly to what people are searching for. If someone Googles “how to choose a web designer,” a well-written blog post from you could bring them in.

3. Fast, Mobile-Friendly Pages

Google loves clean code and fast load times. So do your visitors. A slow or clunky site will get penalised and frustrate users.

💡 Bonus: How I handle SEO at Two Bears

I bake SEO into every build by default. That includes:

  • Clean, semantic Webflow code
  • Optimised page titles and image alt text
  • Structured content that’s easy to crawl
  • Blog CMS with category and keyword structure
  • Basic keyword research and post-planning advice

It’s not about hacks — it’s about clarity, consistency, and a site that’s built to grow with you.

Final Word

SEO isn’t scary. It’s just about helping the right people find you — and giving them what they need once they land on your site.

If that sounds like something you need help with, get in touch.
I can help you put the basics in place — and build a site that doesn’t just exist, but gets found.

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