What does SEO management actually involve for a small business?
"SEO management" shows up on a lot of invoices without much explanation. Here's what it covers in plain English, what changes month to month, and what no honest agency will promise you.
What SEO actually is
Google's own definition is that SEO is "about helping search engines understand your content, and helping users find your site and make a decision about whether they should visit your site through a search engine." For a trades business, that mostly means showing up when someone local searches for what you do, and giving them a reason to click and call.
The parts of the work
- On-page SEO. Making each page clear about what it offers and where: the title and description that show in Google, the headings, and service pages that match what people search for.
- Keywords. Finding the phrases your customers really type, like "boiler repair Carlisle" instead of "heating solutions", and making sure a page on your site answers each one.
- Local SEO. Your Google Business Profile, your reviews, and keeping your name, service area and phone number the same everywhere they appear online.
- Technical SEO. The things underneath: page speed, how the site works on phones, broken links, and making sure Google can read every page.
- Content. New pages and posts that answer customer questions, like this one.
How that maps to our packages
- Starter: SEO management covering on-page work and keywords, Google Business Profile set up the right way, and a monthly performance snapshot.
- Growth: SEO expanded to local SEO plus reporting, ongoing Google Business Profile management, and a monthly performance report.
- Premium: full SEO covering technical, local and content work, plus a quarterly strategy call and report.
What happens month to month
The first month is mostly groundwork: checking what's already there, fixing the obvious problems and agreeing which searches matter most to your business. After that it's steady work: tuning pages, adding content, looking after your profile and reviews, and reporting back on what has changed.
How long before it works?
In Google's words: "Some changes might take effect in a few hours, others could take several months." SEO builds up over time. It isn't instant, and anyone promising overnight results is guessing.
"There are no secrets here that'll automatically rank your site first in Google." That's from Google's own SEO Starter Guide.
Red flags to watch for
- Guaranteed number-one rankings. Nobody can promise that.
- "Secret" methods nobody will explain.
- Reports full of numbers that never mention calls or enquiries.
- Advice to stuff town names and keywords into your business name. Google's guidelines don't allow it, and it can get your profile suspended.
Not sure what your site needs?
Every package includes SEO, from on-page basics in Starter to full technical, local and content SEO in Premium.
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