If you’ve ever typed something into Google and clicked on one of the top links without even thinking about it, then you’ve already seen SEO in action.
But what is SEO exactly? In short, it’s how businesses are seen online by the people who are actually looking for them. It’s not about conning Google; it’s about providing genuinely useful information to match the intent of searchers.
Whether you’re running a local shop, building a service-based business, or growing your team, if you want people to find you online, SEO is a huge part of the picture – and should, accordingly, form a large part of your digital marketing approach.
The way people search for businesses has completely changed over the last two decades. We ask Google everything. Where to eat. Who to hire. What to buy. If your business isn’t showing up where your customers are looking, then someone else is.
Here’s a quick stat that packs a punch: more than two-thirds of clicks go to the top three results on Google. That’s where the action is, and is exactly why SEO deserves your attention.
This guide is here to cut through the noise and provide a clear, simple way to understand how SEO works and what it can achieve for your business. No jargon. No fluff. Just honest advice, real examples, and steps you can take, whether you’re doing it yourself or are considering bringing in some expert help.
Looking for something in particular? Jump to one of the following sections:
What does SEO stand for?
Alright, let’s strip it back. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. Basically, it’s the process of making your website easy to find (and love) by both people and search engines.
You don’t need to know the inner workings of Google’s brain, but a quick behind the scenes look helps…
So, how does it all work?
Search engines are like massive librarians for the internet. They ‘crawl’ (which just means scan) your site, figure out what’s on each page, and place it into their giant index. Then, when someone types in a search, they go digging through said index to find the most relevant, trustworthy and helpful pages to show up at the top.
That’s where SEO comes in; it helps your website tick those boxes so you can land in the right place at the right time.
Organic vs paid search: what is the difference?
When you Google something, you’ll usually see a mix of ads and regular listings. The ads – usually marked with a small ‘Sponsored’ label – are part of ‘paid search’. Essentially, businesses have paid to appear near the top of the page.
Below that, and sometimes above, you’ll usually see a mix of ads and regular listings. That’s where SEO kicks in. These rankings aren’t paid for, they’re earned by having a strong, helpful and well-optimised website that search engines know they can trust.
SEO can help you show up organically in search results, where your potential customers are already looking. No cold calls. No hard sell, just the right content in the right place, doing all the talking for your business.
Paid search (PPC) can give you an instant boost to the top of the page, but it comes at a cost. You pay for every click, and the costs can start to add up quite quickly, especially in competitive markets.
In reality, a mix of both often works best. PPC gives you that quick boost when you need to be seen now, while SEO quietly does the long term legwork in the background, helping you to show up consistently without racking up ad spend.
What are the core elements of SEO?
SEO can feel like a maze when you’re first looking at it. Here’s what really matters when it comes to getting your business seen.
On-page SEO ✍️
Everything that lives on your actual website.
This is all the stuff you can control directly, the words you write, the pages you build, and how you guide people and search engines around your website.
Here’s what to focus on:
• Keywords: What are people actually typing into Google to find businesses similar to yours?
• Content: Clear, helpful, easy-to-read info. Think blogs, FAQs, service pages, anything that helps your visitors.
• Page titles & meta descriptions: These are the snippets that show up in search results, so it is super important to make them count.
• Headings: Break up your content properly, (H1s, H2s etc). It helps with readability and SEO.
• Image alt text: Describe your images so search engines (and screen readers) know what they’re about.
• Internal links: Link to other pages on your own site to keep visitors moving and help Google to map things out.
Off-Page SEO 📖
Things that happen elsewhere on the internet.
This one’s a bit more indirect, but it’s just as important. Search engines want to see that other people trust you, that you have got credibility.
Key things here:
• Backlinks: These are links from other websites pointing to yours. The more trustworthy the source, the better.
• Mentions & press: Getting featured in local news, blogs, or even business directories helps build authority.
• Social media & shares: Whilst social signals don’t directly boost your rankings, they do help to drive traffic and brand awareness.
Basically, it’s about building up your business’s reputation beyond your own website.
Technical SEO ⚙️
The behind the scenes magic
These factors are not always visible to the average user, but they can massively impact how your website performs in the SERPs (search engine results pages).
Things to keep an eye on:
• Site speed: If your site takes ages to load, people leave. Google notices this.
• Mobile friendliness: Your site needs to work smoothly on phones and tablets.
• Secure connection (HTTPS): This is a trust signal for users and Google.
• Clean URLs: Simple, readable web addresses are better for everyone.
• Fixing errors: Broken links, missing pages or dodgy redirects? It’s important to have those sorted.
• Crawlability: Making sure search engines can navigate your site properly and index your pages sufficiently.
Local SEO 📍
If you’ve got a shop, office, or work in specific locations, this one is for you.
Local SEO helps your business show up in location-based searches (like “architects near me” or “cafés in Leeds”).
Here’s how to make an impact:
• Google Business Profile: Claim it, fill it in, and keep it updated.
• Consistent NAP info: Your Name, Address, and Phone number should be the same everywhere online.
• Reviews: Positive customer feedback boosts your credibility and shows up in search.
• Local directories & citations: Think Yelp, Yell, and relevant industry-specific platforms.
Phew, we know, sounds like a lot. But funnily enough, what you’ve just read is really the bare bones. Those four pillars? That’s the basic structure of SEO for any website. Once you’ve got your head around them, everything else starts to slot into place.
And hey, if all this feels a bit overwhelming or you’re thinking, “I’d love someone who actually knows what they’re doing to handle this…” we get it, SEO takes time, consistency, and a bit of know-how.
If you’re curious about working with people who genuinely care about helping your business grow, check out the SEO section of our website to see how we can support your site’s growth organically. We’re always up for a chat and happy to talk through what’s possible.
Curious what Local SEO could do for your business?
Kickstart your SEO strategy with a free, friendly chat.
How to measure SEO success
So, how do you actually know if your SEO is working? It’s a fair question, after all there is no flashing neon sign that says “congrats, you’ve done it!” (sadly). But there are a few signs that tell you you’re on the right track.
Keyword rankings (but don’t get too obsessed)
Yes, rankings matter. A ranking is simply the position your website appears in the search results when someone types in a particular word or phrase on their chosen search engine. So, if you’re number one for “bespoke fireplaces” for example, you’re the first listing people see when they search it. But remember, being top of the list for a phrase people aren’t regularly searching for won’t bring much traffic, so it is not always about being number one, but instead being visible for the relevant terms for your business.
Organic traffic growth
If your SEO efforts are working, you should start to see more people landing on your site through organic search (i.e. through search engines like Google, Bing, Ecosia). Tools like Google Analytics or Search Console will show you how many visitors are arriving via organic search, which pages they’re landing on, and what they’re doing once they get there.
Bounce rate and dwell time
Sounds a bit technical, but it’s really just about engagement. Bounce rate is the percentage of people who click onto your site and then leave without clicking on anything else. If people are clicking onto your site and then leaving straight away, that could be a sign something’s off, maybe the content isn’t helpful or the page took too long to load.
On the flip side, dwell time is how long someone sticks around on your page before heading back to the search results. If visitors are sticking around, clicking through pages, or taking the time to read your content top to bottom, that’s fantastic. It tells Google that your site’s worth ranking.
Local visibility & map pack rankings
If you’re a local business, this is where the magic happens. You want your business to show up on Google Maps and in that “3-pack” of listings when someone searches in their current location.
Keep an eye on your local rankings, review activity, and how many people click to call or get directions from your Google Business Profile. These are all signs that your local SEO is doing its thing.
How SEO can benefit your business?
Okay, so we have talked quite a lot about what SEO is and how it works, but what does it actually do for your business? Here’s what strong, consistent SEO can unlock, both right now and in the long run.
Attracting more relevant traffic
Not just more traffic, the right traffic. The kind of people who are actively searching for the product or service you offer. When your site is SEO optimised, you’re more likely to show up when these searchers need you. No cold outreach, no guesswork, just turning up at the right time in the right place.
Building trust and credibility
If your site’s showing up near the top of the search results, it instantly gives you credibility. Good SEO helps you earn that trust by showing search engines that your content is relevant, up to date, and genuinely useful to readers.
Improving the user experience
A big part of SEO is making your website easier to use, faster loading, mobile-friendly, easier to navigate, and clearly written. All of that adds up to a smoother experience for your visitors. And a happy visitor is much more likely to become a customer.
SEO makes everything else work harder
Most businesses are already doing some kind of marketing, maybe you’re posting regularly on Instagram, running Facebook ads or printing out flyers for events. And that’s brilliant, but here’s the thing…
SEO is the quiet team member in the background making all of that work harder.
You might be nailing your social posts, getting fantastic engagement, lots of likes, but what happens when someone taps the link in your bio or clicks through a story?
Or maybe they’ve seen your exhibition stand at a local business event, but when they’ve gone to Google you, you’re nowhere to be seen.
If they can’t easily find you, or they land on a slow, hard to navigate website then they’re probably not sticking around. But if your site’s been shaped with SEO in mind, they’ll find exactly what they need. That means more time on-site, more click-throughs, and more chances they’ll come back again.
Paid Ads? SEO helps you get more out of every click
Running ads can get expensive, and if your landing pages aren’t quite up to scratch, your budget can disappear quite fast.
SEO and PPC (pay-per-click) should be best friends. When your site is well-optimised, your ads are naturally more likely to perform better. People stick around, have higher chances of conversion, and you’re not spending good money on sending traffic to pages that aren’t pulling their weight.
Plus, as your organic rankings improve, you may even find yourself relying less on paid traffic over time.
Word of mouth still matters, but people Google you
Recommendations are gold, but even when someone hears about your business from a friend, what’s the first thing they do next? They Google (or Bing) you.
And if your site’s nowhere to be found, or looks a bit outdated, and doesn’t work on mobile. That warm lead might suddenly go cold.
Print and offline marketing still needs a strong online follow up
Posters, flyers, banners, vehicle wraps, if you’re doing any kind of offline marketing, chances are you’re including your web address or encouraging people to search for your business. If your site is clear, searchable, and visible, your offline efforts don’t fall flat, SEO is the bridge between the real world and your digital presence.
SEO is all connected
SEO isn’t separate from your other efforts. It quietly supports everything behind the scenes, making sure the time, energy and budget you’re already putting into your business is fruitful.
If you’re wondering how to tie it all together in a way that feels genuine, purposeful and results driven, head over to our SEO services page to see how we can help your site work smarter, not harder.
Common myths and misunderstandings about SEO
There’s a lot of noise out there when it comes to SEO, for sure.
Here are a few common myths that often surface, and why they’re not quite right.
“It’s just keywords, right?”
Not quite. Yes, keywords matter, but good SEO is so much more than just sprinkling phrases across a page. Google is very clever these days. It looks at the meaning behind your content, not just the words you’ve typed in. You need helpful, trustworthy info that actually answers people’s questions. Keywords are just one piece of the puzzle.
“It’s a one time thing. Set it and forget it.”
SEO is more like a garden than a light switch. You need to keep an eye on it, tweak things, update content, and adapt when search engines change the rules, which they do often in their core updates. You don’t need to redo everything constantly, but a little ongoing TLC goes an awfully long way.
“You can pay Google to rank higher.”
Nope. Paid ads (like Google Ads) will show up at the top but that is separate from organic rankings. You can’t buy your way to the top of organic search results, you have got to earn it with valuable content that really answers searchers questions, a robust structure, and genuine value.
“SEO takes forever to work, so what’s the point?”
Okay, yes, SEO isn’t instant. It’s not like flipping a switch and suddenly you’re ranking at the top of the page. But with the right approach, you can see movement. Think of it as building long-term momentum. The kind that keeps working for you in the background, day after day, without having to pay for every click.
“Any traffic is good traffic.”
Honestly? Not true. What you need is the right traffic -people who actually want what you’re offering. SEO should be about reaching the people most likely to become your customers, not just driving up numbers for the sake of it.
DIY vs hiring help: what makes sense for you?
If you’ve made it this far, first of all, you’re already ahead of most business owners just by caring about how SEO works. But the next question is a big one.
Do you try and tackle SEO yourself, or do you bring someone in to help?
Let’s break it down…
What you can do yourself
There’s a lot you can do quite comfortably on your own, especially if you’re just starting out.
• Set up and optimise your Google Business Profile.
• Use free tools like Google Search Console to monitor your site.
• Research keywords and write content around them.
• Add proper page titles, meta descriptions, and alt text.
When it is worth bringing in help
If you find things getting a little technical, or you’re not seeing the results you want, it might be time to call in someone more experienced. A good agency that offers SEO as a service will:
• Build a proper strategy tailored to your goals.
• Spot technical issues that you might not know exist.
• Help you create helpful content using in house content experts.
• Monitor and report on performance so you aren’t left in the dark.
• Free up your time so you can focus on running the business.
Basically, if you don’t want to spend your evenings behind a laptop buried in SEO blogs, handing it over to the experts can be a total game changer.
Where Bubble comes in…
If you’ve made it this far and you’re thinking, “Okay… maybe I do need a hand with this,” you’re not alone. We work with all sorts of businesses to help them show up, stand out, and grow organically.
If you’d like to chat about what we could do for your site, head over to the SEO section on the Bubble website, or drop us a message.
Share
Curious what Local SEO could do for your business?
Kickstart your SEO strategy with a free, friendly chat.
