For local businesses, showing up online is no longer optional—it’s essential. Customers rely on Google before they choose a restaurant in Everett, book a salon in Seattle, or hire a contractor anywhere in the region.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is what ensures they find you. While it often sounds technical, SEO at its core is simple: it’s about making your business easier to discover and trust online. And many of the steps that matter most are straightforward—things any small business owner can handle without technical expertise.
1. Say What You Do, Plainly
Your website should instantly answer two questions: what do you offer, and where do you offer it?
A headline like “Plumbing services in Everett, WA” or “Family-owned coffee roaster in Seattle” works far better than a clever slogan. Clear wording helps people know they’re in the right place, and it gives Google the exact keywords it needs to connect you with local customers searching for your service.
2. Keep Your Info Consistent Everywhere
Your business name, address, and phone number should match exactly across your website, Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, and any other directory.
When those details line up neatly, it reassures customers—and it reassures Google too. Search engines want to confirm your business is legitimate, and consistency is a strong signal that helps improve your local SEO.
3. Claim Your Google Business Profile
This is one of the biggest local SEO basics. It’s free, it takes just a few minutes, and it puts you on the map—literally.
Once claimed, you can add hours, photos, services, and updates. This makes it much more likely your business will show up when someone searches for “restaurant near me” or “Everett electrician.” Without it, you’ll struggle to appear in Google’s local results, no matter how good your website looks.
4. Ask for Reviews (and Keep Them Coming)
Reviews do more than build trust with new customers—they also help improve search rankings.
Fresh reviews tell Google your business is active and reliable. A steady flow of five-star feedback not only reassures potential clients but also makes it easier for you to appear higher in local search results. Think of reviews as modern-day word of mouth that boosts your online visibility.
5. Share Small, Fresh Updates
You don’t need to write a blog every week. But you should show that your business is active. Add seasonal tips, announce holiday hours, or share photos of recent work.
A site that hasn’t been updated in years looks stale. Both customers and Google notice. Even small updates signal that your business is alive and ready to serve, which helps improve your local SEO in Everett and beyond.
6. Rename Your Images Before You Upload Them
Google can’t see pictures—it reads filenames. That means “IMG_1234.jpg” tells it nothing, but “seattle-coffee-shop-fresh-roast.jpg” gives it context.
Descriptive filenames add extra keywords to your site and can even help you show up in Google Images, giving you one more way for people to discover your business online.
7. Make Sure Your Site Works on Phones
Most people will discover you on their phone first, not a desktop computer. If your site is hard to read, buttons don’t work, or it loads slowly, they’ll leave.
Google notices when visitors bounce like this, and since it now judges websites based primarily on their mobile version, a smooth mobile experience is essential. Good mobile design isn’t just about user-friendliness—it’s a ranking factor for SEO.
8. Keep Your Website Fast
Nobody has patience for a slow site. If a page drags, people click away—and Google uses that as a signal that your site isn’t meeting needs.
Compress large photos, clean up unnecessary plugins, and run a free test with Google PageSpeed Insights. A fast site keeps customers around longer, improves trust, and helps boost your position in search results.
The Bottom Line
These are the SEO basics—the foundation that every local small business should have in place. They’re simple, practical steps that can make a noticeable difference in how people find you on Google.
But SEO is a huge ecosystem. Beyond these essentials are deeper strategies: keyword research, content marketing, technical audits, backlinks, and ongoing optimization to keep up with Google’s constant changes. That’s where professional help comes in.
If you want to move past the basics and compete at a higher level, we can help. At Opus Webworks, we specialize in SEO for small businesses in Everett and Seattle, helping local companies improve search rankings, attract more customers, and grow online with strategies built for long-term results.
