In plain English
SEO (search engine optimisation) is the work of helping your website show up when people search online. It’s how you give your business a better chance of being found on sites such as Google without paying for every click.
Quick navigation
If you’ve ever wondered how some websites appear at the top of Google while others are buried on page five, the answer is SEO. It stands for search engine optimisation, and it’s simply the practice of helping your website get found by people searching online.
This guide explains what SEO actually is, why it matters for your business, and where to start if you’re new to it.
When someone needs a product or service, they usually start with a search. They type something into Google or Bing, and within seconds they’re presented with options.
If your business appears in those results, you have a chance of winning that customer. If it doesn’t, there’s every chance they’ll go to a competitor instead, often without ever knowing you exist.
Unlike paid advertising, where you pay for every click, SEO brings people to your website organically. Once you’ve done the work to rank well, that traffic can keep coming without ongoing ad spend. For many businesses, it becomes one of their most cost-effective sources of new customers.
Google and other search engines want to show users the most helpful, relevant results for their search. To do this, they look at millions of web pages and try to work out which ones best answer the question being asked.
They consider things like:
Search engines have become remarkably sophisticated. They don’t just look for keywords anymore, they try to understand the meaning behind searches and match them with content that truly helps.
SEO is evolving significantly, largely due to the introduction of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, and some older advice no longer applies.
It’s not just about keywords anymore. While the words on your page still matter, search engines now understand context and meaning. You don’t need to repeat the same phrase over and over; in fact, that can work against you.
AI now plays a big role. Search engines increasingly use artificial intelligence to generate summaries and answer questions directly. Your content might inform these answers even if someone doesn’t click through to your site.
Quality matters more than ever. Search engines have got much better at identifying genuinely useful content versus pages that are just trying to game the system. Shortcuts that worked years ago can now get your site penalised.
Your website experience counts. How fast your pages load, whether they work properly on phones, and whether visitors find what they need, these all influence your rankings.
You don’t need to become a technical expert to improve your SEO. Here’s where to focus:
Think about what your potential customers are searching for, and create pages that answer their questions thoroughly. If someone searches “how to choose an accountant” and you’re an accountancy firm, having a helpful guide on that topic gives you a chance of appearing in results.
The key word is helpful. Search engines are good at spotting content that’s been thrown together quickly versus content that actually serves the reader.
Your website needs to be set up so search engines can easily access and understand it. Most modern websites handle this reasonably well, but it’s worth checking that your important pages aren’t accidentally hidden from search engines.
Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere they appear online, including your website, Google Business Profile, social media, and any directories you’re listed in. Inconsistencies can confuse search engines and hurt your visibility, particularly for local searches.
Two free tools give you valuable insight into how your site performs:
If you haven’t set these up, they’re a good starting point.
If you serve customers in a specific area, your Google Business Profile is essential. It’s what appears when someone searches for businesses like yours nearby, complete with your address, hours, reviews, and contact details. Claiming and completing your profile can take an hour and may significantly improve your local visibility.
You might have heard that links from other websites to yours help your SEO. This is true. When reputable sites link to your content, it signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and valuable.
But the emphasis is on reputable. A handful of links from respected sources in your industry is worth far more than hundreds of links from random, low-quality sites. In fact, spammy links can actively harm your rankings.
The best way to earn good links is to create content worth linking to, such as useful guides, original research, or genuinely interesting insights that others want to reference.
This is where realistic expectations matter. SEO isn’t a quick fix.
Most businesses start seeing meaningful improvements within three to six months, but reaching competitive positions can take a year or more. The good news is that results often compound. The work you do now can keep paying off long into the future.
Anyone promising instant results is either misleading you or using tactics that will eventually backfire.
Stuffing pages with keywords. This makes your content awkward to read and search engines can penalise it. It’s increasingly important to write authentically for reader engagement.
Ignoring mobile users. More than half of searches happen via mobile devices. If your site is difficult to use on mobile, you’ll struggle to rank.
Expecting immediate results. SEO rewards patience and consistency – businesses that stick with it tend to see the best returns.
Trying to trick search engines. Google employs thousands of engineers specifically to catch manipulation. It’s important to focus on generating value-led useful content, rather than trying to play the system.
Good SEO brings potential customers to your door, but what happens when they arrive matters just as much.
If someone finds your business through a search and tries to call, a missed call means a missed opportunity. They’ve actively sought you out, and if you’re not there to answer, they’ll simply try the next business on the list.
For growing businesses, this is where outsourced telephone answering becomes a natural extension of your marketing. Moneypenny ensures every call is answered professionally, so the leads your SEO efforts generate actually turn into conversations.
With Moneypenny’s Call Tracking, you can also see exactly which marketing activities are driving phone enquiries, including your organic search efforts. It helps connect your SEO investment to real business results.
There’s no point driving traffic to your website if you’re not set up to capture it.
Don’t let a missed call waste your marketing effort
If your website is bringing in enquiries, we’ll help you answer every call professionally in your business name, so more leads turn into customers.
Want to make sure your SEO investment translates into real customer conversations? Discover how Moneypenny can help your business never miss an opportunity.
Your own PA to look after calls, qualify leads, book appointments, and lots more.
Discover >Our team of PAs capturing every new enquiry and qualifying them during the call.
Discover >
