SEO is the work of making sure your business shows up when someone types a question into Google, or asks ChatGPT, Gemini or another AI assistant.
| Area | What it covers | Note |
|---|---|---|
| On-page content | Clear H1, focused keyword, useful information | Answer-first paragraphs matter more than long intros |
| Technical SEO | Fast, crawlable, mobile-friendly, schema-marked | Core Web Vitals INP replaced FID |
| Backlinks | Editorial links from real sites | Lower weight than 2020, but still a trust anchor |
| Local SEO | Google Business Profile, citations, reviews | Now feeds LocalBusiness schema for AI answers |
| AI search | Being cited by ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, AI Overviews | Genuinely new discipline (AEO) |
What SEO actually does
- Technical SEO. Making sure search engines can actually find and read your site. Fast load times, mobile-friendly pages, clean URLs, no broken links.
- On-page SEO. Making sure each page is genuinely useful for the people landing on it. Clear headings, helpful answers, well-written content that matches what people are actually looking for.
- Off-page SEO. Building your reputation across the rest of the internet. Other relevant sites linking to you, accurate listings on Google Business Profile, reviews from real customers.
What's changed since 2023
- AI Overviews are now the answer for most commercial searches. Google's AI-generated summary appears at the top of the results page for the majority of 'best', 'how', 'what is' and comparison queries.
- Generative Engine Optimisation has joined the toolkit. GEO is the practice of getting your content cited by AI assistants.
- Answer Engine Optimisation has done the same. AEO is the closely-related discipline of structuring content so AI assistants can pull clear answers out of it.
What matters most for a small business
- Google Business Profile. Correct address, current opening hours, a real description, regular posts, prompt review responses, recent photos.
- Service pages. One per service, written for the target audience with clear explanations, pricing info and next steps.
- Useful content. Genuinely useful answers to the questions your potential customers ask. Not generic '5 tips for X' filler.
- Technical foundations. Site loads fast, works on mobile, has correct structured data, no broken links. An annual review catches the issues that quietly erode your visibility.
- Earn proof. Reviews, mentions in industry publications, named author pages. AI assistants weight trust and verifiable experience, not just keywords.
What SEO doesn't do
- SEO is not a quick win. Most legitimate work takes three to six months before you see meaningful changes in visibility. Anyone promising results in the first month is either gaming a vanity metric or telling fibs.
- SEO is also not a substitute for a useful product or service. The best technical SEO in the world cannot rank a page that nobody finds useful when they land on it.
- And SEO is not a one-off project. Search behaviour changes, your competitors move, and Google updates its systems several times a year.
How to get started
- Get an SEO strategy review for a clear picture of your current position
- Sort your foundations: Google Business Profile, technical issues, top three service pages
- Pick a sustainable content cadence (consistency matters more than volume)
- Track the right metrics: organic clicks from Google Search Console, calls and enquiries, AI assistant traffic
Most small businesses do not need a 50-page strategy document. They need a clear next step and someone honest to tell them what to expect.
Where to go next
If you want a clearer picture of where your business stands in search today, an audit is the obvious starting point. Forty-five minutes on a call, a written report a week later, and a sensible plan of what to do next.
How long does SEO take to work?
For a UK small business doing the right things consistently, expect meaningful changes in months four to six. Some quick fixes, like your Google Business Profile or fixing technical errors that block pages from being indexed, can move things in weeks.
Do I still need SEO if AI Overviews answer the question without a click?
More than ever. AI Overviews and AI assistants cite their sources. If your site is not in that citation pool, you are invisible to a growing portion of the buying journey. Getting cited is the new 'ranking on page one'.
How much should SEO cost in the UK?
A retained service for a small business typically sits in the £500 to £2,500 a month range depending on scope. Anyone quoting 'we can get you to page one for £99 a month' is almost always overselling.
What is the difference between SEO and PPC?
SEO is unpaid (organic) search visibility. PPC (pay-per-click) is paid search advertising, where you bid to appear in the sponsored results. Most growing businesses use a mix of both.
Can I do SEO myself?
Yes, for the basics: your Google Business Profile, writing genuinely useful content, and fixing obvious technical errors. Where most business owners hit the ceiling is on scale, technical SEO, and the strategy work of deciding what to focus on.