SEO — Owning Your Search Results
The Customers Who Come to You
SEO is the only marketing channel where customers come looking for you. They type a problem into Google, and your business appears as the solution. No interruption, no persuasion — just being present when someone needs exactly what you offer.
This chapter covers enough SEO to make a meaningful difference for your business. It's not everything, but it's the 20% that produces 80% of results.
Keyword Research
Understanding Search Intent
Every search has an intent: informational (learning something — "how to fix a leaky faucet"), commercial (researching options — "best plumber near me"), transactional (ready to buy — "emergency plumber Portland"), and navigational (looking for a specific site — "Home Depot hours").
Your content should match the intent. Blog posts match informational searches. Service pages match commercial and transactional searches. Your homepage matches navigational searches.
Finding Your Keywords
Your best keywords are the ones your customers actually type. Start with what you'd search if you needed your own service or product. Then expand using AI.
AI Prompt: Keyword Research
Help me find the best keywords for my business website.
My business: [describe]
My location: [city/region, if serving locally]
My services/products: [list]
My target customer: [describe]
Competitors I know about: [list URLs if possible]
Please generate:
1. 20 high-intent keywords (people ready to buy or hire)
2. 20 informational keywords (people researching my topic)
3. 10 local keywords (if applicable)
4. For each keyword: estimated search intent and competition level
5. Which keywords to target with which type of page (blog vs. service page)
6. Long-tail variations that are easier to rank for
7. Priority order — which keywords to target first
On-Page SEO
The Essentials
For every important page on your site, optimize these elements:
Title tag: Your primary keyword + a compelling reason to click. Under 60 characters. This is what appears as the blue link in Google results.
Meta description: A brief summary that sells the click. Under 160 characters. Include your keyword and a benefit.
H1 heading: Your main page title. One per page. Include your primary keyword naturally.
URL structure: Short, descriptive, keyword-inclusive. "/plumbing-services-portland" not "/page?id=4738."
Content: Genuinely useful, comprehensive, and better than what's currently ranking. Google's goal is to show the best result for each query. Be the best result.
Internal links: Link relevant pages to each other. Your blog post about kitchen plumbing should link to your kitchen plumbing service page.
Image alt text: Describe every image for accessibility and SEO.
Local SEO
If you serve a geographic area, local SEO is your highest priority. When someone searches "plumber near me" or "best restaurant in [city]," Google shows local results — the map pack and local listings.
Google Business Profile
This is the single most important local SEO action. Claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile: accurate name, address, phone, and hours. Complete business description with keywords. Correct categories (be specific). High-quality photos (exterior, interior, products, team). Regular posts and updates. Respond to every review.
Getting Reviews
Reviews are the primary ranking factor for local search. Ask satisfied customers directly. Send a follow-up email with a direct link to your Google review page. Make it as easy as possible — one click to leave a review. Respond to every review, positive and negative, professionally.
AI Prompt: Local SEO Plan
Create a local SEO strategy for my business.
Business: [name and type]
Location: [city, state]
Service area: [how far you serve]
Current Google Business Profile status: [not claimed / basic / complete]
Current number of Google reviews: [number]
Top local competitors: [list if known]
Please create:
1. Google Business Profile optimization checklist
2. A review generation strategy
3. Local keywords to target
4. Local content ideas (blog posts about local topics)
5. Local citation sources to list my business on
6. Monthly local SEO maintenance plan
Content SEO
The most sustainable SEO strategy: create comprehensive, useful content that answers your audience's questions better than anyone else.
Each blog post you write is a potential entry point from Google. Over time, a library of well-optimized content creates a compounding traffic asset. A post you write today can drive traffic for years.
Target one primary keyword per post. Make the post the best, most comprehensive answer to that query. Update it annually to keep it fresh and maintain rankings.
Technical SEO Basics
Site speed: Aim for under 3 seconds load time. Compress images. Minimize plugins.
Mobile-friendliness: Google uses mobile-first indexing. Your mobile site is your site.
SSL (HTTPS): Required. No exceptions.
Sitemap and robots.txt: Ensure Google can find and crawl all your pages. Most platforms handle this automatically.
Google Search Console: Set up immediately. It shows which queries bring traffic, which pages are indexed, and any technical issues.
The SEO Mindset
SEO is a long game. Most content takes three to six months to rank. The first month feels like shouting into the void. The compounding effects become visible around month six to twelve.
But once content ranks, it drives traffic for free, indefinitely, without ongoing spending. No other marketing channel offers that.
Next: when it makes sense to pay for attention.