Search Engine Optimization

Getting Your Website Found On Google

Sure, other search engines exist, but Google is used by about 90% of us. SEO might feel like voodoo sometimes, but there are reliable methods for climbing Google's rankings - though success really varies by industry. There are also some anomalies where certain websites are ranking very well that probably shouldn't be...

And Google never stops changing - just look at AI search rolling out. It used to be smart strategy to create content that answered people's questions directly. Now with AI search, Google pulls from everyone's content to give answers right there, instead of driving traffic to your site. This shift means we should focus more on transactional keywords.

Google on a big screen and a mobile phone

What are Keywords?

Keywords are simply what people type into Google when they're looking for something, like "plumbers in Toronto" - this is what we call a transactional keyword. Anyone searching for this clearly wants to hire a plumber, and they're located in Toronto.

Then we have informational keywords, which are becoming less effective with AI search and things like GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). An example would be "how to unblock shower drain" - this might be a helpful article on a plumber's website. The plumber's goal is that people find this content and then decide to call them instead of attempting the fix themselves, because they discovered your helpful information and want to ask questions.

Understanding keywords is just the start - our SEO add-ons help you put that knowledge into action so your site can rank higher and attract the right visitors.

Essential Add-Ons

How do we Treat Google?

One of our best analogies is "treat Google like a friend that knows someone for everything". Now, this friend, they only want to recommend people they:

  • Know can get the job done, and that this is their area of expertise
  • Know that they are reliable and they carry themselves well
  • Know are reputable, especially ones that are recommended by experts in their field

With this in mind, how does Google choose who to organically rank the highest?

On-page SEO

On-page SEO is pretty straightforward - what words are on your webpages, helping Google understand what your areas of expertise are. Now, there are 3 things you need to know about:

  1. Page Title - This is what you see in big writing on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). This is why websites with multiple pages rank well, you can have multiple page titles, such as "Plumber in Toronto", "Plumber in North York", giving you more coverage.

  2. Page Description - This is the writing just below the Page Title on the SERP. This should be used to support the page title, ideally using around 160 characters. Include the keyword you are trying to rank your page for, and then use it naturally at least once.

  3. Page Content - This is the content on the page that people are going to be reading. It is important to have the keyword on your page, particularly in your heading tags, while also spreading it across the page. You don't want to overuse the keyword though, and you want the content to feel natural.

Doing all 3 of these with your webpages will show Google exactly what your areas of expertise are, helping you rank well for them.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO helps you look professional, while also helping Google understand your website and what you do. The most important thing with Technical SEO is website speed. This is what separates website designers from website developers.

A great website should be built properly, and achieve fast load times on Google's own tools. Google PageSpeed Insights gives your website a simple score out of 100 on 4 key metrics:

  • Performance - How fast does your website load?
  • Accessibility - Is your website accessible to those with disabilities?
  • Best Practices - Are you up to date with modern technologies?
  • SEO - Can Google easily read and interpret your website?

You should aim for 90+ on all metrics if you want to rank well on search engine pages. Another great tool is GTMetrix, where you should be aiming for an A. By doing this, you keep Google and your customers happy.

Off-page SEO

This is where you can take your search engine rankings to the next level, but it's a very tough one to crack. Getting backlinks from reputable sources helps Google see you as trustworthy, but you can't just get links from any random website. You need to make sure they're relevant.

This helps build your domain authority. Now, Google doesn't have a way of tracking this, so you need to use a third party tool, which is never going to be 100% accurate, but gives you a good idea. Something like Ahrefs will score your domain out of 100. For competitive industries you'll want 50+, for less competitive ones sometimes as low as 10+ is enough to see you ranking high for your keywords.

How Much Does SEO Cost?

This is mainly down to how competitive your industry is. If you've got tons of competition, you'll likely need to invest thousands each month to build backlinks from trusted sources and get coverage in the media.

If you're in an industry that's mostly small local businesses, you can get strong results through one of our monthly websites, without needing to invest in expensive backlinks and content.

Our Plans