5 Foundational SEO Tips for Small Business: Setting the Stage for Success

You’ve built a website for your small business. It looks great to you, but right now, to Google, it might look like a jumbled mess inside a locked filing cabinet.

Many small business owners rush straight into blogging or trying to get other sites to link to them, skipping the crucial first step: The Foundation. Before you worry about advanced tactics, you need to ensure your website’s structure is solid. If Google’s "crawlers" (the bots that scan the internet) cannot easily read and understand the basic structure of your site, you will struggle to rank. Period.

These are five on-page setup steps you must take to ensure search engines know exactly who you are and what you do.

Tip 1: Master Your Page Titles (The Book Cover)

Your page title (often called a "title tag") is arguably the single most important on-page SEO element you control. It is the blue, clickable link that appears in Google search results.

Its job is to tell Google—and potential human visitors—exactly what that specific page is about in under 60 characters.

How to Action It: Do not just call your "About" page "About." Be descriptive. Every page on your site needs a unique title tag optimized for what that specific page offers.

A great formula for small businesses is: [Main Keyword/Service] - [City/Area (Optional)] | [Your Brand Name].

• The Wrong Way: "Services"

• The Right Way: "Emergency Plumbing Services - Forest Hill | Rapid Flow Plumbing"

Tip 2: Write "Click-Worthy" Meta Descriptions (The Blurb)

The meta description is the short paragraph of grey text that appears underneath your clickable page title in Google results.

While Google has stated that meta descriptions are not a direct "ranking factor" (meaning having keywords here won't directly bump you up the listings), they are crucial for "Click-Through Rate" (CTR). Think of this as your ad copy. A compelling description convinces a human to click on your link instead of your competitor's above or below you.

How to Action It: Keep it under approx. 160 characters so it doesn't get cut off. Include your main service, mention a key benefit, and end with a small call to action.

• Actionable Example: Instead of just saying "We sell shoes," try: "Looking for comfortable, stylish work shoes in Melbourne? Shop our range of ergonomic footwear designed for all-day support. Visit us online or in-store today!"

Want to dive deeper into the basics of why this matters? Check out our overview on Small Business SEO basics.

Tip 3: Organize with H1 and H2 Headings (The Chapter Titles)

Think of a webpage like a university textbook. You wouldn't write the whole book in one giant, unending paragraph. You use a main book title, chapter titles, and sub-headings to make it readable.

Google robots read headings (called H tags in HTML) to understand the hierarchy and importance of the content on your page.

How to Action It: You must follow a logical structure.

• The Golden Rule: You should only have ONE H1 tag per page. This is the main topic of the page (it usually matches your Page Title closely).

• The Structure: Use H2s to break up major sections, and H3s if you need sub-sections under those H2s.

Example Structure for a Bakery "Custom Cakes" Page:

• (H1) Custom Wedding & Birthday Cakes in Forest Hill

  • (H2) Our Wedding Cake Designs

  • (H2) Birthday & Celebration Cakes

  • (H2) How to Order Your Custom Cake

Tip 4: Clean Up Your URL Structure (The Address)

Which street address is easier for a postman to find: "123 Main Street, Suburbville" or "Lot 45B, Sector 9, Coordinates X-Y-Z"?

Google feels the same way about your website URLs (the address in the browser bar). They should be short, descriptive, and easy for a human to read. Avoid the dynamic, messy URLs full of question marks and numbers that some content management systems produce by default.

How to Action It: Use hyphens to separate words and include the main keyword for that page.

• Bad URL: www.joesmechanic.com.au/index.php?id=321&cat=services

• Good URL: www.joesmechanic.com.au/brake-repair-service

For a deeper technical look at structuring addresses, Moz offers an excellent guide on URL best practices.

Tip 5: Ensure Your Site is Secure (HTTPS)

Have you ever noticed the little padlock icon next to a website URL in your browser? That means the site is using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).

Since 2014, Google has used HTTPS as a ranking signal. More importantly, if your site isn't secure, browsers like Chrome will flag your site as "Not Secure" in big red letters to your visitors. Nothing scares away a potential customer faster than a security warning.

How to Action It: Talk to your website hosting provider. Most modern hosts offer a free "Let's Encrypt" SSL certificate that can be activated with just a few clicks. Ensure every version of your site (the http:// version) automatically redirects to the secure https:// version.

Google explicitly states that user security is a priority. Read more on Google Search Central about why HTTPS matters.

Conclusion

Setting up these five foundational elements won't skyrocket you to number one overnight, but without them, your small business website will struggle to rank at all. Get your house in order first.

Once your foundation is set, it's time to start attracting local customers. In the next blog in this series, we will cover how to dominate local search results and Google Maps.

Need help implementing these steps? Stop guessing and start growing. Our Essentials Digital Marketing Course walks you through the practical steps of setting up your business for online success, from SEO basics to broad strategy.