DIY SEO for Small Businesses: The Real-World Guide Nobody Else Can Write

Stop Making the #1 SEO Mistake That's Killing Your Website Right Now

I see it every single day. A business owner hires me, excited to finally "do SEO right," and the first thing I do is check what I call The Big 3: their title tag, meta description, and H1 heading.

Nine times out of ten? At least one is completely missing. Two are probably broken. And all three are definitely not working together.

I'm talking about junk code cluttering up the meta description. Title tags that cut off mid-sentence because they're 150 characters long. H1 headings that say "Welcome to Our Website" instead of actually describing what the business does.

Here's the thing: The Big 3 is always where I start when a client hires us for SEO. Not fancy link-building campaigns. Not expensive tools. Not complicated technical audits. Just fixing the basics that somehow everyone forgets.

And you know what? That alone often gets them results within weeks.

What is SEO, Really? (And Why You Can't Afford to Ignore It)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is simply the process of making your website show up when people search for what you offer. That's it.

But here's what most "experts" won't tell you: It costs too much NOT to do SEO.

I hear "it costs too much" constantly. Small business owners see the price tag for professional SEO services and balk. But they don't realize what they're losing.

When you run a Facebook ad, you pay for it. It runs. It disappears. Next month? You pay again.

When you write one blog article optimized for SEO? It's there forever. You don't pay for it to show up again next month. It's always getting views, always getting attention, always working for you. You pay for it once, and it keeps paying you back until you take it down.

SEO is the one marketing investment that compounds over time.

How Does SEO Work?

SEO has three main components:

• On-page SEO: Publishing helpful, engaging content that matches what people are searching for (Sooooo, what are your people searching for? Get the guide here:“Cracking the Code:3 Ways to Figure Out What Your Clients Are Googling”)

• Technical SEO: Making sure your website structure is easy for both humans and search engines to navigate

• Off-page SEO: Building your reputation through connections with other websites and online platforms

The goal? Help search engines understand that your website is trustworthy, relevant, and deserves to be shown to people searching for your services.

The Front Door Everyone Forgets: Google Business Profile

If your website is the house, Google Business Profile (GBP) is the front door.

Most businesses don't even know it exists. And the ones who do? They treat it like an afterthought—set it up once and forget about it.

Let me tell you about one of my clients. She took my GBP course and admits she only implemented about 60% of the material. Just 60%.

Within 45 days, she was getting calls from new clients.

All she did was properly fill out her Google Business Profile.

Not some complicated SEO strategy. Not a website overhaul. Not thousands of dollars in advertising. She just claimed her free GBP and filled it out correctly.

Here's my #1 piece of advice: Update your GBP once a week. Post a picture. Write a comment. Share a blog post. Whatever. Just show Google you're still open, you're alive, you're relevant.

That's it. One post per week. That's your business's gateway to the internet.

My Controversial SEO Opinion: Forget the Big Numbers

Everyone wants to rank for keywords with 42,000 searches per month. The ones with massive search volume.

I'm here to tell you: don't.

Go for the lower volume, lower difficulty keywords instead. Build your SEO tributaries—those smaller streams of traffic—that eventually add up to one raging river of a website.

Why? Because you can actually rank for those keywords. You can start seeing results in weeks or months instead of years. And those "small" keywords? They often convert better because they're more specific to what someone actually needs.

Think about it: Someone searching "plumber" could be looking for anything. Someone searching "emergency toilet repair near me Saturday night"? That person is ready to hire someone RIGHT NOW.

Understanding SEO Basics: The Terminology You Actually Need

Let me cut through the jargon and give you what matters:

The Big 3: Your SEO Foundation

1. Title Tag: The clickable headline in search results (keep it under 60 characters)

2. Meta Description: The summary under that headline (under 155 characters)

3. H1 Heading: The main heading visitors see on your actual page

These three need to work together like a team:

• Include your main keyword in all three

• Make each one unique and related

• Don't stuff them with keywords—write for humans first

Other Terms That Matter

• Keywords: The actual words your customers type into Google

• Search Intent: What people are really trying to accomplish with their search

• SERP: Search Engine Results Page (the list Google shows you)

• Backlinks: Links from other websites pointing to yours

• Internal Links: Links from one page on your site to another page on your site

That's honestly 90% of what you need to know to get started.

Why DIY SEO Actually Works for Small Businesses

The nightmare client expects results by the end of the day.

The reality: It takes weeks or months for SEO to build momentum. Consistency is the key.

I went from absolutely zero SEO presence a year ago to getting thousands of visits and hundreds of clicks. My blogs are getting attention. People are discovering me organically—meaning I'm not paying for ads.

I've gone from unknown at "0" impressions to "1,370" and it's growing daily.

How? Consistency. Two blog articles per week. Proper optimization of The Big 3. Actually using my Google Business Profile.

That's 4-6 hours per week of work. Is it aggressive? Yes. Do you need to do that much? No. But even one blog per month, properly optimized, will start building your presence.

The 7 DIY SEO Actions That Actually Work

1. Fix The Big 3 (Start Here!)

Go to every page on your website right now and check:

• Does it have a title tag with your main keyword?

• Does it have a meta description that makes people want to click?

• Does it have an H1 heading that tells people what the page is about?

Fix these first. Everything else is secondary.

2. Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

If you do nothing else, do this. It's free. It takes an hour. And it's often the difference between being invisible and getting phone calls.

Update it once per week. That's your entire commitment.

3. Do Keyword Research the Smart Way

I use Answer the Public and Ubersuggest for my keyword research. Both have free versions.

Look for:

• Lower search volume (500-2,000 searches/month, even as low as 10 to 200 will work!)

• Lower “SEO Difficulty” scores – preferably under 35 (on a good day, you can push it to 42, but it better be a REALLY good keyword.)

• Keywords that match what your customers actually say

Here's a real example from my own voice-over business: Most voice-over content online is for people wanting to START a voice-over business. Almost nothing targets businesses that want to HIRE voice-over talent.

Completely different perspective. Completely different keywords. Way less competition.

Find your version of that gap.

4. Write Content That Helps Real People

Stop writing for search engines. Write to answer the actual questions your customers ask you every day.

When someone calls asking "How much does X cost?" — that's a blog post. When someone asks "What's the difference between Y and Z?" — that's another blog post.

Make it conversational. Make it helpful. Include your keywords naturally.

I write two blog posts per week. You can start with two per month and still see results.

5. Build Your Internal Link Structure

Now that I have a library of over 50 blog posts (and growing) I'm focusing heavily on internal linking.

Every time you write new content, link to 2-3 older, related posts. And go back to those older posts and add links to your new content.

This helps visitors navigate your site AND helps search engines understand how all your content connects.

6. Get Free Backlinks (The Ethical Way)

Forget buying links. Focus on:

• Getting listed in local business directories

• Asking suppliers or partners to link to you

• Creating content other people actually want to reference

• Using services like HARO to get quoted in articles

Quality over quantity. One link from a respected industry site beats 100 links from random blogs.

7. Track Your Progress

Use Google Search Console (free) and Google Analytics (free) to see:

• What keywords you're ranking for

• How much traffic you're getting

• Which pages are performing best

Check these monthly. Look for patterns. Double down on what's working.

The One-Week DIY SEO Jumpstart Plan

Don't have months? Start here:

Day 1: Claim your Google Business Profile and fill out every section completely

Day 2: Fix The Big 3 on your homepage (title tag, meta description, H1)

Day 3: Fix The Big 3 on your most important service page(s)

Day 4: Write one blog post answering your most common customer question

Day 5: Add that blog post to your GBP as an update

Day 6: Create internal links between your homepage, service page, and new blog post

Day 7: Ask your three best customers to leave you a Google review (and reply to each one with specific details about the service you provided)

That's it. Seven days. Maybe 20-30 minutes per day. And you've covered more than most of your competitors ever will.

What About AI and Modern SEO?

Yes, AI is changing search. Google's AI overviews are showing up more. ChatGPT is answering questions directly.

But here's what hasn't changed: Local businesses still need to be found locally. Product and service businesses still need customers to choose them over competitors.

And that still requires:

• Clear, helpful content

• A strong Google Business Profile

• Good reviews

• Basic technical optimization

The fundamentals work. They've always worked. They'll keep working.

FAQs (And Honest Answers)

"How long until I see results?"

I tell clients to expect 3-6 months before significant traction. But I've seen properly optimized Google Business Profiles start generating calls within 45 days.

It depends on your industry, your competition, and how consistent you are.

"Can I really do this myself?"

Yes. But you need to be realistic about:

• The time commitment (4-6 hours per week if you're aggressive, 2-4 hours if you're steady)

• The learning curve (plan for 2-3 months of feeling lost before it clicks)

• Your writing ability (or willingness to use AI tools to help)

"What's a waste of time?"

Hashtags. Old-school SEOs still recommend them, but Google doesn't give them nearly the weight it used to. AI search results have changed the game.

Also, obsessing over meta keywords. Google hasn't used them for ranking since 2009, yet I still see people stuffing them.

The Tools I Actually Use

I could spend thousands on fancy SEO tools. Instead, I use:

• Answer the Public (free version) - for keyword research

• Ubersuggest (free version) - for keyword research and competition analysis

• Google Search Console (free) - to track what's working

• Google Analytics (free) - to see visitor behavior

• Google Business Profile (free) - because it's that important

That's it. You don't need expensive subscriptions to get started.

In fact, I’ve got a Skool community that teaches all this so you don’t have to spend hundreds (thousands??!!) per month on subscriptions and tools.Come climb The Marketing Mountain with us.

My Personal SEO Routine (What I Actually Do)

Here's the truth about what I do versus what I tell clients to do:

Every week:

• Write two blog posts (3-4 hours total)

• Post once to Google Business Profile (5 minutes)

• Check Google Search Console for new ranking opportunities (10 minutes)

Every month:

• Add internal links to new and old content (1 hour)

• Reach out for one potential backlink opportunity (30 minutes)

• Review analytics and adjust strategy (30 minutes)

What I skip: Obsessing over tiny technical details. Chasing every algorithm update. Worrying about tools and metrics that don't directly lead to business results.

The Bottom Line

SEO isn't complicated. It's just consistent.

1.Fix The Big 3.

2.Claim your Google Business Profile.

3.Write helpful content.

4.Build internal links.

5.Get a few quality backlinks.

Do those five things consistently for six months and you will see results.

Will you rank #1 for every keyword? No. Will you start showing up when people search for what you offer? Absolutely.

And that's what matters.

Start with The Big 3 today. Seriously. Right now. Go check your title tag, meta description, and H1 on your homepage.

I guarantee at least one is broken.

Fix it, and you're already ahead of 90% of small businesses online.

Ready to take your SEO to the next level? The fundamentals in this guide will get you started, but there's a lot more to learn. Focus on consistency over perfection, and you'll be amazed at what compounds over time.

Want a quick analysis and explanation? Start here with an SEO analysis:“See What Google Sees” and you can start fixing your site immediately.