SEO has a reputation for being a bottomless, mysterious pit. For a small business site, it mostly isn't. A handful of basics do most of the heavy lifting. Here they are, in plain terms.
Give every page a clear title and description
The title and description are what show up in search results. Each page should have its own, written for a human, describing what the page is. Generic or missing titles waste your best chance to get clicked.
Make sure search engines can actually read your site
Sometimes a setting accidentally tells search engines to stay away — often left over from when the site was being built. If Google can't see you, nothing else matters.
Use real headings
Structure your pages with proper headings (a main heading, then sub-headings). It helps both readers and search engines understand what the page is about.
Don't hide text in images
Text baked into an image can't be read by search engines. Keep important words as actual text.
Be fast and mobile-friendly
Both are ranking factors, and both are things we cover elsewhere — but they're genuinely part of SEO, not separate from it.
Have a sitemap
A sitemap is a simple map of your pages that helps search engines find everything. Most platforms can generate one automatically.
None of this requires an agency or a monthly retainer. It requires getting the basics right and checking they stay right. An audit flags where these fundamentals are missing — often the cheapest traffic win available.