You may be wondering: “Can I even compete here without a storefront?”

We’ve got good news — you absolutely can!

These days, Google isn’t just looking for brick-and-mortar locations to show on their local pack. It also shows the most relevant service providers around.

Customers look for services that come to them, and Google’s algorithm serves that.

The mobile dog groomer who bathes pets in their own home. The house cleaner who arrives with supplies in hand. The IT consultant who solves problems remotely. All of these services can be catered without an address.

There’s a persistent myth, however, that keeps small service businesses benefiting from local SEO: the belief that without a physical storefront, you can’t compete in local search results.

This local SEO guide dismantles the myth.

Drawing from learnings across service-area businesses, we’ll go over the exact framework that will allow you to dominate local SEO without a physical address.

The New Local SEO Situation

The traditional method of local SEO focused heavily on physical proximity.

The business closest to the searcher often won the top position. This created an inherent disadvantage for businesses without customer-facing locations. But Google’s algorithm has evolved since then.

There are three key shifts creating new opportunities:

1. From “Proximity” to “Relevance and Reliability”

Google’s local algorithm now weighs three primary factors:

• Relevance (how well your business matches the search)
• Prominence (your overall online reputation)
• Proximity (physical distance from the searcher)

For businesses without physical locations, this means proximity is just one factor among many.

And often it’s not the deciding one. In fact, for service-area searches, Google prioritizes businesses that explicitly define service areas over those that simply have a nearby address as that helps users be absolutely certain a business would be able to service them.

2. The Rise of Intent-Based Search

76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a related business within 24 hours, and 28% of these searches result in a purchase.

This represents a fundamental shift in how people’s buying patterns have changed over time even for local businesses.

3. Mobile Search Dominance

With 61.85% of all website traffic now coming from mobile devices and Google automatically personalizing results based on mobile location, the “near me” search has become the default behavior for finding services nearby.

This shift benefits service-area businesses because mobile searchers are looking for convenience and availability rather than physical proximity alone.

These three algorithm and behavior shifts have created a new playing field — one where service-area businesses can compete effectively. So, how can make the most out of this shift?

Step 1: Optimize Google Business Profile as a Service-Area Business

Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of your local search presence. And optimizing this correctly makes a critical difference especially for service businesses without a physical address.

Set Up Verification Without Exposing Your Address

You need to provide a real physical address during verification. Your home address should be fine if you don’t have a business address. Google sends a postcard with a verification code to this address before making the listing live.

Note: Virtual office addresses or PO boxes are explicitly prohibited and Google may suspend your listing if detected.

After verification, you can (and should) hide your address from public view.

From your Google Business Profile dashboard:

1. Select Edit profile and go to Business information.
2. Navigate to Location, click Clear address, and hit the Apply button to proceed.

This keeps your address private while also giving you access to the benefits of having a Google Business profile.

Define Your Service Areas Strategically

After the physical address has been cleared, you need to add the service areas where your business operates.

You can add up to 20 cities, zip codes, or neighborhoods. Note that you can come back and edit this information later to add new locations any time the business expands.

Remember to focus on areas where you actually provide services regularly and effectively. Once done, start adding the services you provide.

Google allows one primary category and up to nine additional categories. Your primary category carries significant ranking weight, so select the one that most accurately represents your core business.

Add photos that showcase your team, your work (with permission from clients), and your service vehicles, if any, to give more authenticity to your business profile. These visuals help potential customers connect with your business and build trust when they can’t visit a physical location.

Step 2: Create Location-Specific Content That Ranks

Keywords are the foundation of your local SEO efforts. Without a physical address, your keyword strategy becomes even more critical for connecting with local customers.

Identify Location-Based Keywords

Start by brainstorming the core services you offer and the specific geographic areas you serve. Then use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or Moz Keyword Explorer to uncover valuable local keywords.

Also, create a dedicated page for each service area you cover. These pages should:

• Address specific needs and challenges of that particular location.
• Include neighborhood-specific case studies (with client permission).
• Offer service guarantees or policies relevant to that area.
• Provide location-specific contact information.

Each page should have its own URL structure (“yourwebsite.com/areas-served/location-name”) and unique content that’s tailored toward that location.

Focus on Long-Tail Keywords With Location Modifiers

For service area businesses, long-tail keywords with specific location modifiers are particularly valuable.

To put it in perspective, if you’re a plumbing business, instead of targeting generic terms like “plumber,” focus on phrases like “emergency plumber in Islington” or “24-hour plumbing services near Richmond.”

These longer, more specific phrases often indicate a higher intent to use a service and can attract highly qualified local traffic.

A well-executed keyword research strategy is essential for identifying these opportunities.

Incorporate Keywords Into Your Website

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, strategically incorporate them throughout your website with the following:

1. Page titles and H1 headings – Include location names in your main headings.
2. URLs – Create location-specific URLs like “yourbusiness.com/services-cityname.”
3. Meta descriptions – Add location information to improve visibility in search results.
4. Body content – Naturally weave local keywords throughout your text.
5. Image alt descriptions – Include location terms in your image descriptions.

With 54% of all organic clicks going to the top three search results, creating content that ranks well is key. For service-area businesses, your website content must provide clear signals about where you offer services.

Service Area Pages That Convert

Create a dedicated page for each service area you cover. These pages should:

• Address specific needs and challenges of that particular location.
• Include neighborhood-specific case studies (with client permission).
• Offer service guarantees or policies relevant to that area.
• Provide location-specific contact information.

Top Tip: Avoid simply duplicating the same content across multiple location pages with just the place name changed. Google recognizes and penalizes this practice.

Step 3: Get More Reviews

Over 50% of consumers are putting their trust in online reviews first, outweighing the opinions of friends and family (24%), company claims (18%), social media influencers (2%), and media reviews (2%).

The same survey reports that Gen Z places even more emphasis on online reviews, with 76% rating them as the second most important factor behind product quality.

To make sure you’re not missing out on this opportunity, you need a systematic approach to collecting reviews after completing services.

Your review requests should:

• Thank customers for their business.
• Remind them of the specific service provided.
• Explain how reviews help small businesses.
• Provide a direct link to leave feedback.

As a bonus, you should encourage customers to mention their neighborhood or area in their reviews. These location mentions reinforce your relevance for those areas in Google’s algorithm.

Once people add their reviews, make it a point to respond thoughtfully to every review, both positive and negative ones.

To make the reviews more impactful, include phrases like “We’re always happy to serve clients in [neighborhood]” or “Thank you for trusting us with your electrical needs in [area].”

These responses serve dual purposes – they show potential customers that you’re engaged and responsive, and they provide additional location signals to Google.

Step 4: Establish Local Citations and Online Presence

Citations — mentions of your business information on other websites — play an important role in local SEO, even without a physical address.

Strategic Directory Listings

Beyond Google Business Profile, register your business on platforms like:

• Bing Places for Business
• Apple Maps
• Yelp
• Facebook Business
• Nextdoor Business
• Industry-specific directories where your competitors are listed

Do note that some directories allow service-area businesses to hide their address. But if a platform requires your physical address to be listed, you need to weigh the SEO benefits and choose to follow their rules or skip adding to that directory.

Maintain NAP Consistency

For best results, you need to keep your Name, Address, and Phone number identical across all listings.

• Keep your business name and phone number 100% consistent.
• Use identical service area descriptions across platforms.
• Add “Service Area Business” or “We come to you” wherever possible so people aren’t confused.

This may seem obvious as you’re reading through, but when we provide SEO services to our clients, we’ve noticed a lot of businesses add different phone numbers to handle different locations.

This may help organize your business better, but in Google’s eyes (the algorithm), it adds inconsistency to your listings.

Instead, if you want to separate phone calls from different locations, invest in an 1800-phone number service and get that to redirect the calls appropriately.

Step 5: Technical Optimization for Service-Area Businesses

Behind-the-scenes technical optimization makes a significant difference for service-area businesses. One of the most important elements is proper schema markup — structured data that helps search engines understand your content.

Local Business Schema for Service Areas

Implement LocalBusiness schema with the serviceArea property on your website. This tells Google exactly where you provide services, even without a physical storefront.

You should also implement location-specific schema on your service area pages, including:

• Review schema with location details.
• FAQ page schema with area-specific questions.
• Service schema linked to specific geographic areas.

Tools like All in One SEO can simplify implementing schema markup, even if you’re not technically inclined.

We’re finally done with our local SEO… or are we?

Of course, the implementation is complete. If you followed through the steps, you should have a local SEO engine running for you. But you still need to keep track of how things are progressing.

Measuring Local SEO Success

Once the local SEO engine is in place, you need to set regular time slots every week and every month to:

• Review the performance.
• See which activities are yielding the best results.
• Figure out what you can do to improve the results further.

Here are a few ways you can begin tracking your SEO:

Google Business Profile Insights

Google business insights make it really easy to track any metrics that are directly related to your business profile.

It helps you track calls, website clicks, requests for directions, and message requests by location. You also need to pay special attention to which service areas generate the most engagement as this can help you adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.

Google Analytics with Geographic Segmentation

Set up Google Analytics with geographic filters to track:

• Traffic from your service areas
• Conversion rates by location
• Engagement metrics for each service area page

Local Keyword Rankings

Monitor how you rank for “[service] in [location]” keywords across all your service areas.

Pay special attention to variations with “near me” and “best” modifiers, which indicate high commercial intent.

Because the top three search results get the most clicks, optimizing for them is key.

Your Action Plan for Implementing Local SEO

Putting all these strategies into action may seem overwhelming. Start with these high-impact actions:

1. Foundation – Optimize your Google Business Profile as a service-area business. Add your service areas, complete business information, and upload high-quality photos.
2. Content – Create service area pages for your primary locations. And pay special attention to quality over quantity. Three excellent location pages outperform ten generic ones.
3. Authority – Expand your online presence through citations, reviews, and local content. Start working on your review generation system and claim your profiles on key directories.
4. Technicality – Add schema markup to your website and continue expanding your content with locally relevant blog posts and resources.

Achieve Local SEO Success Without a Storefront

Congrats! You’ve just armed yourself with the SEO strategies that successful service businesses use to dominate local search results.

The path is clear. The tools for driving traffic to your website are in your hands. Your target customers are already searching. And now, you know exactly how to appear in those searches.

But here’s the thing: local SEO works, but it requires consistent effort. These strategies take time to show results.

And between running your business, serving clients, and occasionally sleeping, finding time to optimize Google listings, create location-specific content, and manage citations across 57 different directories might feel like herding digital cats.

What if your business could dominate search while you focus on your business? With DreamHost SEO services, you can!

Pro Services – SEO Marketing

Search Engine Optimization Made Easy

We take the guesswork (and actual work) out of growing your website traffic with SEO.

Learn More

This page contains affiliate links. This means we may earn a commission if you purchase services through our link without any extra cost to you.

The post Local SEO Success for Businesses Without a Physical Address: The Ultimate Blueprint appeared first on DreamHost Blog.

The blog is stacked with high-quality content. Every product description is finely tuned for search performance. You’ve even added alt text to your images and optimized your media for loading speed. Bravo.

So, why are you not crushing your opponents in the search results?

It might be because your site has some unseen issues that make it more complicated for search engines to crawl your site or access your content.

Oh no. This sounds like a whole heap of headache to fix.

Actually, it’s not. Running a technical SEO audit can help you find and fix the flaws pretty quickly.

And you’re in the best place to learn how to audit your site.

What Is a Technical SEO Audit, Anyway?

A technical SEO audit is essentially a website health check. This testing process can reveal technical issues that might prevent search engines from crawling and indexing your site.

Performing a technical SEO audit on your website is important for business, because it directly affects your search ranking.

Fixing the problems means more clicks, hopefully leading to more sales…leading to more money, money, money.

When To Run a Technical Audit

If you’ve never performed a site audit, there’s no time like the present. The same goes for any new website you set up, including when you redesign your existing site.

It’s also a good idea to review the technical aspects of your site every so often — perhaps quarterly, or every year if that sounds like a hassle.

Using Technical Audit Tools

While it’s possible to check certain aspects of your site by hand, there’s no need. Specialized tools are the way to go.

You can perform a solid audit using the following free tools from Google. We’ll be introducing these throughout the post.

The only issue is that you have to work across multiple platforms to find the data you need. And it’s not always obvious where to find it.

So, it might be worth grabbing one of these dedicated SEO tools.

• Screaming Frog (Freemium): The OG of technical auditing. It offers a generous free crawl budget, allowing you to scan up to 500 URLs. That’s plenty enough for many SMB websites.
• All in One SEO (Freemium): Our favorite SEO plugin for WordPress. It’s made more for technical maintenance than for auditing, but you can definitely still perform the checks.
• All in One SEO Analyzer (Freemium): Don’t have WordPress? This Chrome extension gives you access to many of the same features.
• Ahrefs (Paid): If you want a deep dive into your site’s SEO performance, there’s no better tool.

Performing a Technical SEO Audit: Your 7-Step Checklist

Despite the name, you don’t actually need tech skills to run a technical SEO audit.

But like a mechanic doing a vehicle inspection test, you will need to follow a methodical process, just to make sure the wheels don’t fall off.

Not sure where to start? To help you cover all bases, we’ve prepared the perfect audit checklist — ordered by priority.

(Don’t fancy wading through the whole thing? Skip to the end for a TL;DR version!)

Step 1: Check That Your Site Is Crawlable

Hmm, crawlability. Sounds like how spiders would rate your bathroom. But it’s actually about whether search engines can fully access your website.

You see, search engines use crawlers (programs made for indexing) to scan your website and find your content. This information allows the search engine to direct relevant traffic your way.

To make sure that’s happening, we’ll need to run a few tests.

Start With Google

But before we dive into the technical stuff, it’s worth taking a moment to Google your site.

Why? Because you can quickly see if major pages are missing from the search results.

Here’s the workflow.

1. Visit Google.
2. Enter site: followed by the domain of your website (e.g., site: example.com).
3. Hit Search and admire the results.

The results will show you which pages on your site Google knows about. It will also tell you roughly how many pages are being crawled and indexed. You can see the number just above the results:

Note: You may have to click Tools to see these numbers.

Run a Test With Google Search Console

Next, visit the Page Indexing report in Google Search Console (GSC). This will give you a more comprehensive overview of pages that have been both crawled and indexed.

If any pages have been missed, the reasons will appear in the list at the bottom of this dashboard. You can click on each item here to see the individual URLs.

Here are some common causes:

• Page with redirects: The crawler was redirected to another URL.
• Not found (404): The crawler followed a link but found nada.
• Server error (5xx): Your web host is having issues, meaning the crawler couldn’t look around.

Get More Detail With Screaming Frog

Now, let’s dive a little deeper.

Download and install the Screaming Frog Spider tool on your computer. Open the app and then:

1. In the bar at the top, enter your domain name. Then hit the green Start button in the top-right corner.
2. Once the crawl is completed, select the Response Codes tab.
3. Take note of any pages with broken links (error codes in the 400s). You may have to deal with these individually.
4. Also look out for pages that return the internal blocked by robots.txt code. This means your site has rules that will stop crawlers visiting.

Action Checklist: Troubleshoot Crawlability Problems

Okay, you’ve run the tests and found some crawlability issues. Don’t sweat it! Here’s a quick checklist of fixes.

Broken links (404 errors)

• Replace the link: If possible, replace the broken link with a working link to the correct page.
• Redirect the broken page: If the content has moved, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new URL.
• Remove the link: If the linked content is no longer available, simply remove the link.

Pages with redirects

• Check the redirect: Make sure the redirect is intentional and points to the correct destination page.
• Update internal links: If you’ve redirected a page, update any internal links that point to the old URL.

Server errors (5xx)

• Contact your hosting provider: Let them know you’re experiencing server errors. They can help you diagnose and resolve the issue. (Or you could just switch to a host with 100% guaranteed uptime. Just sayin’.)

And finally…once you’ve fixed the issues, use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to request indexing for the affected pages.

Step 2: Double-Check Your Robots File

About that robots.txt file. It’s essentially a rulebook, telling crawlers how to behave on your site.

Usually, this is helpful. For example, the rule below prevents your WordPress admin area from popping up on Google:

Disallow: /wp-admin/

The problems begin when the wrong rules are inserted into your robots.txt file. You can accidentally ban search engines from visiting your site:

Disallow: /

This kind of thing can happen if you check the wrong box in a plugin.

Double-check by visiting Google’s own robots checker. Put in your website domain, and watch the robots.txt files pop up.

Then, tap on the files to see inside. Make sure any “Disallow” instructions are covering the right URLs. Remove any rules blocking important pages.

Step 3: Check Out Your Sitemap

We’ve now ensured that crawlers can enter and explore your site. The next step is to give them a guided tour.

You can do this by creating a sitemap. Or by making sure your existing sitemap paints an accurate picture of your site architecture.

This is especially important if your site has:

• More than 100 pages
• Pages that can’t be reached if you start on the homepage and click internal links — These are called orphan pages.

We can check the status of your sitemap through GSC. Visit your account and select Sitemaps from the sidebar menu.

If you haven’t got a sitemap, this area will be blank. You can generate one and submit the link here.

Maybe your site already has a sitemap, and you’ve submitted it to Google. It should show up on this list.

Google helpfully provides a health check. There are three possible statuses.

• “Success”: Google has found your sitemap and is using it.
• “Couldn’t fetch”: Google couldn’t find your sitemap. Maybe you entered the wrong link, or the file has moved?
• “Sitemap had X errors”: Google found your site map and started using it, but encountered problems. Usually, this is because your sitemap isn’t up to date.

You can click on any sitemap listed here to see more details, including why errors are happening.

To learn more about sitemap formatting and troubleshooting, head over to our dedicated sitemaps guide!

Top Tip: If your site runs on WordPress, install a plugin like AIOSEO. This will handle sitemap updates automatically.

Step 4: Confirm That Your Site Is Indexable

Just because your site is crawlable doesn’t mean it will appear in search results.

Once the crawlers have collected information about your site, search engines have to figure out:

• What your content is about
• Which search terms match your content
• The relative quality of your content compared with other similar pages

This process is called indexing.

In the technical audit process, it’s vital to test indexing. Problems with your site can make it impossible for search engines to read your content.

Get an Overview of Indexing With Google Search Console

Start by returning to the “Page Indexing” report in GSC. Here, you can see a breakdown of pages that have and haven’t been indexed.

Some of the common reasons why indexing doesn’t happen:

• “Alternate page with proper canonical tag”: You have duplicate content, and you correctly marked the version to be indexed (top work). Google has seen the canonical tag and is taking your advice.
• “Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user”: Google ignored your advice and chose the other duplicated page. 
• “Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag”: You have a rule in your HTML header that bans crawlers from indexing your page!

Take a closer look at any specific URL by typing the address into the search bar at the top of the page.

This opens the URL Inspection tool, which is packed full of useful (and some useless) information.

Check Your Indexing With Screaming Frog

Google Search Console only tells us which pages Google has indexed. It doesn’t tell us about pages that are unindexable. Yes, that is a word in SEO land.

To find these hidden gems, you’ll need to reopen your Screaming Frog report. If you check the list of URLs, you will see a column called “Indexability.” Here, you can see which pages make the grade.

Top Tip: Speed things up by sorting the list using this column. That way, all the URLs with indexing issues will rise to the top.

Action Checklist: Troubleshooting Indexing Issues

All right, you’ve identified some pages that aren’t being indexed. Let’s fix that!

“Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag”

• Remove the noindex tag: If the page should be indexed, remove the <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”> tag from the page’s HTML code. Also, check your HTTP headers to make sure that a noindex rule isn’t being sent that way.
• Check your CMS settings: If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, check the page isn’t accidentally set to “noindex” in the settings.
• Resubmit the URL to Google: Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to request indexing for the page.

“Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user”

• Review the content: Check that the page you want indexed is actually the best and most comprehensive version of the content.
• Strengthen internal linking: Make sure plenty of internal links point to the page you want indexed, using relevant anchor text.
• Re-evaluate the canonical tag: Is the canonical tag pointing to the correct page? Double check!
• Consider merging the content: If the two pages are very similar, consider merging them into a single, stronger page.

Screaming Frog shows “Non-Indexable” status

• Check for noindex tag (again!): Screaming Frog is great at spotting those pesky noindex tags.
• Check for other robots meta tags: Look for other robots meta tags that might be preventing indexing, such as nofollow.
• Inspect the URL in Google Search Console: Use the URL Inspection tool to see if Google is reporting any specific indexing issues.

Step 5: Test the Performance and Accessibility of Your Website

Google pays close attention to site performance. Websites that are quick to load, optimized for all devices, and accessible for all users tend to get higher rankings — simply because that’s what most people prefer.

So, checking performance is an important step in your technical SEO audit checklist.

There are hundreds of testing tools made for this purpose. We’re going to use a free one, made by Google: Lighthouse.

Here’s the workflow:

1. Visit https://pagespeed.web.dev/
2. Enter the URL of your website in the big box and hit Analyze
3. Wait a minute or two for Lighthouse to create an audit report
4. Boom, you have data!

At the top of the page, you will see two tabs: “Mobile” and “Desktop.”

Why is mobile the default? Because Google indexes the mobile version of your website first, followed by the desktop version. It makes sense, given that the majority of web traffic is now generated by mobile devices.

As you scroll down, there are two key sections to look at:

Performance Analysis

Lighthouse provides a pretty detailed analysis of your site performance, and how it might impact your SEO efforts.

Everything in green is good. Orange is usable. Red is a major problem.

The “Diagnostics” section gives you really good feedback on individual performance issues, and how you can fix them. Just click on any item on the list for more detail.

Below this, you should see the label “Passed Audits.” Tap that to expand a list of tests that your site has aced. Instant ego boost, right there.

Accessibility Analysis

Your scorecard for accessibility provides feedback on the most important stuff, like legibility and alt text.

Unfortunately, Lighthouse can’t automatically test every aspect of a website — so the app provides a checklist of things you can test manually. Access this list by clicking Additional Items to Manually Check.

Step 6: Hunt Down Duplicate Content

There’s no official penalty for having multiple pages on your website with identical content.

But Google doesn’t like showing multiple versions of the same thing. It’s confusing for users, and makes it harder for Google to figure out which pages to rank. You could even end up competing with yourself in the search results!

To check your site for duplicates, visit Google Search. Type info: followed by your site’s domain (e.g. info: example.com) and hit Enter.

Go to the very last page of the search results. If Google suspects you have duplicate content, you might see a message like this:

“In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the X already displayed.”

This doesn’t guarantee you have a serious duplication problem, but it’s a sign that you should investigate further.

Using Screaming Frog To Find Duplicate Content

If that quick check raises a red flag, it’s time to bring out the big guns! Fire up Screaming Frog and take another look at your crawl results.

Sort the table by “Page Title.” This will group together pages with the same or similar titles, which are often a sign of duplicate content.

When you identify one of these groups, examine the content of the individual pages to see if they’re truly duplicates.

Action Checklist: Deal With the Duplicates

If you find duplicate content, don’t panic! There are a few ways to fix it:

• 301 redirects: If one page is clearly the “main” version, redirect the duplicate page to the main page.
• Canonical tags: Use canonical tags to tell Google which version of the page you want it to index.
• Noindex tag: If a page really doesn’t need to be indexed (like a printer-friendly version of an article), use the “noindex” tag to tell Google to ignore it.

Step 7: Review Your Structured Data

Phew, that’s a lot of auditing already. Don’t fret; you’re on the home straight!

The last piece of our SEO puzzle is structured data, also known as schema markup. This information helps Google to interpret your content and deliver useful extras in the results page.

Say you run a foodie website and you want your recipes to appear in Featured Snippets. Google is much more likely to pick your content if you serve up key information like prep time, ingredients, and user ratings in a tasty format.

There are loads of great, free tools for generating schema markup, like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. For WordPress sites, AIOSEO makes the process really easy.

To validate your structured data, we would recommend using Google’s Rich Results Test. Simply type in your website’s domain, and check out the results.

As with several other Google tools, you should see a status for each data type. You can also click each item to get more information on how to address the errors.

The TL;DR Technical SEO Audit

That was a lot of scrolling. If you’re looking for a shortcut, we’re happy to help!

Here are the absolute basics you need to perform an SEO audit.

1. Google your site: Use the site: search operator, and check if there are any major pages missing from the search results. 
2. Run your site through Google Search Console’s “Page Indexing Report”: Click on the given reasons to see which pages are missing, and why.
3. Scan your site with Screaming Frog: After installing the app, enter your domain in the top bar and hit Start. Check all the URLs marked as “Non-indexable” and see if any important pages are listed.
4. Test your site performance and accessibility with Lighthouse: Click on the individual results to get advice on optimizing your site.
5. Use Screaming Frog to find duplicates: Look for URLs with similar page titles. You may need to delete, combine, or tag the copy you want to appear in the search.
6. Check your schema markup using Google’s Rich Results Test: Don’t have any? Use a free structured data generator.

If you get stuck, just scroll up to get more information!

Technical SEO Audit? That’s a Smart Business Move

This might all seem like nerding out for no reason, but keep in mind that the SEO performance of your site can have a real impact on your bottom line.

If you’re looking for more ways to improve your small business website, consider moving to DreamHost hosting.

Our plans come with unlimited bandwidth, 100% uptime, and a whole stack of useful features. Sign up today to give it a try!

Pro Services – SEO Marketing

Search Engine Optimization Made Easy

We take the guesswork (and actual work) out of growing your website traffic with SEO.

Learn More

This page contains affiliate links. This means we may earn a commission if you purchase services through our link without any extra cost to you.

The post How To Perform a Comprehensive Technical SEO Audit appeared first on DreamHost Blog.

Something’s changed in the way people find us online.

AI summaries at the top of search results are answering questions before anyone even clicks on a website. The statistics reflect this reality. Even if the rankings remain unchanged, AI overviews result in a 60% decrease in average click-through rates (CTR).

It’s like the rules changed overnight and no one sent us a memo.

Luckily, there’s hope.

While AI handles the surface-level answers, people will click through if your search result seems deeper and more valuable than the AI overview.

Let’s look at seven strategies to improve organic CTR.

What Is Click-Through Rate?

First, what exactly are we measuring?

Your organic click-through rate represents the percentage of people who click on your search result after seeing it.

Say your page appears in search results 1,000 times but only gets 20 clicks, here’s how we’ll calculate your CTR:

20 clicks ÷ 1000 impressions = 2% CTR

But raw numbers only tell part of the story.

CTR varies dramatically based on your ranking position, industry, and search intent.

While the top organic result averages a 39.8% CTR, that drops to 18.4% for position two and further declines down the page.

Why Your CTR Matters More Than Ever

The impact of a strong CTR extends far beyond immediate traffic gains.

Recent data reveals there’s a significant shift in search behavior. Google’s AI Overviews now appear in 15% of queries, pushing organic listings down by “200 to 2,000 pixels” in search results.

A study of 23 websites by Gilad David Maayan documented organic traffic drops between 18 and 64% following this change.

The impact is quantifiable: AI results drive “6x searches per day” but lead to a “60% decrease in average CTR,” potentially reducing organic traffic by 30% across websites.

As Google notes in Let Google do the searching for you; while overall traffic may decrease, the quality of visits often improves.

This shift marks a critical juncture where “basic information is now seen as a commodity.”

Your ability to earn clicks now depends on demonstrating value beyond what AI can summarize.

When users consistently choose your result (even with the AI overview present), it sends powerful signals to search engines about your content’s relevance and value.

This creates a virtuous cycle where higher engagement leads to better rankings, which in turn drives more visibility and clicks.

7 Proven Strategies To Transform Your CTR

When every single website is going to feel the pain of the traffic drop, here are seven things you can do to get some of the attention from the AI overview and to your website.

1. Keep Your Title Between 40 and 60 Characters

Your title tag serves as the headline in search results, making it your first and often only chance to capture attention. Backlinko found that titles between 40 and 60 characters (six to nine words) have the highest organic CTR.

The words you add matter more than how many you add.

Consider these two approaches for an email open-rate article:

Which one would you rather click on?

The second title creates an immediate emotional investment. It combines a surprising statistic with the promise of actionable solutions — exactly what a worried business owner needs.

You could also use scarcity as a trigger to make people click on your link. Building upon our email marketing examples

For instance, “Free Email Campaign Audit (Limited to 10 Businesses This Month).”

Customers looking for local businesses have a gnawing problem — they come across websites that rank for the keywords but don’t actually service their areas.

If you’re a local business, consider adding the city name in your title so that the first obstacle is out of the way for your potential customers.

Example: “Phoenix Plumbing Services – 24/7 Emergency Repairs.”

And remember, you don’t need to guess which title would work. There are tools that let you run A/B tests with title variants and pick the best one based on data instead. 

Remember, you’re writing for humans first, and algorithms second, and your title should reflect that.

2. Highlight Pain Points in Meta Descriptions

Despite the meta description being a critical piece of real estate on SERPs, many site owners tend to overlook it.

This 155-160 character snippet should act as a compelling elevator pitch that addresses the searcher’s underlying needs and motivations.

You could use a bland meta description like this one:

“Learn about email marketing best practices and tips to improve your campaigns.”

OR, you could structure your meta description like this:

• Hook: “Frustrated by low open rates?”
• Benefit: “Discover how 50+ businesses doubled their email engagement without spending more on ads.”
• CTA: “Get our proven framework.”

Here’s the final version:

“Frustrated by low open rates? Discover how 50+ businesses doubled their email engagement without spending more on ads. Get our proven framework.”

Notice how the second version acknowledges the reader’s challenge, provides social proof, and offers a clear value proposition — all the while maintaining natural keyword usage. That’s exactly what we want to aim for when optimizing meta descriptions.

3. Clean Up Ugly URLs To Build Trust

Clean, descriptive URLs might seem like a minor detail, but they help you earn clicks. When faced with multiple search results, users often glance at URLs to gauge relevance and trustworthiness.

A URL like “yoursite.com/blog/p=123?id=456” tells users nothing about the content, and a single element of doubt is enough for someone scrolling the search results to skip your link.

Compare that to “yoursite.com/blog/email-marketing-case-study.”

The second URL instantly communicates what the page contains, building confidence in the click.

Here are three rules for SEO-friendly URLs:

1. Use hyphens (-), not underscores (_).
2. Keep under 80 characters.
3. Include 1–2 keywords (e.g., /best-ctr-practices).

Also remember, if you’re updating URLs, you need to redirect the old ones to the new ones correctly. Set up 301 redirects via .htaccess to preserve SEO value.

4. Use Rich Results To Occupy More SERP Space

Rich snippets make your listing visually larger, grabbing more visual real estate on the SERPs.

Here are the types of rich snippets and their impact on CTR:

While you can’t directly control whether Google displays rich results for your pages, you can optimize for them through strategic schema markup.

Here’s how to add schema markup:

1. Install All in One SEO.
2. Navigate to the required markup module (for instance, the FAQ module) on your WordPress post.
3. Add questions and answers directly.

You can then use Google’s Rich Results Test to make sure that the markup is error-free.

5. Optimize for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets — Google’s “position zero” results — are the holy grail of organic search.

While largely replaced by AI overviews now, you’ll still find featured snippets for queries that the AI overview cannot satisfy.

On that note, even if the queries you’re trying to rank for have an AI overview, you can work towards optimizing for a featured snippet.

Because after all, Google’s AI still pulls information from the top-ranking pages and cites them as a source in the overview.

Now, you’ll see three types of featured snippets when an AI overview is not available (which is a rare visual these days):

1. Paragraph snippets (50–60 words): “How to improve organic CTR: Start by optimizing title tags to 50–60 characters. Include power words like ‘Free’ or ‘Proven’…”
2. List snippets (Bulleted/Numbered): “7 CTR Tips: 1) Write compelling titles 2) Add FAQ schema 3) Simplify URLs…”
3. Table snippets: For instance, comparing SEO tools, pricing, or stats.

To rank in a featured snippet, you only need to answer the target query as clearly as possible without beating around the bush.

For instance, if the question is:

Does Google show low-DR websites in featured snippets?

The answer should be something like:

Yes! Google shows low-DR websites in featured snippets. Featured snippets only consider how well a query is answered on a relevant website ranking on page #1 of the search results.

You see, we don’t waste time adding random information here. The answer is clearly stated first, and then we add some additional context to the answer.

6. Build Credibility Through Social Proof

Human psychology hasn’t changed much since our cave days — we still look to others’ actions to guide our decisions. 88% of users trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

So, adding social proof to your search listings can provide the trust signals needed to stand out in crowded results.

Review schema added to your website can make your search results stand out and take up a little more visual space than the rest of the page.

You can also embed Google My Business reviews in schema markup so the star ratings show on search like this one below:

If that doesn’t work, another way is to state the number of users. You’ll generally see this in customer testimonial sections where the business states the number of “happy customers.”

You could add a heading stating something along the lines of:

“50,000+ customers served and counting!”

While that’s not enough proof if a prospect is visiting you for the first time, it builds some form of initial trust and credibility.

7. Use Speed To Boost Rankings

Walmart found every 1-second improvement in load time increased conversions by 2%.

Plus, Google prefers faster websites in their ranking algorithms. For us, that’s enough motivation to try building a faster, more optimized website.

Here are some quick fixes:

1. Enable lazy loading using WP Rocket.
2. Compress images with ShortPixel (free for 100 images/month).
3. Test mobile usability with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
4. Improve Core Web Vitals for your website.

If you’ve exhausted all available website speed optimization strategies, consider switching to a faster web hosting service like DreamHost’s cloud hosting to decrease server response time.

From Rankings to Results: Your CTR Action Plan

Understanding CTR optimization strategies is one thing — implementing them effectively is another.

You want to start by auditing your current search presence through the eyes of your target audience.

• What questions or objections might prevent them from clicking? 
• How does your listing compare to competitors?

To simplify the process, we’ve created a CTR checklist you can use.

CTR Optimization Checklist

Each task below represents a strategic touchpoint for optimizing your click-through rates. Consider this your compass for CTR optimization.

1. Foundation

• Search Console analysis:
  • Extract data from the last 90 days.
  • Map CTR patterns against ranking positions.
  • Why: Gives you a baseline and reveals immediate opportunities.

• Competitive intelligence:
  • Document competitor listing elements.
  • Note unique value propositions in their snippets.
  • Why: Understanding competition helps differentiate your approach.

2. Content Architecture

• Title tag engineering:
  • Replace generic words with data points (“72% of Businesses…”).
  • Include year markers for timely content.
  • Why: Creates immediate emotional connection and urgency

• Meta description crafting:
  • Open with the core value proposition.
  • Include one compelling statistic.
  • Add clear calls-to-action.
  • Why: Moves passive viewers into the lead funnel.

3. Technical Framework

• Speed optimization:
  • Enable lazy loading.
  • Compress images via ShortPixel.
  • Test mobile responsiveness.
  • Why: Every millisecond impacts user trust and Google’s perception.

• Schema implementation:
  • Add review markup where relevant.
  • Structure FAQ schema for rich snippets.
  • Validate technical implementation.
  • Why: Enhances SERP visibility and click appeal.

4. Trust Signals

• Social proof integration:
  • Display specific numbers (“50,000+ users”).
  • Show industry recognition.
  • Feature client results.
  • Why: Builds immediate credibility in search results.

• Content quality:
  • Structure for featured snippets.
  • Provide value beyond AI summaries.
  • Create a clear information hierarchy.
  • Why: Make sure the content delivers on the promises made in the SERPs.

5. Measuring Success

• Performance tracking:
  • Document changes in 30-day cycles.
  • Compare CTR across devices.
  • Monitor bounce rates.
  • Why: Creates accountability and optimization opportunities.

• Iteration framework:
  • Test one element at a time.
  • Document all variations.
  • Track impact on conversion rates.
  • Why: Builds a data-driven optimization cycle.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Organic CTR

AI overviews have already made SEO hard enough. And the pace at which Google’s core updates go live is sure to make even the best of SEOs scramble for new strategies.

So, how can you, as a small business owner, keep your website chugging along without spending hours every day learning new things?

Honestly, your success in improving CTR will ultimately come down to empathy — understanding what your target audience needs at the moment they see your search result and communicating your ability to deliver it clearly and convincingly.

However, implementing optimization strategies is a time-consuming task.

That’s where DreamHost comes in.

DreamHost’s SEO professional services include:

• A dedicated SEO manager guiding your strategy.
• Technical specialists implementing proven optimization techniques.
• Monthly strategy sessions and detailed performance reports.
• Continuous improvements focused on measurable results.

Think of it as having your own SEO department without the overhead.

While others play catch-up with AI changes, you’ll have a team proactively adapting your strategy, helping your content rank and resonate with your audience.

The question now isn’t whether to adapt to the changing SEO landscape, but how you can do so most effectively.

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The post 7 Tips To Improve Your Website’s Organic Click-Through Rate (CTR) appeared first on DreamHost Blog.

In fact, it almost seems too good to be true…

The truth is, AI can definitely assist your content marketing and social media efforts, but it’s essential to know when it can be helpful, and when to stick with a human touch.

In this guide, we’ll take a glimpse into the world of AI writing — and explore how to use your resources at peak efficiency.

Let’s get to work!

Why AI Content Changes the Game for Small Businesses

Let’s set two things straight:

• Current AI cannot replace you, or your staff.
• However, it can make your entire team more productive.

Think of using AI as like hiring a smart apprentice — not the most skilled or experienced person on your team, but they have boundless energy and they’re eager to impress. Plus, they’re great at using the latest tech and finding answers online.

By integrating tools like ChatGPT into your content creation process, you can save time on boring-but-necessary tasks.

That means you have more time and energy to invest in coming up with great ideas, promoting your work, and other areas of your business.

Not convinced? Nielsen recently analyzed three separate studies and found that people using AI for business improved productivity by 66%.

Think how much more you could get done in a week with an upgrade like that!

Quick Wins: How AI Can Improve Your Content Workflow Right Now

You might be wondering, “What kind of tasks can I automate with AI?”

There are many possible answers here. If you’re looking for some quick wins, here’s the lowest-hanging fruit:

• Brainstorming: If you’re stuck for inspiration, you can ask your AI assistant to spitball some ideas.
• Drafting: AI writing tools can create long-form content in seconds, allowing you to focus on fact-checking and making tweaks.
• Translating: While AI isn’t as accurate as a human translator, it can certainly help translate foreign text to your native language.
• Editing: Tools like Grammarly can be your personal human proofreader and English Lit professor in one.

We will take a closer look at these techniques and other AI use cases later.

Guardrails for AI Content: Preserving the Personal Touch

Wow, this AI stuff seems cool. Maybe you can get it to do everything and then spend your days relaxing on a Caribbean beach lounger?

Well, we hate to break it to you…

Artificial intelligence is very impressive, yes — but it’s not faultless. In fact, it sometimes makes mistakes that would make the average six-year-old ashamed.

Just last year, McDonald’s had to suspend using AI to take drive-thru orders after the system added a total of 260 Chicken McNuggets to the order of one perplexed customer.

That customer wasn’t ridiculously hungry – They actually pleaded with the AI to stop adding McNuggets to the order.

Similarly, Air Canada had to pay compensation to one flyer who had been misinformed by the company chatbot about refunds on bereavement fares.

To avoid AI disasters like these, it’s important to follow these best practices:

• Always use human oversight: It’s not a good idea to publish any AI-powered content without checking it for errors.
• Provide information for the AI to reference: Many errors occur when AI has to guess or fill in the gaps. Most tools allow you to upload PDFs and data; use this feature to educate your chosen AI content generator.
• Have clear policies on AI usage: It’s not only the AI that needs guidance. Make sure your team knows when it’s appropriate to use AI, and when to avoid it.

AI Content Marketing Masterclass: 7 Use Cases To Try

We’ve lectured you enough about the potential benefits and pitfalls. It’s time to fire up your favorite AI tool and see what this (very intelligent) baby can do.

Here’s a blueprint for supercharging your entire content marketing workflow:

1. Brainstorming Content Ideas

Coming up with an endless list of fresh and interesting content ideas can be draining. Tools like ChatGPT can take some of the creative burden off your shoulders by making suggestions.

Simply type in:

• What type of content you want
• Who you’re aiming to reach
• Which topics you want to cover
• Any formatting requirements

And your chosen AI-powered tool should deliver the goods.

The results are rarely perfect, but it should give you something to work with — a launchpad for your creative spaceship ? (to use a forced analogy).

Pro Tip: If you want to make these ideas fit your brand character a little better, you can input some previous examples.

⭐️ Bonus Pro Tip: Like the rest of us, AI models can be lazy. Specify the exact number of suggestions you want, to make sure you’re not short-changed!

Recommended tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, DreamHost Business Advisor AI.

Example prompt:
I need to create some SEO blog posts. My audience is 18 to 35-year-old water-skiers who live in Alaska. I would like to write some posts on ice breaking, first aid, and the most insulated wetsuits in the world. These posts should be around 1,000–2,000 words long, with catchy titles. Please give me 10 ideas for blog posts.

2. Creating Rough Drafts

AI content creation tools are way faster at writing than you or me. Getting your AI assistant to rustle up a fast draft of blog posts, social media posts, and other types of content is a great way to save time.

The process is very similar to the ideation workflow above:

1. Input your requirements: Choose your content type, audience, topics, and format. 
2. Add an outline: Give the AI some idea of what you want to cover. You can always get the same tool to make an outline for you!
3. Paste in an example post as reference material: Upload a style guide or your branding guidelines if you have them.
4. Thoroughly check the output and make adjustments: You can also ask the AI to change the direction or tone of the outline as you see fit.

Pro Tip: If you’re creating a long-form article, try splitting it into sections. Most AI tools perform better when you give them one small task at a time.

Recommended tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Jasper, Writer, Grammarly.

Example prompt:
I need to write a report about people who go waterskiing in stupid places. The article is aimed at 35 to 50-year-old people who are interested in learning from bad decisions. Please use this to outline a post and mimic the style and tone of the writing example given below.
Writing example: [EXAMPLE]

3. AI Image and Video Generation

Writing isn’t the only talent that AI brings to the table. Visual content is also a strong suit, from blog post headers to head-turning video content.

You can create images with ChatGPT using DALL-E, a specialized model that is built into the platform. Many content creators already use this tool to generate simple social media photos.

If you want a bit more polish, it’s worth experimenting with dedicated tools like MidJourney and Pika. If you’re interested in learning more about moving images, check out our comprehensive guide to AI video generators.

Recommended tools: DALL-E (available via ChatGPT), MidJourney, Pika, Veo 2.

Example prompt:
Create an image that shows a person in a hospital waiting room with broken waterskis resting on a chair next to them.

4. AI-Powered Social Media Management

Posting to multiple social media platforms every day and replying to endless comments can be a real chore. Thankfully, AI is really good at being social — online.

Apps like Ocoya and FeedHive have built-in AI writing tools, allowing you to generate and schedule posts in a flash. Other platforms have similar text-to-image models.

Meanwhile, Brand24 uses AI to analyze what people are saying about your business online. This is really helpful for figuring out what most people feel about your brand.

As with other AI use cases, the key here is to use AI as a tool — not a replacement for your social media team.

Pro Tip: Use analytics features to track which posts perform best. This way, you can refine your strategy and keep your audience engaged!

Recommended tools: Ocoya, FeedHive, Predis.ai, Publer, Brand24.

5. Translate Your Content to Different Languages

English might be the lingua franca of the Internet, but plenty of people on this planet aren’t too familiar with the language.

To reach customers who speak other languages, you can leverage AI tools for high-quality content translation.

This might seem like a specialized task, but ChatGPT and Claude are as powerful as any dedicated software. Here are a couple of things to remember:

• AI translation works best in the most popular languages: This is because there’s simply more content to learn from.
• These apps factor in context: Whereas Google Translate is more like a translation dictionary, generative AI models look for the meaning of your writing.
• You should probably get the translations checked: Just as you shouldn’t publish AI-generated content without a check, you shouldn’t rely on AI to get translations spot on. We don’t want any diplomatic incidents…

Pro Tip: In your prompt, tell the AI what type of content you’re trying to translate. This context helps the model to deliver a more accurate result.

Recommended tools: DeepL, Google Cloud Translation AI, Lokalise, Language Tool.

Example prompt:
Translate this English SEO blog post about Alaskan waterskiers into French.
[PASTED POST]

6. Repurposing Existing Content

Talking about a familiar subject is much easier than writing about it. But written content is still king of the online realm.

The solution? Get AI to turn your spoken words into written ones. AI transcription apps such as Otter.ai are impressively fast and accurate.

Similarly, not everyone wants to dive into a 10,000-word report. Using free AI tools, you can quickly extract bitesize chunks to share on your socials.

Repurposing is actually one of the best AI use cases right now. It’s a 2-for-1 deal: you get extra mileage for your existing content, and it takes less time than usual.

Pro Tip: If you record videos for marketing, try using Descript. This AI-powered platform can chop full videos into snippets, edit the audio for sharing in a podcast, and even create a written transcription!

Recommended tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Otter.ai, Descript.

Example prompt:
Using extracts from this report on waterskiing safety, give me five short quotes I can post in an Instagram carousel, highlighting the dangers of sliding across the frozen sea.

7. Reviewing Your Work

While machines can make mistakes, so can we.

When you don’t have a second pair of eyes to check over your work, you can ask AI to take a look instead.

It might sound counterintuitive, given all the talk about oversight, but AI is actually a great proofreader. It can pick up potential errors in grammar, suggest improvements to your writing, and even point out factual errors.

Grammarly is the leader in this niche. This popular grammar checker now has AI features that analyze the tone of your writing and highlight ugly writing.

Pro Tip: Before you publish your next blog post, paste the text into ChatGPT and ask the AI to find any mistakes. You might be surprised!

Recommended tools: Grammarly, Wordtune, ProWritingAid, Hemingway Editor.

Example prompt:
Check this blog post about armor-plated wetsuits for grammatical and factual errors.
[PASTED POST]

Best Practices for Working With AI-Generated Content

Generating content is an exciting use case for AI. But it also demands the most caution.

If you want to create content without causing havoc, follow these best practices:

• Don’t aggravate search engines: Pumping out content using AI might seem like a smart SEO play, but search engines will mark you down heavily if that content is generic and low quality.
• Put resources into quality control: It only takes one silly mistake to tarnish your brand, so it’s vital to review and refine AI content.
• Think about brand consistency: If you don’t have brand guidelines, make them now. AI tools need this information to match your tone.

Most of all, dedicate some time to experimenting with AI. This is by far the best way to figure out exactly how technology can help your business!

Start Creating Better Content Today

TL;DR: AI is not a replacement for the human touch. It’s a tool that can enhance your work.

No matter what’s on the horizon in the near future, your business will benefit from being an early adopter. And the good news is, you don’t have to break the bank to get started!

Popular tools like ChatGPT and Claude offer limited free access, and DreamHost customers get unlimited access to our Business Advisor AI.

Sign up today to give it a try and unlock 100% guaranteed uptime for your business website at the same time!

The post How To Scale Blog and Social Media Content With AI While Keeping It Credible appeared first on DreamHost Blog.

Why? Because Google knows that geography matters.

From hospitality and retail to security and manufacturing, most companies focus on serving nearby customers. Your business is probably the same.

If you want to reach more local customers, try local SEO (search engine optimization). This marketing tactic involves optimizing your online presence for a specific location or region.

In this guide, we’ll explain what local SEO is all about and how you can execute this marketing game plan. Let’s get started!

What Is Local SEO? (And Why Should You Care?)

The aim of SEO is to make your website more likely to appear when someone searches for certain terms.

Local SEO has a more specific goal: make your website more likely to appear for people searching within a specific physical location.

Optimizing your website for a local area is a 2-for-1 deal:

1. Higher ranking: When people in your target area search for terms related to your website, you’re more likely to rank high in the general search results. This is because Google and other search engines personalize results for each user.
2. Local Pack appearance: When Google thinks the user is looking for a local business or venue, the Local Pack appears. This box lives at the top of the results page, highlighting businesses near the user. Your site could be one of them!

In other words, local SEO is like a cheat code. Instead of battling with every similar website around the world, you’re only taking on local competitors!

How Local SEO Works

To understand what local SEO looks like in the real world, let’s go back to the plumbers.

Mario and Luigi are skilled tradesmen. They can handle pretty much any plumbing task (especially anything to do with big green pipes), and they have a great reputation.

But when local people searched for plumbers, the brothers didn’t come up on Google.

To fix this issue, they made some adjustments:

• They added their business address to their website, along with a section that mentions all the locations they cover.
• They set up a Google Business Profile and filled out details about the business.
• They took listings in local directories online and started to post in local community groups on social media.
• They did some local link-building by reaching out to other business owners.

Within a few weeks, Mario and Luigi appeared more regularly in search results, and soon enough, they became the first name that popped up whenever local people searched for plumbers.

By the end of the year, their calendar was full.

This might sound like a princess-rescue-type fairytale, but it rings true:

• 63.6% of consumers say they are likely to check reviews on Google before visiting a business location.
• 76% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit a business within a day.
• 28% of searches for something nearby result in a purchase.

Want to hear the craziest stat? Less than half of businesses work on local SEO. They are literally throwing away good web traffic.

Not you, though. Be smart like everyone’s favorite Italian plumbers.

via GIPHY

The 5 Best Local SEO Strategies

We know what you’re thinking: more SEO tasks?!

The good news is that local SEO is really easy to implement. Plus, you have less competition.

Here are our top SEO tips for bossing local search results, ordered from “easy win” to “requires a bit more effort”:

1. Claiming Your Google Business Profile

If you don’t want to bother with anything else on this list, claim your Google Business Profile.

This is the virtual business card that pops up when you check out a company within the search results. It’s like having a mini website inside Google. And Google itself tells us it’s really important:

• Customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable if they find a complete Business Profile.
• Customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from businesses with a complete Business Profile.

So, how do you complete your profile? You just have to claim it.

Head over to Google Maps, and make sure you’re signed in with a Google account. Next, right-click anywhere on the map. Yes, anywhere.

The pop-up menu will give you the option to Add your business. Click that.

Then, follow the on-screen steps:

1. Input the name of your business: If you’re already registered on Google Maps, you can select your business name here.
2. Select your business type: Tell Google whether you have a physical store or if you’re more online-based.
3. Add your industry and locations: You can include multiple regions.
4. Input your contact details: Add your phone number and your website address.

Once you agree to add your business to Google, you will be asked to verify your identity.

With verification complete, you can add lots more info about your company through the Google “My Business” dashboard — from your opening hours to photos of your products. The more you add, the more compelling your Business Profile will be!

We particularly recommend filling out the “Description”; describe what your business does, who it serves, and where it covers. This is prime SEO real estate!

2. Target Location-Specific Keywords

Speaking of SEO, let’s talk about keywords.

Search engines do a decent job of serving up relevant local businesses. Sometimes, though, companies from around the world claim the top search result spots.

Why? Because they have optimized their content for local keywords.

For example, instead of targeting the keyword, “affordable whitening dentist,” they might target “affordable whitening dentist new york.”

Local keyword variants like this make it crystal clear which areas you cover, meaning search engines are more likely to serve up your site to local people. Plus, you’ll rank higher if someone specifically adds a location to their search.

You can probably guess some local keywords that would be important for your site. There are also SEO tools you can use to uncover hidden gold.

Free platforms like Google Keyword Planner give you insights into search volume and competition. Paid tools like Ahrefs and Semrush offer even more advanced features — but if you’re just starting out, the freebies are a great place to begin. (BTW, check out our killer guide on keyword research for more info!).

Once you’ve got your list of location-specific keywords, it’s time to sprinkle them in naturally throughout your website content. Don’t just cram them in wherever you can — that’s called keyword stuffing, and Google hates it.

Instead, think about how your customers would naturally search. Use your keywords in your page titles, headings, meta descriptions (those little snippets that show up in search results), and within the body of your content.

For example, instead of just “Beautiful Bouquets,” try a title like “Beautiful Bouquets for Every Occasion in Austin, TX.”

And in your meta description, you could say something like, “Find the perfect bouquet for your loved one in Austin. Same-day delivery available!”

See? It’s all about being specific and helpful.

3. Get Some Local Backlinks

Okay, we’ve picked the low-hanging fruit. Now, it’s time to do some real work.

Backlinks (i.e. links to your site on other websites) are an essential ingredient in SEO. In the eyes of search engines, they are a vote of confidence in your content. The more backlinks you have from high-quality websites, the more likely you are to rank highly.

The same applies to local SEO. If other websites with local ties link to your website, search engines will assume your business is big news in your town or region.

So, how do you snag these valuable local backlinks? It’s all about building relationships and getting involved in your community, both online and offline.

Start with any local businesses you already have connections with. Reach out and see if they’d be willing to link to your website. Mutual backlinking is common practice.

Next, explore online directories specifically for your city or region. Getting a business listing on these sites not only gets you a backlink, but also increases your visibility to potential customers in your area.

Another great way to build local backlinks is by creating high-quality, shareable content. For instance, you could publish blog posts about local events, guides to local attractions, or even interviews with other local business owners.

When other websites find your content valuable, they’re more likely to link to it, boosting your SEO juice.

And here’s a pro tip: sponsor local events or charities. Sponsors often get a mention (and that all-important backlink) on the event or organization’s website. It’s a win-win: you’re supporting your community and boosting your SEO.

Building local backlinks takes time and effort, but it’s totally worth it.

4. Build Trust With Reviews and Ratings

What makes Google choose one local business over the next? Sometimes, it’s about on-page SEO or backlinks. But there’s also an online reputation to consider.

Businesses that receive a heap of glowing reviews from customers on Google tend to feature more prominently in search results. And because they have great ratings, these businesses also attract more interest from potential customers.

Sounds like a good place to be. The question is, how do businesses attract all those positive reviews?

The key is to make it really easy for happy customers to leave a review. You can do this by sending them an after-sales email that includes a link to your Google Business Profile. You could even offer customers a small incentive (like a voucher) if they follow through.

Of course, not all reviews are super favorable. So, it’s important to respond to negative comments professionally and resolve problems where possible.

Sometimes, just acknowledging the issue and offering to make things right can turn a disgruntled customer into a loyal one. It also proves to potential new customers that your heart is in the right place.

While good reviews alone won’t massively enhance your visibility in local search results, they do contribute to your overall local SEO strategy.

5. Start Creating Hyper-Local Content

Wow, you made it to the fifth tip! You’re really committed to this local SEO thing, huh?

If you want to blow your local competition out of the water, try publishing hyper-local content — content that is tailored to a specific region, city, or even neighborhood.

There are two main advantages of going hyper-local:

1. When you mention someone’s specific area by name, your business appears as the local option. Many people prefer working with a local small business rather than an international giant.
2. Your hyper-local content is great for capturing local keywords. If someone tries to find a “hamburger restaurant on carter avenue,” you’ve got the local search rankings covered.

So, what kind of content can you create?

• Let’s say you own a coffee shop in a small town. You could write blog posts about local events happening nearby, like the farmers’ market or the annual summer festival.
• If you’re a real estate agent, you could create neighborhood guides highlighting each area’s best schools, parks, and restaurants. 

The key is to think about what your target audience is interested in and create content that’s relevant to their local lives.

For example, Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens, Ohio, has a Sustainability blog on their website where they post articles on efforts and partnerships with local organizations.

And don’t be afraid to get personal! Share your own experiences and insights about your local area. What are your favorite local spots? What makes your community special?

The more authentic and engaging your content is, the more it will resonate with your audience — customers searching for stuff.

The Best Local SEO Tools

We’ve got the game plan sorted. The last step is to put it into practice.

You don’t need a lot of tools to improve your local SEO (another advantage of this marketing strategy). But there are a few apps that will help you optimize for local customers.

Here’s our picks!

For Local Keyword Research

• Google Keyword Planner: The OG of keyword research. It’s free and straight from the source.
• AnswerThePublic: Find what locals are actually asking. Free for basic searches.
• Ubersuggest: Neil Patel’s gift to small businesses. Limited free searches daily.

For Google Business Profile Management

• Business Profile Manager: Your command center for local visibility.
• Google Analytics 4: The premier analytics platform for websites. Essential for tracking your progress.

For Monitoring Reviews

• Google Alerts: Get an email update whenever your business is mentioned online.
• Yelp Business Center: Track and respond to Yelp reviews.
• Mention: Freemium social listening tool. The paid plans are also super affordable.

Local SEO Health Checkers

• Moz Local Listing Score: Check your local SEO vital signs for free.
• BrightLocal Local Search Audit Tool: A slightly more advanced, freemium tool. A free trial is great for getting an initial reading.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Dive into the technical side of local SEO. Free plan available.

Local Rankings Trackers

• Google Search Console: Your direct line to Google’s brain.
• Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: Not as deep as the full Ahrefs suite, but a useful collection of free search analysis tools.
• Semrush: More free SEO tools, with upgrades available for advanced features.

Pretty much all the tools above are free or super affordable. It’s only worth coughing up more if you’re working on local optimization as part of a wider SEO campaign.

Want a deeper dive? We made a comprehensive guide to SEO tools for business owners just like you!

Local SEO Made Easy

From filling up your Google Business Profile to getting listed in business directories, you now know the best practices in local SEO.

Compared with many other marketing strategies, going local is an easy win. It doesn’t take any deep research or heavy editing on your site. You can even make progress without changing your website at all.

Just remember our top local SEO tips:

1. Claim your Google Business Profile and add your business information.
2. Find local keywords and target them with your content.
3. Get backlinks from other locally tied websites.
4. Encourage your customers to leave reviews.
5. Supercharge your SEO game with hyper-local content.

Remember, completing these tasks will mean diddly squat if your site constantly goes down.

If you want a more reliable hosting experience, try switching to DreamHost. Our plans come with a 100% uptime guarantee, and they are super affordable. We even offer a handy SEO toolkit!

Sign up today to put your website on a rock-solid foundation.

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The post 5 Local SEO Strategies To Attract More Customers in Your Area appeared first on DreamHost Blog.

But more customer queries are coming in, and they need answering. Oh, and there are returns to process. And more orders to ship out. And your website needs updating. And fine-tuning your marketing plan —that’s been on your to-do list, but customers have to come first!

When you own a business, you want to give every single person who interacts with your brand a genuine, helpful experience, but there are only so many hours in the day. If you’ve ever wished you had an extra set of hands to help build and maintain customer relationships, you’re not alone. But what if you don’t need extra hands —just an extra…neural network?

Artificial intelligence (AI) might be just what you need to help bolster your customer relationships and free up more of your valuable time for strategic thinking and growing your business. Contrary to what you might have heard, AI isn’t here to replace you. Instead, it can handle repetitive tasks, sift through data to find hidden insights, and free you up to focus on the human side of your business: connecting with your audience in a meaningful way.

Why Customer Relationships Matter More Than Ever

There’s a big difference between customer service (which typically focuses on handling immediate problems or questions) — and customer relationships, which encompass an ongoing, long-term connection. Customer service is about being responsive; customer relationships are about fostering trust and loyalty over time.

Customer relationships are proactive, not just reactive. They involve nurturing, engaging, and consistently adding value to your customers.

And while that may sound like a lot of effort, it’s well worth it. According to Forbes, it costs 5x more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one.

The math clearly supports building loyalty. You save money while giving yourself a better chance at long-term profitability.

For a large company, customer relationships can sometimes feel transactional — throw some marketing dollars at a campaign and hope for the best. But for small businesses, building rapport and trust can be a powerful differentiator. You often have a more personal brand, and you know your customers by name. When someone feels seen and valued, they’re more likely to stick around, refer friends, and become brand advocates.

The catch? Small businesses are resource-constrained. That’s where AI can step in, helping you streamline and enhance your relationships, and letting you offer big-brand service on a small-business budget.

The takeaway: Customer relationships aren’t just a feel-good exercise; they’re a smart strategy that fuels growth. By emphasizing loyalty and retention, you can keep your operations sustainable and your customers happy.

How AI Can Help Strengthen Customer Relationships

There are many ways AI can help you on the road to better customer relationships.Here are a few to consider:

Personalization at Scale

One of AI’s superpowers is analyzing vast amounts of data to uncover patterns a human might miss. This data crunching allows for better personalization. For example, sending marketing emails that recommend products based on someone’s past purchases or customizing your website’s landing page to match a returning customer’s interests.

Say you have an online boutique that sells handmade clothes. AI can keep track of a customer’s style preferences and shopping habits to suggest new arrivals they’ll actually want, rather than blasting a mass email with the same promo to everyone on your email list.

That personal touch can feel like a concierge service, even when you’re managing hundreds or thousands of customers.

Proactive Problem-Solving

Have you ever wanted to know which customers might be on the verge of canceling a subscription or which products are about to skyrocket in demand? Predictive analytics can help with that. They use AI to look at historical data, identify trends, and even anticipate future challenges.

For example, advanced chatbots can spot common questions that lead to refunds and proactively offer solutions before a customer even thinks to ask. This kind of proactive support can keep small issues from turning into full-blown crises.

Round-the-Clock Accessibility

These days, the world is always on. It’s not unusual for customers to ask questions at 2 a.m. — or during your busiest days when you have zero time to answer them immediately. AI-driven tools like chatbots can jump in with 24/7 availability, offering instant responses to frequently asked questions and basic troubleshooting.

According to IBM, chatbots can reduce customer service costs by up to 30%. This suggests that a chatbot doing front-line work can make life easier for both you and your customers.

Balancing Scale With Authenticity

Don’t worry: leaning on AI doesn’t mean your business will lose its personal charm. AI takes care of repetitive tasks, freeing up more time for you (or your team) to engage in genuine, human conversations. Tools like chatbots and conversational AI are excellent for handling common customer inquiries, directing users to relevant resources, and even detecting sentiment to guide responses.

However, skepticism toward AI in customer service is widespread, and for good reason. Many users have experienced poorly implemented chatbots, impersonal responses, and a lack of meaningful engagement. Oversight and authenticity are crucial in overcoming these challenges. It’s not about replacing humans but equipping them with the tools to provide faster, more personalized service while maintaining the warmth that makes a lasting impression.

This sentiment is echoed in customer discussions, like this Reddit comment from a business owner:

Comment
byu/ticaragua from discussion
inshopify

Statements like this highlight the need to balance automation with a personal touch. AI should enhance your customer service efforts, not undermine them. By using AI as a supportive tool rather than a full replacement, businesses can scale efficiently while keeping their relationships authentic and meaningful.

Great AI Tools for Enhancing Customer Relationships

Not all AI solutions are created equal. Below, we’ve broken down some of the most common tool categories and how they can help your business —but not every business needs all (or even any) of these tools.

Think about your specific challenges first: is it customer support? Data organization? Social media feedback? Then, match them with the right AI tool.

Chatbots and Conversational AI

Chatbots take on immediate customer inquiries, direct customers to relevant resources, and even process orders. More advanced conversational AI can recognize context, detect sentiment, and seamlessly switch customers to a human rep when necessary.

Instant response times mean happier customers. Plus, your team is freed from repetitive tasks like answering “Where is my order?” for the tenth time that day.

Popular Tools To Try:

• Zendesk Chat: Integrates neatly with existing Zendesk support systems and offers multilingual support for global audiences.
• Intercom: Known for its user-friendly interface and robust customer data platform, helping you manage chats and email campaigns together.

Tips:

• Start with a simple chatbot focused on FAQs or order tracking. A low-risk approach helps you test the waters.
• Regularly review chatbot transcripts to make sure the AI “voice” aligns with your brand’s tone. Look for a chatbot you can train with your brand’s marketing materials, so it sounds just like you.

AI-Powered CRM Platforms

CRMs infused with AI can automate data entry, create smart customer segments, and offer insights about upcoming sales opportunities. They help you organize customer data more efficiently than a jumble of spreadsheets ever could.

Better data organization via a CRM means you never lose track of who’s who. AI-driven analytics can highlight your most valuable leads and automate drip campaigns, so you can nurture relationships without manually hitting “send” for each email.

Popular Tools To Try:

• HubSpot: Offers a free CRM tier and includes AI tools like lead scoring to show you where to focus your efforts.
• Zoho CRM: Provides sales forecasting, workflow automation, and analytics to uncover hidden relationship-building opportunities.

Tips:

• Integrate your CRM with your e-commerce platform or website to store all customer data in one place.
• Update your CRM fields regularly (e.g., product interests, or subscription status) to ensure that data-driven insights remain relevant.

Social Listening and Sentiment Analysis

These tools track online conversations about your brand across social media and the broader web, then gauge the tone of the mentions people make. AI can detect if the chatter is mainly positive, negative, or neutral, alerting you to potential PR headaches or glowing testimonials you can spotlight.

Gathering real-time insights allows you to address issues faster. If customers have a complaint, you can proactively address it. Similarly, if you see customers raving about a new product, you can harness that positive energy in your marketing.

Popular Tools To Try:

• Sprout Social: Delivers in-depth reports on sentiment trends and helps you engage with fans (or critics) effectively.
• Brandwatch: Allows you to set up alerts for specific keywords (like your brand name) and detect spikes in mentions.

Tips:

• Configure keywords that include your brand name, product names, and common misspellings so you don’t miss anything.
• Engage quickly with both praise and complaints; a prompt, sincere reply shows your audience you’re paying attention.

Predictive Analytics and Recommendation Engines

By analyzing historical data, these AI tools can predict future customer behaviors — such as which products a customer is most likely to buy or which subscribers might cancel soon. They’re also used for personalized recommendation engines. Think Netflix or Amazon suggestions.

Predictive analytics help you market more effectively. This is the tool you use in that example we mentioned where, instead of sending everyone the same email blast, you can tailor offers to specific groups. Taking a targeted approach often leads to higher conversions and happier customers.

Popular Tools To Try:

• Salesforce Einstein: Built into Salesforce, this tool offers lead scoring, next-best-action prompts, and tailored marketing journeys.
• Adobe Sensei: Powers personalization across channels, analyzing user behavior to suggest optimized content or product recommendations.

Tips:

• Start with a small, measurable project (for example, predicting which customers might not renew a subscription) so you can understand how the tool’s insights affect real-world outcomes.
• Combine AI insights with your own intuition. Numbers can tell a story, but human judgment refines it.

The Human Touch (or: When Not To Use AI)

AI is incredible at multitasking and gleaning insights from data, but it can’t replace human warmth.

There are times when your AI tools won’t be the most effective way to build customer relationships. Use it to handle the busywork, and invest your renewed time in forming meaningful connections. A hybrid strategy gives you the best of both worlds:

• AI handles routine inquiries like “What’s your return policy?”
• Humans jump in for higher-level issues, personalized recommendations, and especially delicate customer concerns.

This setup prevents you (and your employees) from getting overwhelmed. At the same time, your customers don’t feel like they’re chatting with a cold, impersonal machine.

Below, find some examples of when you should leave AI on the bench and have a real person take the lead:

When You Need Emotional Nuance

AI has come a long way, but it’s not perfect at picking up on the subtleties of human emotion — especially in sensitive situations. Let’s say a customer’s dog just passed away, and you run a pet supplies store. That’s a moment requiring empathy and compassion, not just a scripted response.

To Make Sure Your Brand Voice Stays Consistent

Have you ever tried to use a chatbot that sounded like it was churning out lines from a 1980s instruction manual? Yeah, not great.

Modern AI tools let you tweak the language style, so be sure to set guidelines that reflect your brand’s personality. Still, check in on the chatbot’s performance every now and then to ensure it’s staying on message.

When Data Privacy Is a Concern

Some small business owners worry about giving customer data to AI tools. That’s understandable. Look for solutions that comply with regulations like GDPR (for EU customers) or CCPA (for California residents). Reputable platforms will offer clear data protection features so you can assure your customers that their information is safe.

Build Better Customer Relationships With AI and DreamHost

As you work on customer relationships, AI can be a useful tool, but it’s important not to go from 0 to 60. Which area seems like your biggest headache right now? Customer support, data management, or staying on top of social media? Choose a single tool (like a chatbot or a basic AI-powered CRM) and start a free trial.

And as you explore ways AI can help you build and maintain customer relationships, be sure to set clear goals to work toward. Identify a specific outcome (like reducing your average response time by 50%) so you can measure the impact of your new AI initiatives.

Some more tips:

• Plan a gradual rollout for any new tools you incorporate into your strategy. Don’t try to automate everything at once. Focus on the tasks you dislike the most or that bog you down most often.
• As you track your results, you may need to pivot your strategy. AI tools are only as good as the data they receive, so monitor analytics, and adjust your approach as needed.

Yes, AI can seem intimidating, but think of it as a friendly team member who loves routine tasks and never sleeps. Handing over mundane processes to AI means you can be more present where it counts — chatting with your customers, testing new products, or just catching your breath once in a while.

Keep in mind that AI isn’t the only way to build better customer relationships. It’ll only work if you have a solid foundation — like reliable web hosting that keeps your site fast, secure, and online when customers need it. For that, check out DreamHost’s shared and managed hosting plans.

At the end of the day, customers want genuine connections. AI is there to streamline processes and free you up to deliver personal touches that keep people coming back for more. With the right blend of automation and authenticity, you can master customer relationships without feeling overwhelmed. And that’s a win-win for everyone.

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One year, a handful of simple website tweaks might get you ranking on the first page of Google. Then, the next year, there’s a whole new set of rules.

For small business owners, that much change can be daunting. It’s the online embodiment of Ferris Bueller’s wisest words: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

As a business owner, you have a million tasks to juggle. But here’s the good news: Having an SEO strategy isn’t just another item on your to-do list. It’s one of the most powerful tools to grow your bottom line.

In 2025, the search landscape is more competitive than ever. Between AI-driven search engine results, user experience (UX) metrics influencing rankings, and the ongoing shift toward video and voice searches, getting found online requires a thoughtful, flexible approach.

That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll lay out a step-by-step game plan to make sure your website is set for success in the coming year (and beyond). By the end of this article, you’ll know which actions to take to align SEO with your business goals, measure your progress, and stay ahead of the curve.

Ready to bring more qualified traffic to your site and boost your numbers and sales? Let’s dive in.

What Is an SEO Strategy?

An SEO strategy is a systematic approach to improving your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). While that might sound lofty, it simply means doing the right things to make sure search engines like Google understand what your website is about and trust it enough to show it to people who need your products, services, or content.

An SEO strategy revolves around three main pillars: on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.

1. On-page SEO

On-page SEO means the content and HTML source code within the pages of your website. On-page tactics can include using relevant keywords in your headings, writing compelling meta descriptions, organizing your site content with structured headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.), and making sure your content is genuinely helpful to users.

2. Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO relates to activities that happen away from your website but still impact your rankings — most notably, link building. When reputable sites link back to your content, search engines see your site as more authoritative. Social media signals, guest blogging, and online reviews also factor into your off-page SEO.

3. Technical SEO

Here, you’re optimizing the behind-the-scenes aspects of your website’s infrastructure, like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and security.

Technical SEO also includes elements such as:

• Core Web Vitals (loading, interactivity, visual stability), which measure the quality of user experience.
• Mobile-first indexing to make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
• Schema Markup (structured data) so you can stand out in search results with rich snippets.
• Security (HTTPS) so users (and search engines) trust your site.

When all three pillars work together, search engines can easily crawl, understand, and rank your site. That’s where your strategy begins: by putting each pillar in place and continually optimizing them.

Why You Need an SEO Strategy in 2025

You might be thinking, “But SEO has been around for years. What’s there still to learn?”

In 2025, a few seismic shifts in technology and user behavior have changed the game and made it as important as ever to have an SEO strategy going into the year. Here are just a few of the changes impacting SEO across the internet to take into account when making your own game plan:

1. AI-driven search results

Search engines are getting smarter daily and using advanced machine learning to better match users’ queries with relevant results. Tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, Bing Chat, and Gemini have made “conversational search” completely commonplace, meaning search engines can quickly parse user intent and deliver fewer, more authoritative sources.

If your SEO strategy isn’t updated, you risk getting sidelined by competitors who understand how to optimize for AI-driven SERPs.

For example, when we enter the prompt “What is AI in a nutshell?” in Gemini, it quickly pulls up bullet points of the most relevant information and even cites its sources below, like a good student.

2. Prioritizing user experience (UX)

Google has made it clear: Pages that load fast, function seamlessly on mobile, and offer a smooth user experience rank higher. Core Web Vitals, for example, now play a massive role in determining your site’s standing.

In other words, your website visitors expect, and search engines demand, an enjoyable browsing experience.

3. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google’s guidelines for quality content revolve around proving that you (or your brand) have real experience with your topic, expertise in your industry, authority in your niche, and a trustworthy reputation. For small businesses, this can be as simple as sharing customer reviews, showcasing credentials, or providing real-life examples of how you’ve helped others solve a problem.

4. Changing user behavior (voice search, video search, etc.)

Voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant have millions of users, and more people are using short videos (think TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts) as a primary way to discover new content. If your website isn’t optimized for voice queries and you’re not leveraging video content, you could be missing a big chunk of traffic.

A note on search intent: As AI and algorithms improve, Google’s focus is shifting more and more to user intent — the underlying reason behind a user’s query. If someone searches “best pizza near me,” Google serves up local results. If someone asks how to write a business plan, Google expects in-depth, step-by-step guides. Tailoring content to satisfy specific user intents is a big part of cracking the SEO code these days.

All these factors point to one reality: If you want your small business to stand out online, you need a well-rounded SEO strategy that keeps pace with evolving trends.

12 Essential Steps To Create a Winning SEO Strategy

With that background in mind, let’s break down the key steps you should take to build (or update) your strategy. Think of this as an SEO checklist you can use going into the year to start fresh or revamp your existing gameplan.

Step 1: Align Your SEO Goals With Your Business Goals

Before diving into keyword research or tweaking meta tags, start by defining what success looks like for your business. Is it higher brand awareness, more online sales, phone calls, or foot traffic to a local store?

Start by setting specific targets. For example, you might aim to increase organic traffic by 20% within six months or grow your email subscriber list by 500 new signups.

Then, think about how you can match keywords to your business offering. If you’re a local bakery, ranking for “chocolate cake recipe” might bring in a ton of traffic, but not necessarily local customers who want to buy a cake today. Choose goals and keywords that align with your actual products or services.

By anchoring your SEO efforts to measurable outcomes, you’ll avoid vanity metrics and keep your focus on real, bottom-line results.

Step 2: Conduct an SEO Audit

An SEO audit helps you identify what’s working on your website and what isn’t. Think of it as a check-up for your online presence.

Below are some steps you can take to perform a simple, repeatable audit. Keep in mind that this is pretty surface-level, and sites needing a deeper or more comprehensive audit may want to seek out a full tutorial.

1. Check your site’s technical health
   1. Site speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to see where you can optimize images or code.
   2. Mobile friendliness: Make sure your site uses responsive design.
   3. Broken links: Tools like Screaming Frog can locate 404 pages or broken internal links.
2. Evaluate your on-page elements
   1. Title tags and meta descriptions: Are they optimized for the right keywords?
   2. Headings (H1, H2, H3): Make sure they’re descriptive and guide readers through your content logically.
   3. URL structure: Short, descriptive URLs typically perform better in SERPs.
3. Review your content quality
   1. Is your content original and helpful?
   2. Are you demonstrating E-E-A-T?
   3. Do you have old or duplicate pages that might need a refresh or consolidation?
4. Assess your backlink profile
   1. Use a tool like Ahrefs or Moz to check if any toxic or spammy links point to your site.
   2. Spot your strongest links, which indicate which pages Google sees as your most authoritative.

Step 3: Perform Keyword Research and Create a List of Keywords

Keyword research is the art (and science) of figuring out which search terms people use to find businesses like yours. When done right, it attracts targeted visitors looking for exactly what you offer.

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or free resources like AnswerThePublic to start looking for your core keywords. Start with broad terms related to your industry, and then refine them based on volume, competition, and relevance.

Once you have a list of keywords, start grouping them by intent. For example, people searching “How to fix a leaky faucet” likely want DIY tips, whereas those searching “Plumber in Seattle” need immediate services. Organize your keywords into categories that map to different stages of the customer journey. Often, more specific phrases (like “family-friendly Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago”) have lower competition and higher conversion rates than single-word terms.

Once you have your list, weave these keywords naturally into your site content. Remember, you’re optimizing for humans first and search engines second.

Step 4: Identify Your Competitors and Analyze Their Strengths & Weaknesses

Competition in SEO isn’t just about who sells the same products as you. It’s also about who ranks for the keywords you want to target. By spying on competitors’ SEO strategies, you can unearth valuable insights. Here are a few ways to analyze your competitors to shape your own strategy:

• Spot content gaps: Perhaps a competitor has a blog series on a trending topic you haven’t covered yet. If their posts are pulling in traffic, you might want to create more in-depth or updated versions.
• Look at their backlinks: Check where their links come from. Can you pitch a similar site for a guest post or collaborate on a joint piece of content?
• Evaluate their on-page optimization: Look at how they structure their content, use meta tags, or incorporate keywords. Identify best practices or mistakes you can learn from.

Steal what works, avoid what doesn’t, and tailor it all to your unique brand voice.

Step 5: Build Up Your Online Authority

In the eyes of Google and other search engines, an authoritative site is one that other credible websites regularly link to and reference.

One great way to build up your clout is to leverage social proof. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, or industry-specific platforms. Positive testimonials go a long way in establishing trust and authority.

Another tactic is to engage with your community. Participate in local events or sponsor local organizations if it makes sense for your brand. These often lead to press mentions or backlinks from local community sites.

Strong authority signals tell Google you’re a trusted voice in your niche, boosting your chances of ranking high for competitive keywords.

Step 6: Create Search Engine User Optimized Content

Great SEO starts with great content. However, creating it isn’t just about slapping keywords onto a page — you also need to engage readers (as in humans, not search engines).

There are entire guides on this topic, but here are a few particularly important tips:

• Research your topics thoroughly: Address your audience’s most pressing questions and pain points. The more value your content offers, the more likely it is to be shared and linked to.
• Structure content for UX and readability: Use short paragraphs, clear headings, and bullet points to break up the text and make it easy to scan. Include images, infographics, or videos where relevant.
• Keep your brand voice consistent: Even if you have multiple contributors, your blog or website copy should feel unified. Speak directly to your target audience and use language they connect with.
• Demonstrate E-E-A-T: If you have personal or professional experience in a topic, share it. Show you’re the expert instead of just regurgitating what’s already online.

Step 7: Optimize for On-Page SEO and User Experience

Technical adjustments and user-centric design can make your site more enticing to both humans and search engines (but as a pro tip, you should focus on humans first and search engines second).

Remember that UX is a core ranking factor in Google’s eyes. Slow, clunky pages drive users away. Fixing load times with optimized images or caching plugins (e.g., if you use WordPress) can impact your rankings. Also, make navigating your site easy and intuitive by linking to your most essential pages from the main menu, categorizing blog posts logically, and avoiding burying essential information three clicks deep.

Structured internal linking is another aspect of on-page SEO to consider. It helps search engines see the relationships between your content. Link relevant posts to each other to guide users (and bots) around your site.

Finally, use clear calls to action (CTAs). Whether it’s “Buy Now,” “Request a Quote,” or “Read More,” make sure your CTAs stand out and flow naturally within your content.

Remember, Google wants to deliver top-notch user experiences. If people enjoy your site, so does the search engine.

Step 8: Optimize for Search Intent

As mentioned earlier, search intent is crucial in 2025. Users might be looking for how-to guides, product info, or local services. Your content should align with what they expect to see:

• Navigational intent: Users want to get somewhere quickly, like a brand’s homepage. Make sure your homepage is easy to find (and ranks high for your brand name).
• Transactional intent: People ready to buy often search for “discount,” “coupon,” or “for sale.” Optimize product or service pages to cater to these high-intent searches.
• Informational intent: Readers looking for “tips,” “guides,” “how to,” or “best practices” need well-structured, helpful content. Blog posts, tutorials, and FAQs can be excellent resources.

Mapping out which pages should satisfy which types of intent prevents your site from feeling haphazard and keeps potential customers engaged.

Step 9: Build Links to Your Page

Off-page SEO hinges on earning high-quality backlinks. The more websites vouch for your content, the more search engines trust your site. Link building isn’t easy and takes time and resources, but it’s effective and an important part of any SEO strategy.

One tried-and-true way to build links in 2025 is by guest blogging. Write articles for authoritative industry sites. It’s a win-win: You get exposure and a link back; they get quality content.

Another good tactic is creating linkable assets. The trick is to create something so valuable, unique, or entertaining that people naturally want to link to it (like a data study, infographic, or guide).

Always remember: Steer clear of spammy link-building schemes. Quality over quantity is the golden rule.

Step 10: Improve and Update Your Content

SEO isn’t a one-and-done effort. Over time, your content can become outdated or less relevant. Regularly revisiting old blog posts or service pages keeps your site fresh and aligns with Google’s preference for up-to-date information.

For example, if you cite stats from 2018, readers might wonder if the info is still valid. Update your research periodically. And as you gain experience, incorporate fresh case studies, customer testimonials, or industry news.

It’s also smart to monitor pages that have dropped in rankings. A thorough content update can often revive their performance.

When Google sees you actively maintaining your content, it understands your site strives to offer the latest, most accurate information.

Step 11: Be Consistent

Consistency is the secret sauce that keeps you top-of-mind with both search engines and your audience. Create a regular publishing schedule for fresh content. You don’t need to publish daily, but sticking to a bi-weekly or monthly schedule helps.

Also, let your readers know when to expect new content. A consistent presence in search results signals credibility. People see you as a reliable source, and search engines often reward that.

Step 12: Measure Your Success

Finally, you can’t refine what you can’t measure. Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter to your business. Here are some good SEO KPIs to track:

• Organic traffic: Track the number of visitors coming from search engines using Google Analytics (GA4) or a similar platform.
• Keyword rankings: Tools like Semrush or Ahrefs can show how your keyword positions change over time.
• Conversion rate: At the end of the day, traffic isn’t everything. How many of your visitors become leads or customers?
• Bounce rate/Dwell time: If people leave immediately, consider whether your content aligns with their expectations. Dwell time (how long they stay on a page) signals content quality to Google.

7 Tactics You Can’t Skip in 2025

As SEO evolves, certain tactics become make-or-break for small businesses looking to thrive online. Here are seven SEO tactics that we think will be particularly impactful this year due to the trends that have been driving the industry of late:

1. Local SEO and a Google Business Profile

If you serve a specific geographic area, optimizing your Google Business Profile is no longer optional. Verify your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across directories and encourage customers to leave reviews. This can drive foot traffic and local visibility.

2. SEO on a budget

If you have limited funds, focus on tasks you can handle in-house, such as:

• DIY content creation: Write about your expertise, answer FAQs, and, most importantly, offer value to your readers.
• Free tools: Google Analytics, Search Console, and free keyword research tools can go a long way.
• Hire experts for the more technical jobs: It might be worth paying a freelancer or agency once to fix structural issues or implement schema markup properly.

3. Creating content that’s different or better than what’s out there

With so much competition, standard blog posts might not cut it. Think about infographics, interactive quizzes, podcasts, or short-form videos that address recent trends and algorithm updates.

4. Short video content and YouTube SEO

Video is exploding, and YouTube is still the world’s second-largest search engine. If you can demonstrate your product or explain a service in a quick video, you might rank in both Google and YouTube searches.

5. Visual search optimization

For image-heavy industries (e.g., e-commerce, interior design, photography), optimizing alt text and image file names can help you appear in Google Images — another traffic source you can’t ignore.

6. Leveraging new and emerging SERP features

Features like FAQ snippets, People Also Ask, and image carousels can drastically boost your click-through rates if you take advantage of rich results and structure your content to appear in them.

7. AI content tools

Tools like ChatGPT can speed up your research but shouldn’t replace human oversight. Make sure the final edits reflect your expertise and brand voice. Authenticity is key, and using AI to churn out content that doesn’t differentiate your brand from others is short-sighted.

Potential SEO Pitfalls To Avoid

While many strategies can boost your rankings, a few missteps can set you back:

• Keyword stuffing: Overloading your pages with repetitive keywords is something Google has long penalized pages for. This hasn’t changed.
• Relying on AI-generated content without review: Blindly trusting AI-generated text leads to poor user experience.
• Overlooking mobile users: If your site isn’t mobile-responsive, you’re alienating half (or more) of your potential audience. This is especially critical if you have a local brick-and-mortar presence.
• Ignoring data and analytics: Setting up Google Search Console and Google Analytics is free, so there’s no excuse not to use them. If you don’t measure performance, you can’t make informed tweaks.
• Poorly managed link-building: Buying cheap links or participating in link farms might provide your site with a short-term boost, but Google’s penalties are severe. Focus on building real relationships and earning genuine links.

Take Your SEO Strategy To the Next Level with DreamHost

We’ve covered a lot of ground here, but one crucial thing to remember is that you don’t have to do it all alone.

At DreamHost, we believe in empowering small business owners with the right tools and knowledge. That includes our SEO marketing plans to help you rank higher on SERPs in 2025. You may also want to check out our SEO toolkit if you need more resources to boost your business in Google’s rankings.

Remember that SEO is an ongoing process. Let’s grow your business together, one search-optimized page at a time.

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The post Your SEO Strategy Game Plan for 2025 appeared first on DreamHost Blog.

The good news? An algorithm update isn’t a guaranteed headache —and it certainly doesn’t have to spell doom for your business. In fact, it can be a good opportunity to refine your content, improve your user experience, and make sure the people who need what you offer can find you.

So what do you do now?

Before you start rewriting every piece of content on your site or pay for sketchy quick-win SEO “fixes,” take a deep breath. You’re not alone, and you certainly aren’t helpless. Below, we’ll explain exactly what these updates are and what they mean for small businesses like yours. We’ll show you what you should do — and what you definitely shouldn’t —to navigate a Google algorithm update with confidence.

What Is a Google Algorithm Update?

A Google algorithm update is a change to the complex formula Google uses to determine which websites rank where in search results.

The idea behind these updates is pretty simple: Google wants to provide the best possible answers to users’ queries, surfacing the most helpful, trustworthy information at the top.

That might mean putting more emphasis on authoritative content (so that health advice comes from doctors, not random strangers) or making sure that mobile-friendly sites rank higher on smartphone searches. Some updates are small and almost imperceptible, while others, known as core updates, can shake up entire industries.

Many people treat the Google algorithm as a mysterious enigma, shrouded in secrecy. But via its Google Search Central resource, Google actually provides quite a lot of information about how the algorithm works and what you need to do to get your site to rank. It notes that it’s regularly making changes, some big, some small, to “surface more relevant and useful results.”

In fact, Google has publicly stated that its primary mission is to help users find the highest quality content. As the search giant explains in its guidance on core updates, they’re “designed to ensure that, overall, we are delivering on our mission to present relevant and authoritative content to users.”

This isn’t about punishing good sites or randomly shuffling the deck; it’s about continuous improvement. Google’s own documentation highlights the importance of aligning your content with user expectations and maintaining E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Sites that consistently deliver value, clarity, and trust stand a better chance of weathering algorithmic shifts.

In other words, Google’s core philosophy isn’t a secret: Create useful content, present it well, keep your audience front-and-center, and you’ll do just fine in the long run.

How Often Does Google Update Its Algorithm?

Google is tinkering with its algorithm all the time. Hundreds (even thousands) of small changes might roll out each year. However, the big, headline-grabbing core updates happen less frequently. Typically a few times a year, at most.

Think of it like the difference between rearranging a few books on your shelf each day versus deciding to renovate your entire living room. Most days, Google is just shuffling a few titles around (minor tweaks), but every now and then, it knocks down a whole wall — i.e., a core update. It’s important to know (and be able to spot) the differences, so you can approach algorithmic changes calmly and without jumping to conclusions every time you see a slight change in your traffic.

Big Updates With Big Implications

Over the past several years, Google has rolled out core updates that have dramatically affected search results. Some focused on content quality, others on-page experience, and some on overall trust and authority.

Recently, there have been a few major updates announced close together that have had the SEO world buzzing:

• December 2024 Iterative Update: Just a few weeks after its prior core update, Google introduced another wave of refinements. While not as dramatic as November’s shift, changes in search results occurred just days after the announcement, according to Search Engine Journal. The impact of this update is still being tracked and monitored. 
• November 2024 Core Update: Rolled out to improve the way Google understands and ranks content that matches user intent. According to Search Engine Journal’s coverage, this update continued “Google’s refinement of search systems to enhance the quality of results” and caused modest changes for most sites after its rollout was completed on 5th December 2024.
• July 2024 Product Reviews Update: Mid-year, Google refined how it evaluates product review content. Historically, product review updates have placed greater weight on first-hand experience, transparent pros and cons, and demonstrably authentic insights. The July 2024 iteration continued this trend, making it harder for shallow, affiliate-driven reviews to rank well. Detailed product comparisons, hands-on testing, and authentic imagery helped standout reviewers rise.
• March 2024 Core Update: The first core update of 2024 landed in March and set the tone for the rest of the year. This update honed in on what Google often emphasizes: quality and relevance. Sites that had invested in thorough, well-structured content — especially those demonstrating strong E-E-A-T principles — maintained or even improved their rankings. Meanwhile, web pages with outdated or thin content often slipped.

If we look further back, earlier core and iterative updates show a pattern: Google repeatedly pushes toward highlighting genuinely helpful content and filtering out low-value pages.

Each time, the takeaway remains consistent: Your best bet is to keep improving quality, trust, and relevance.

When another big update lands, it’s helpful to look at how your site fared in previous rollouts and draw lessons. Patterns often emerge, and if you’ve been proactive, the changes might feel more like gentle course corrections than shockwaves.

How Google Algorithm Updates Impact Small Businesses

For entrepreneurs and small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), organic search traffic can be a make-or-break success metric. It’s a constant stream of potential customers finding you naturally, with no need for expensive ads or promotions. That’s why it’s so important to understand algorithm updates. If you’re not prepared, a sudden drop in rankings can feel like someone suddenly closed up shop at your business without giving you a heads-up.

At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that Google’s updates aren’t out to get you. In fact, they’re an opportunity. If your content is already authentic, helpful, and authoritative, you stand to gain visibility when competitors who rely on outdated practices lose ground. If your traffic dips, it might be a signal that certain areas of your site need improvement: from page load speeds to more in-depth, trustworthy information.

How To Distinguish Temporary Fluctuations From Long-Term Trends

Not every change in traffic after an algorithm update is permanent. Sometimes, rankings “settle” after a few days or weeks as Google finishes rolling out updates and recalibrating search results.

So, even if you see changes to your traffic or rankings after a core update, don’t hit the panic button just yet. Give it a little time. Check your traffic patterns over a few weeks, not just a single day.

For example, if you see a small dip right after an announced update, don’t immediately yank all your content. Track your metrics over a month. Is the downward trend continuing, or was it just a two-day blip? Understanding normal fluctuations can prevent hasty decisions that might harm your site more than help it.

What To Do When Google Updates the Algorithm

So what’s your move when Google announces (or quietly rolls out) a big change? The best approach is equal parts patience, observation, and proactive improvement. Here’s how to stay ahead and keep your website in top shape to ride out algorithm updates with minimal impact.

1. Start by Taking Stock

Don’t scramble to change everything overnight. First, take a deep breath. And then, try to understand what’s happening.

Review your analytics over a few days or weeks, not just a single snapshot. Are you seeing a site-wide dip, or are certain pages being hit harder than others? Identifying patterns can help you apply targeted, meaningful fixes rather than mass overhauls that waste time and effort.

2. Revisit E-E-A-T Principles

Google values websites that demonstrate Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Quality content that truly helps readers and comes from a credible source is more likely to rank well.

If your rankings took a hit, ask yourself: Can I provide more authoritative references? Can I showcase my credentials more clearly? Can I add fresh examples, case studies, or testimonials that prove I really know what I’m talking about?

Review your content with a critical eye:

• Is your content helpful? Make sure it directly answers users’ queries.
• Are you demonstrating expertise? Cite credible sources, use examples, and draw on your real-world experience.
• Is your site structured to be accessible and make it easy for visitors to navigate? Improve your user experience with clear menus, descriptive headings, and fast loading times.
• Are you trustworthy? Include author bios, references, and transparent contact information. Engage readers, and show them who’s behind the business.

By implementing these quality standards and constantly elevating them over time, you’ll be better positioned no matter what changes Google makes down the line.

3. Update and Improve Your Content

Give your existing content some love. Tighten up your headlines, break up long paragraphs, and make sure your main points are front and center.

If you wrote an article two years ago, consider refreshing it with more recent, up-to-date data or insights. If your product descriptions feel generic, add more detail about quality, materials, or user experience.

And remember, doing this isn’t just about making search engines happy — it’s about delivering genuine value to the people who visit your site. Win-win.

4. Enhance Your User Experience (UX)

Google’s algorithm isn’t just about keywords anymore (which is why Wild-West tactics from the early days of SEO, like keyword stuffing, don’t work; and can even harm your site’s rankings).

Now, part of what helps your pages rank is how comfortable and satisfied users are when they land on your site. If your page loads slowly or your navigation is confusing, people will bounce — and Google’s signals may reflect that.

So, if you’re seeing negative changes after an algorithm update, it’s a good time to revisit your UX and see if you can improve your page speed, use clear menus, and make sure your site works smoothly on mobile devices. Think of your website like a storefront: It needs to be clean, welcoming, and easy to browse.

5. Track Changes Over Time

After making these tweaks to your site, set benchmarks and watch how your adjustments influence traffic, conversion rates, and user engagement. Are visitors spending more time on the pages you’ve improved? Are your bounce rates going down? Use these insights to double down on what works and refine what doesn’t.

Here are some good metrics to keep track of over time:

• Organic traffic: This gives you a baseline so you’ll know if you’re getting fewer visits from Google after the algorithm changes.
• Click-through rates (CTR): If you know your historical CTR, you can see if people are still clicking through to your pages after the algorithm update.
• Conversion rates: Once visitors land on your site, are they still signing up, buying, or reaching out at the same rates they were before the algorithm changed?

Create a system to track these metrics consistently. Even a simple spreadsheet can do the job. By knowing what “normal” looks like, you can spot true anomalies and decide if action is needed. Over time, you’ll develop a data-driven strategy that can help you weather any update Google throws your way.

6. Keep Yourself Informed

Don’t just react after an update hits. Keep a pulse on the industry by reading reputable SEO news, setting Google Alerts for algorithm updates, and attending webinars or community meetups. The more you know, the less surprised you’ll be when the next big shake-up happens.

Use tools that track “algorithm weather” to get a sense of search volatility. There are many of these types of resources. Check out the ones from authoritative SEO sites to keep tabs on data that show whether the search landscape is unusually turbulent:

• MozCast
• Semrush Sensor
• cognitiveSEO SIGNALS

Stay informed by setting up Google Alerts for terms like “Google algorithm update” or subscribing to industry-leading publications such as Search Engine Land and Moz. You can even set up an RSS feed so you’re always up-to-date.

7. Consider Professional Input When Needed

If you feel out of your depth, ‌consult an SEO professional or agency. A reputable expert can help you interpret what’s happening, suggest meaningful improvements, and guide you through tough transitions. While this may be an additional investment, consider the potential long-term value of protecting your visibility in search results.

What Not To Do When Google Updates the Algorithm

When the ground shifts beneath your feet, it’s natural to want to do something. And in times of uncertainty, it’s easy to make rash decisions. But knee-jerk reactions can do more harm than good. If you take the wrong approach, you risk digging yourself into a deeper hole.

Here’s what to avoid doing after an algorithm update:

1. Don’t Panic and Gut Your Entire Site

Yes, your traffic may have dipped. But an overhaul of every product page, blog post, and landing page could cause more confusion, so resist the urge to rewrite every product description or toss your content strategy out the window.

Instead, pick a few representative pages to analyze deeply. If you see patterns, like a particular type of page falling off, for example, you’ll know where to focus your improvements instead of making sweeping changes that might harm perfectly good content. Or, if you find recurring issues (like thin content or outdated information), you can start improving those areas strategically.

A scalpel, not a chainsaw, is the tool you need here.

2. Avoid Shady SEO Tactics

Don’t be tempted by so-called “quick fixes” that promise a fast return to your previous ranking. Steering clear of spammy link schemes, keyword stuffing, or other black-hat SEO tricks may seem like a shortcut, but they often violate Google’s guidelines. These types of short-lived “solutions” often backfire and will probably get you penalized in the long run.

If you’re doing something naughty, they could de-list, and de-index your website if it has too many toxic backlinks pointing at it.

If your rankings took a hit, the fix isn’t to game the system. It’s to align with Google’s goal of connecting users with valuable content. If you think your link profile is weak, focus on building genuine, high-quality links through guest posting, partnerships, and community involvement, not buying a batch of suspicious links.

Google’s algorithm rewards quality and authenticity. Taking shortcuts now could mean an even bigger drop later.

3. Resist the Urge To Check Stats Every Hour

It’s natural to feel anxious when the numbers dip, but constantly hitting refresh on your analytics dashboard won’t change anything. Give it time. Rankings can fluctuate for weeks after a major update, and sometimes, they settle after a week or two.

Use that waiting period to brainstorm improvements, review customer feedback, or update your brand messaging. Patience isn’t just a virtue, it’s a practical necessity in SEO. If you’ve done your due diligence (improved content, strengthened user experience, built a solid backlink profile organically), patience often pays off.

4. Don’t Ignore Your Community

Sometimes, changes in traffic are signals that your audience’s needs are shifting. If user behavior is evolving, try talking with customers directly. Send out surveys, watch what they’re asking in comment sections or support channels, and adapt accordingly. Ignoring user feedback because you’re too focused on Google’s algorithm is like neglecting the people standing right in front of you. Make improvements that serve real people, and over time, Google will reward those efforts.

5. Don’t Write Off Best Practices

When under pressure, some site owners toss established best practices out the window, thinking a secret hack is a better path. That’s a mistake. Following Google’s guidelines, focusing on E-E-A-T, and providing authentic value is a long game. It may not yield immediate wins, but it sets you up for sustainable growth. Shortcuts that ignore best practices almost always lead to disappointment (and potential penalties) later.

By steering clear of knee-jerk reactions and shady tactics, and instead, acting thoughtfully and ethically, you’ll set the stage for long-term success.

Where To Learn More

You don’t have to face algorithm updates alone. Keep learning and exploring resources that can help you stay informed and prepared:

• 37 of the Best SEO Tools for Small Businesses
• Improve Your Rankings Using These 20 SEO Techniques
• Everything You Need To Know About Speeding Up WordPress
• 5 Things You Must Know Before Planning Your 2025 Content Strategy

Algorithm Updates Are Opportunities

Yes, algorithm updates can shake up your traffic and test your nerves. But they can also be a catalyst for genuine growth. By understanding what algorithm updates are, why they matter, and how to respond to them, you’ll transform anxiety into action. Instead of panicking, you’ll be ready: ready to track metrics, ready to improve content, and ready to adapt as Google fine-tunes its search experience.

Don’t dread the next algorithm update. Prepare for it, learn from it, and use it to make your site better than ever. The payoff? Long-term search visibility that benefits both you and the customers who are looking for exactly what you offer.

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The post What To Do (& What Not To Do) When Google Releases an Algorithm Update appeared first on DreamHost Blog.

In business, you don’t get a trilogy of movies to set up your character — you need to build your personal brand from scratch. 

If this sounds like a time-consuming side quest, think again. Becoming a thought leader or influencer in your industry can help you land clients that would otherwise be out of reach. Why? Because they know who you are.

And actually, personal branding doesn’t have to take that much of your time. In this guide, we’ll show you how to define, cultivate, and grow your profile without filling your calendar.

You ready? Let’s dive in!

Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Personal Brand

To understand the importance of personal branding in business, take a quick look at this list:

• Richard Branson
• Steve Jobs
• Tim Ferriss
• Elon Musk
• Bill Gates
• Jeff Bezos
• Ariana Huffington

Recognize anyone? Of course you do. In fact, you can probably name the companies associated with these entrepreneurs.

Whenever you see the same people mentioned on the news or tagged on social media, the same brands pop into your head. That’s a crazy-powerful marketing tool.

You probably also have some impression of who these people are. Love them or loathe them, at least you feel something about the businesses they own. You’re buying from a human, not a faceless corporation. That’s why 65% of consumers say that a brand’s CEO and employees influence their decision to buy.

The benefits don’t stop there. Building a personal brand as a business owner can also help you to:

• Boost your digital marketing campaigns: Building your own audience gives you a chance to promote your business brand.
• Prove your expertise: People tend to trust experts. Around half of business decision-makers say that thought leadership has directly led them to choose a company. 
• Attract new talent: One study by the Brunswick Group found that 82% of potential employees will research a CEO’s online presence when considering whether to join a company.

We know what you’re thinking…“but I’m never going to be as famous as Bill Gates!” That doesn’t actually matter. What counts is whether your potential customers know who you are and respect your industry knowledge. That’s enough to get a major head start on your competition.

Industry-specific examples include:

• Brian Dean — Founder of Backlinko and Exploding Topics
• Lori Greiner — The “Queen of QVC”
• Noah Kagan — AppSumo
• David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried — Basecamp and HEY

There are also restaurant entrepreneurs who’ve built strong personal brands while growing their businesses through online takeout ordering systems and many more.

You won’t generally see these people dominating headlines, but they have each completely taken over their niche. Their businesses are thriving as a result.

The Building Blocks of Personal Branding

Following in the footsteps of these household names is completely achievable, even if you run a tiny business. The key is to have a rock-solid plan.

You can think of your personal brand as a house supported by seven stone pillars:

1. Values: Which principles guide your work?
2. Mission: Aside from generating profit, what are you trying to achieve in business?
3. Vision: Look into the future. What will define your brand’s reputation?
4. Personality: What makes you unique and relatable?
5. Voice: How do you communicate with your audience? Are you professional, relaxed, funny, or blunt?
6. Story: If someone made a movie about your journey as an entrepreneur, what would the plot be?
7. Expertise: What are you knowledgeable about, and which skills do you want to be known for?

If you can identify what your pillars should look like, you’re already halfway through construction!

The rest of the work is about filling in the details and creating actionable steps toward delivering your personal branding strategy.

How To Develop Your Personal Brand

Enough with the theory. If you’re keen to develop an effective personal brand, it’s worth getting started ASAP.

That doesn’t mean rushing over to LinkedIn to drop some corporate truth bombs. No, we highly recommend taking a methodical approach. It might take a little longer in the short term, but strategic thinking is what will put you ahead of the competition.

Here’s a blueprint to follow:

1. Start With Self-Assessment

Remember those pillars? The first step in building your brand is really nailing down who you are, what you want to achieve, and how you want to be known.

In particular, focus on:

• Core values: What are your professional principles? This could be anything from respecting your peers to hard work. Having a clear understanding of your beliefs is essential for shaping your professional identity.
• Your expertise: Which unique insights do you bring to the table? These gold nuggets will help you shine when everyone else is sharing the usual generic dreck.
• Passion points: If you had to write about two or three professional topics every day for the rest of your career, what would they be? You’re much more likely to come across as engaging and sincere if you’re talking about something that genuinely interests you.

You can use the answers to your self-assessment to construct a personal brand statement. This is a short bio that sums up your professional persona. It should look something like this:

“I’m a nonprofit technology strategist committed to amplifying social impact through data-driven solutions and community-centered approaches. With a deep belief in technology’s potential to empower marginalized communities, I specialize in developing scalable digital platforms that connect grassroots organizations with meaningful resources. My work is guided by the principles of equity, transparency, and collaborative innovation.”

If you take a closer look at this example, you’ll notice that it:

• Begins with a strong, declarative statement.
• Highlights key professional identity and core strengths.
• Emphasizes a unique value proposition.
• Communicates broader impact beyond technical skills.

Use this template when crafting your own brand statement.

2. Learn About Your Audience

While effective personal brands are heavily based on the values, expertise, and interests of the individual, there is another important ingredient to consider: your target audience.

Say you’re an accountant. You might get really excited about payroll solutions. But your clients are probably more interested in tax advice that will save them money. As you create a personal brand, balance your own preferences with those of your customers.

To get inside the mind of your audience, it’s worth creating some ICPs (ideal customer profiles). Think about who is likely to engage with your personal brand, factoring in their demographics, where they spend time online, and who they already follow.

It’s also really important to think about their needs and their pain points — these will form the bedrock of your content strategy (more on that later).

Here’s an example ICP you can use as a template:

Mid-career professional pivot

• Age: 35–45
• Gender: All
• Income: $85,000–$125,000
• Location: Urban professional centers (NYC, San Francisco, Chicago)
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Key characteristics

• Feeling stuck in current career trajectory.
• Ambitious and seeking meaningful professional growth.
• Active on LinkedIn and professional networking platforms.
• Desire to differentiate themselves in a competitive job market.

Pain points

• Struggling to articulate unique professional value.
• Unclear how to translate diverse experiences into a cohesive narrative.
• Lacking confidence in personal marketing skills.
• Experiencing career plateau or uncertainty about next steps.

Needs

• Clear, actionable personal branding guidance.
• Strategies to leverage existing professional experience.
• Personal brand development that feels authentic.
• Tools to confidently communicate professional identity.

3. Find Your Unique Voice and Aesthetic

You should now have a clear idea of what your brand will look like — and who you’re trying to reach. The final step is to figure out your place in the wider world of brands.

Start by taking a closer look at influencers within your niche. What kind of content are they publishing? What tone do they strike with their content? Are there any gaps that you could fill?

As you consider these points, it’s also worth thinking about what voice and personality you want to build around your personal brand identity.

Remember that your brand is a professional persona, not necessarily a perfect depiction of you as an actual human. Throwing in a hint of spice or glitter is totally acceptable. The world is your stage — go out there and wow them.

Remember that branding isn’t defined only by what you say; the visual side of personal branding is equally important. Think about how to present yourself in a way that complements your persona, whether that is goofy selfies or slick profile portraits.

You should also try to pinpoint colors and fonts that match your aesthetic. Are you more of a high-brow Garamond type or a Comic Sans joker?

You might even want to create your own brand guide! This is a guide that clearly defines your persona, from your values through to your chosen color scheme.

How To Promote Your New Brand

So, you have a kick-ass personal brand….on paper. Now how do you translate that into being a well-known influencer in your field?

It’s all about promotion.

Here’s how to put your new personal brand on the map:

1. Craft Your Content Strategy

To build a following, you’re going to need to make some noise. In today’s world, that generally means posting on social media, writing blogs, and/or cultivating an email list.

Crafting your content plan is a multi-step process:

1. Select your primary channels: Based on your own preferences and where your ICPs hang out, you need to select the channels or platforms where you’ll post most regularly.
2. Develop your content playbook: Most influencers and thought leaders don’t come up with something unique for every post. Instead, they tend to rotate through set plays. Create your own playbook by combining the following core ingredients:
   • Topics: Industry insights, process, personal development, leadership, etc.
   • Content types: Educational, inspirational, behind-the-scenes, etc.
   • Formats: Written (posts/articles), visual (images/infographics), video and audio snippets, etc.
3. Develop a posting schedule: If you want people to remember your personal brand, you need to publish content consistently. Social media management tools like CoSchedule and Buffer or WordPress plugins like Jetpack can help you plan ahead and post at regular intervals.
4. Don’t forget engagement: When you build your personal brand, it’s vital to connect with other people. Comment on posts from popular accounts in your niche, and strike up conversations. This is one of the best ways to attract new fans.

Content strategy is a pretty deep ocean, but we only have time to paddle in this guide. If you want to dive beneath the surface, check out these resources:

• Planning Your 2025 Content Strategy
• How To Create a Winning Social Media Strategy
• How To Start a Blog (Strategy, Tips, & Content Ideas)

2. Create Processes To Save Time

Hmm, this is starting to feel like a lot of work, isn’t it?

Don’t worry. The hard yards are definitely up front. Once you’ve clearly defined your brand and developed a content strategy, things get a lot easier. Trust us.

Along with your playbook, you can use the following techniques to reduce your time input:

• Repurpose your best content: Every business influencer reposts content. This can mean a simple repost, remixing an idea that has worked before, or converting your top-performing posts for other platforms. 
• Use AI for faster ideation: We don’t generally recommend using AI to write for your personal brand, because you end up sounding like…a robot? But you can ask AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to help you come up with new topics to talk about, and create a quick outline for your posts. AI tools can also help you quickly whip up visuals to complement your written content.
• Create content in batches: Finding the time to develop branding content every day is almost impossible if you run a business. Instead, try to create a heap of content in a dedicated session and then use tools to schedule the posts for the coming days.

If you’d prefer someone else to handle these tasks, our team of social media marketing experts would be more than happy to help!

3. Measure Your Progress

Don’t be discouraged if your brand doesn’t go global in the first month. That’s totally normal.

Even so, it’s definitely worth revisiting your plan every few months to see what’s working, and what needs to change. Even the most well-known personal brands are constantly evolving.

In your audit, make sure to assess:

• Your visual branding: Trends change quickly in design, so you might need to move with the times.
• Tone and voice alignment: Remember all that thinking work you put into coming up with a unique voice? Check whether your posts are actually following what you decided on.
• Content performance: Use analytics tools to figure out which types of content are resonating with your target audience.

Standing Out Is Way Better Than Blending In

Ultimately, developing a personal brand is about differentiating yourself (and your business) from others in your field. It doesn’t really matter which style you adopt, so long as your brand is distinctive and likable. Get it right, and you could see significant ROI within months!

Before you get started, make sure your website is ready for all the new visitors who will show up.

At DreamHost, we offer unlimited traffic and 100% uptime on all our shared hosting plans — so you’re never going to leave your fans disappointed.

Sign up today to prepare for your new-found fame!

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