SEO basics for SMEs: how to rank higher on Google in 7 steps

SEO stands for 'Search Engine Optimization'. It's everything you do to appear higher on Google when someone searches for words related to your business. This article isn't a technical story, but 7 concrete steps any business owner can take.

Many entrepreneurs immediately think of complicated technical tricks when they hear SEO. Fortunately, reality is much simpler. At its core, SEO is about one question: does your website show exactly what your potential customer is searching for at that moment? Get that right and you'll be found; ignore it and you stay invisible, no matter how beautiful the website. The seven steps below you can largely do yourself, without hiring a specialist.

Step 1: Think about what people search for

Before doing anything about SEO, you need to know which words you want to be found for. A painter from Delft, for example, wants to be found for 'painter Delft', 'exterior painter Delft', and 'window frame painting Delft'.

Tip: Type your service + place name into Google and see what suggestions appear. Those suggestions are real search queries.

Step 2: Optimise your page titles

Your page title is the most important signal to Google. Not just 'Home', but something like 'Painter Delft & Surroundings | Craftsmanship at a fair price'.

Make sure the most important keyword comes first. And keep it under 60 characters.

Step 3: Write good meta descriptions

The meta description is the short text under the title in Google. That sentence convinces people to click your result instead of a competitor's.

Good example: 'Quality and honesty for interior, exterior, and renovation painting. Request a no-obligation quote directly.'

Step 4: Use headings with keywords

Google reads your page top to bottom. Your H1 (the main title), H2s, and H3s give structure. Work your keywords into them, naturally, not forced.

Step 5: Ensure local listing

For SMEs, a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is essential. Here you fill in your address, opening hours, photos, and reviews. This appears at the top right in Google when people search for your business.

Signing up is free via google.com/business.

Step 6: Collect reviews

Real customer reviews on Google are extremely powerful. They influence both your ranking and your click-through rate. Actively ask existing customers for a review.

Step 7: Build local links

Google sees links from other websites to yours as a recommendation. Try to get listed on local business sites, industry websites, and possibly local news sites.

A common mistake is trying to do everything at once and then never looking at your website again. SEO isn't a one-off job but a habit. Work through the steps calmly, start with the basics, and build slowly. One well-optimised page per month adds up to twelve strong pages after a year that bring customers to you.

How long does SEO take?

Be honest: SEO isn't a quick win. You'll notice the first improvements after 3 to 6 months. But if you're consistent, you build a foundation that lasts for years and delivers free customers.

Outsourcing SEO: when does that make more sense than DIY?

You can perfectly well carry out the 7 steps above yourself if you make time for it. Outsourcing becomes attractive once you notice you simply can't keep up with the structural, recurring side of SEO (new content, technical checks, link building), or when you're in a competitive market where competitors have been investing for longer.

A few signs outsourcing is worth it:

• You've tried the 7 steps above, but lack the time to repeat them structurally
• Your competitors have been outranking you for a while, despite a comparable offering
• Your website is growing (new services, new locations) and SEO isn't keeping pace automatically

What does outsourcing SEO cost?

There's no fixed price for outsourcing SEO — it depends on the size of your website, how competitive your market is, and whether you choose a one-off technical clean-up or ongoing guidance. Most agencies work with a fixed monthly fee for ongoing SEO, or a one-off rate for a technical audit plus optimisation.

What should always hold true: you get a concrete, substantiated proposal upfront, instead of a price without explanation. At S. van Wijk Solutions we first discuss what's needed, free and without obligation, before naming a figure.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do part of SEO myself and outsource the rest? Yes, that happens often. For example: outsource the technical basics (speed, structure, sitemap), and keep collecting content and reviews yourself.

How long before outsourcing SEO delivers results? Same as doing it yourself: expect 3 to 6 months for the first noticeable improvement. Outsourcing mainly speeds up the technical and structural side, not Google's own waiting time.

Is outsourcing SEO only for large companies? No. Precisely for SME owners with little time alongside running their business, a focused, small-scale approach is often more effective than half-heartedly trying to keep up yourself.

What do we do by default for clients?

• Technical SEO foundation (speed, structure, mobile-first)
• Optimised titles and meta descriptions per page
• Clean HTML with correct heading hierarchy
• Sitemap and robots.txt
• Google Business Profile linking
• Schema.org structured data for rich snippets

This SEO foundation is included as standard in every S. van Wijk Solutions project.