How to Make Your Business Website Show Up When Customers Search Online

The Big Picture: Your Website is Your Digital Storefront

Imagine your website is like your physical store:

• Your content = the products on your shelves
• Your page title (title tag) = the sign above your door
• Your headings (H1, H2, H3) = the department signs inside
• Schema (structured data) = the business license posted by your register (tells Google you’re legit)
• Page speed (Core Web Vitals) = how quickly customers can walk through your door AND find what they’re looking for
• Mobile-friendly design (responsive design) = having wide aisles and clear signs so customers don’t get frustrated and leave
• Internal links (anchor text) = having helpful signs that say “Looking for bathroom remodeling? See aisle 3” instead of making customers wander around lost
• Reviews = word-of-mouth recommendations

Think about it: If customers have to wait 30 seconds for your store door to unlock, then stumble around trying to find what they need, they’ll just go to your competitor across the street. Same thing happens online—except “across the street” is literally one click away.

Rule #1: If Your “Product” Isn’t Right, Nothing Else Matters

Before you worry about anything technical, ask yourself: Does your website clearly answer these questions in the first 10 seconds?

• What do you do?
• Where do you serve customers?
• Why should they trust you?
• How do they contact you?
• What does it cost (at least a ballpark)?

If a stranger lands on your website and can’t immediately answer these questions, fix that first.

Your Step-by-Step Action Plan

Week 1: The Basics That Matter Most

1. Write a Clear Page Title (Title Tag) – What Shows Up in Google Results

• Bad: “Home – Bob’s Business”
• Good: “Emergency Plumbing Repair | Sacramento CA | Bob’s Plumbing”
• Why it matters: This is the blue link people click in Google. Make it clear what you do and where.

2. Create One Strong Headline (H1 Tag) on Each Page

• Bad: Multiple big headlines saying different things
• Good: One main headline like “24/7 Emergency Plumbing in Sacramento & Elk Grove”
• Why it matters: Google and customers need to know immediately what this page is about.

3. Organize Your Content Like a Newspaper (H2/H3 Headings)

• Use big headers for main sections: “Our Services,” “Why Choose Us,” “Contact Info”
• Use smaller headers for details under each section
• Think of it like: Main headline → section headers → details
• Why it matters: Makes it easy for both customers and Google to understand your page.

Week 2: Help Google Understand Your Business

4. Add “Schema” (Structured Data) – Your Digital Business License Schema is like filing the right paperwork with the city so they know you’re a legitimate business. It tells Google:

• You’re a real business (not a spam website)
• Your hours, phone number, and address
• What services you offer

How to do it: Ask your web developer to add “LocalBusiness schema” or use a plugin if you have WordPress. It’s like filling out a digital form about your business.

5. Make Your Website Load Fast (Page Speed/Core Web Vitals)

• The problem: Slow websites are like having customers wait 10 minutes for you to answer the door
• The fix: Compress your photos before uploading them (there are free tools online)
• Test it: Go to Google PageSpeed Insights and type in your website address

Week 3: Connect Everything Together

6. Link Your Pages to Each Other (Internal Links with Descriptive Anchor Text) Instead of writing “click here,” write “contact our Sacramento plumbers” or “see our kitchen remodeling gallery.” Why: It’s like having clear signs in your store directing customers to different departments.

7. Make Sure Your Contact Info is Everywhere (NAP – Name, Address, Phone)

• Phone number and hours should be clearly posted, not hidden in fine print somewhere
• Local citations = like being listed in the Chamber of Commerce directory—it tells Google you’re a real local business, not some fly-by-night operation

8. Get More Online Reviews (Customer Reviews/Google Business Profile)

• Ask your last 5 happy customers to leave a Google review
• Pro tip: Text them a direct link to your Google Business page to make it super easy

What Not to Worry About (Yet)

• Fancy technical stuff your web developer mentions
• Keyword research tools and analytics
• Social media integration
• Advanced SEO strategies

Focus on the basics first. Most small businesses skip right over the fundamentals and wonder why nothing works. The good news? You don’t have to figure this out alone—our platform walks you through each step with simple checklists and reminders, so nothing gets forgotten.

Quick Self-Check: The “10-Second Test”

Have someone who doesn’t know your business look at your website for 10 seconds, then ask them:

1. What do you do?
2. Where do you do it?
3. How would they contact you?
4. Do you seem trustworthy?

If they can’t answer all four, you’ve got work to do.

Step Two: Get a Complete Picture of Your Online Presence

The 10-second test tells you about your website, but customers might find you in lots of other places online. Get our free Business Audit Report to see how your business looks across the entire internet—your Google Business Profile, online directories, review sites, and more.

Why this matters: You might have a great website, but if your Google Business listing says you’re closed when you’re actually open, or if there are old phone numbers floating around online, you’re losing customers without even knowing it.

What you’ll discover:

• Inconsistent business information that confuses customers
• Missing or outdated listings where customers are looking for you
• Review opportunities you didn’t know existed
• Technical issues that are hiding your business from search results

At Olly Olly, we use professional tools like Yoast SEO and RankMath to handle the technical stuff (like that schema we mentioned earlier) so you don’t have to worry about it. These tools automatically add the “digital business license” information that helps Google understand your business better.

Ready to See Where You Stand?

Your website is your digital storefront, make sure it’s open, clear, and working for you 24/7. Book a free strategy call today and see how Olly Olly can help you get found, trusted, and chosen.

Book a Free Consult

Real Talk: This Isn’t Magic

Good news: You don’t need to be a tech expert. Most of this is common sense—make it easy for customers to understand what you do and how to hire you.

Reality check: This takes time. You might not see results for 2-3 months. But once it works, customers will find you 24/7 without you paying for ads.

Bottom line: Google wants to show customers the best, most relevant businesses. Make it obvious that you’re one of them by being clear, helpful, and easy to contact. The key is that every single thing should make it easier for customers to quickly understand what you do and take action. If any element makes them confused or slows them down, it’s hurting your business.