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SEO for beginners: what search engine optimisation really is – without the jargon
SEO without jargon: what search engine optimisation is, how Google decides and what hairdressers, tradespeople, restaurants and hotels can do themselves.
SEO, short for search engine optimisation, means designing a website so that Google understands it, trusts it and shows it to the right searchers. It rests on three pillars: content, technology and trust. For local businesses, a well-maintained Google Business Profile and reviews are especially important.
SEO rests on three pillars: content, technology and trust.
Organic results cost nothing per click, whereas ads are paid for per click.
For local searches, what matters most is proximity, the completeness of your Google Business Profile and reviews.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization, or search engine optimisation) means: you design your website so that Google understands it, trusts it and shows it to people who are looking for exactly what you offer. You don't need a degree in technology for that. This article explains the basics so that afterwards you know what matters – and what you can do yourself as a hairdresser, tradesperson, driving school, restaurant or hotel.
What is SEO? Search engine optimisation explained simply
Imagine Google as a huge library. Every day, millions of people walk in and ask the librarian: “I'm looking for an electrician in Dortmund.” The librarian only has seconds and recommends the books that fit best and that he trusts the most.
SEO means: you make sure your “book” – that is, your website – is well sorted, clearly labelled and trustworthy. Then the librarian recommends you more often.
Why is SEO so important for small businesses?
When someone is looking for a hairdresser, a restaurant or a driving school, it almost always starts with a search. Most people only look at the first few results – hardly anyone flicks through to page 2. If you don't show up there, you are simply overlooked, even if you are the best business in town.
How does Google decide who ranks at the top?
Google works in three steps. The technical terms sound clunky, but the principle is simple:
Crawling (searching): Small Google programs, known as crawlers, constantly visit websites and read them.
Indexing (filing): What the crawlers find is stored in Google's huge directory – the index. Only what is in the index can be found at all.
Ranking (order): For every search, Google decides in a fraction of a second which pages fit best. “Ranking” is simply the position.
Google itself explains these processes in detail in the official SEO Starter Guide – well worth a read if you want to go deeper.
The 3 pillars of SEO
What Google takes into account for the ranking order can be roughly divided into three areas:
Pillar
What is it about?
Example
Content
Does your website answer what customers want to know?
Services, prices, opening hours and service area clearly described
Technology
Does the page load quickly and does it work on a mobile phone?
Mobile-friendly design, no broken links, secure connection (https)
Trust
Do others recommend you?
Google reviews, mentions in the local newspaper, links from partners
Content: write the way your customers search
People search using particular words, known as keywords (search terms). A customer is more likely to type “wedding hairstyle Leipzig” than “hair styling for special occasions”. Use the words your customers actually use on your website. If there is a separate subpage for each important service, it is easier for Google to match you.
Technology: the mobile phone decides
Most searches for local businesses happen on the go, on a smartphone. Google therefore mainly assesses the mobile version of your website. You can check for free whether your page is fast enough using Google's PageSpeed Insights.
Trust: what others say about you
Google pays attention to how people talk about you. Genuine reviews and backlinks – links from other websites to yours, for example from the sports club you sponsor – work like recommendations.
Local SEO: the home advantage for small businesses
For searches such as “pizzeria near me”, Google often shows a map with three businesses right at the top. This area is fed mainly by the free Google Business Profile. What counts here is proximity, the completeness of the profile and reviews. For hairdressers, restaurants and the like, this is often the most important route to new customers – and a real opportunity compared with big chains.
And what does SEO have to do with ChatGPT & Co.?
More and more people ask AI assistants instead of searching themselves. The good news: these systems often draw on the same information as Google. Good SEO is therefore also the foundation for being recommended by an AI. You can read exactly how that works in our article What is GEO? How ChatGPT & Co. will recommend your business in future.
5 first steps you can take today
Google yourself. Search like a customer, e.g. “driving school + your town”, preferably on your phone. Where do you appear?
Complete your Google Business Profile. Opening hours, photos, services, category – fill everything in and keep it up to date.
Check your page titles. The blue title in the Google results should say what you offer and where, for example “Electrician in Dortmund – emergency service & installation | Müller Elektro”.
Ask for reviews. Simply ask satisfied customers directly, for example with a card with a QR code at the till.
Set up Google Search Console. The free tool Google Search Console shows you which search terms you appear for and whether there are any problems.
Conclusion: SEO is a craft, not magic
SEO sounds technical, but at its core it is common sense: say clearly what you offer and where. Make sure your website works well on a phone. And give satisfied customers the chance to say so publicly. If you master these basics, you will be found on Google – and increasingly recommended by AI assistants too.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the basics at least. You can tackle good copy, a well-maintained Google Business Profile and reviews yourself. For technical topics, it is often worth getting help from your web agency.
Usually a few weeks to months. SEO is not a switch but more like a garden: what you tend today bears fruit later.
No. You can buy ads that appear above the normal results. The normal positions are awarded by Google according to its own rules. Anyone who guarantees you first place is promising something nobody can guarantee.
No. Competitors become active, Google changes its rules and your offering changes. A quick check every few months is enough for most small businesses, though.
GEO explained simply: how ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI recommend your business. For hairdressers, trades, driving schools, restaurants and hotels – 6 tips.
Website not found on Google? The 7 most common reasons, simply explained, with a self-test and fixes for hairdressers, tradespeople, restaurants & hotels.