How do I get my small business found on Google?
You do not need a huge budget. You need to be found for the specific things your customers actually search, and increasingly, to be the business AI names. Here is what to do, in order.
To get a small business found on Google, do four things in order: claim, verify and complete your free Google Business Profile; give every service you sell its own clear page that answers what customers ask; fix the technical basics so Google can read the site quickly on a phone; and earn steady reviews and mentions from other websites. Aim for the specific searches your customers type, such as a service plus your town, rather than one-word terms you will never win. Most businesses see calls and clicks start to build from around month 3, with rankings building over months 4 to 6.
Why is my business not showing up on Google?
When a small business cannot find itself on Google, it is almost always one of these:
- Google has not found the site yet. New sites, and sites that accidentally tell Google not to index them, do not appear at all. Search site:yourdomain.co.uk to see which pages Google has.
- There is no Google Business Profile, or it is unverified or suspended. Without a working profile you will not appear on the map. See why your Google Business Profile is not showing.
- There is no page for what people search. If you offer boiler servicing but only have one "Services" page, Google has nothing specific to show for "boiler service in Croydon".
- Competitors are simply stronger: more complete profiles, more reviews, more useful pages and more sites linking to them.
What does SEO mean, in plain English?
SEO (search engine optimisation) is the work that makes Google show your business when someone searches for what you do: the right words on the right pages, a site that loads fast and is easy for Google to read, a complete Google Business Profile and genuine reviews. Local SEO is the same thing for searches with a place in them, like "plumber in Camden" or "Pilates near me", where the map results matter most. AEO and GEO (answer engine and generative engine optimisation) are the newer cousins: making your business easy for ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI answers to understand and name.
How to get found on Google: a step-by-step checklist
- Make sure Google can see the site. Set up Google Search Console (free), submit your sitemap, and check that no page you want found is blocked.
- Claim and verify your Google Business Profile, choose the most specific primary category, and fill in every field: services, hours, photos, service area or address.
- Choose the searches you want to win. List the exact phrases customers use: the service, the problem, the town. Fewer searches, but people ready to act.
- Give each main service its own page that answers the questions customers ask, with prices or price guidance where you can, and a clear way to get in touch.
- Write a unique title and description for every page, saying what the page is about and where you work.
- Get the technical basics right: fast on a phone, secure (https), one clear heading per page, and structured data that tells Google your business name, address and services.
- Ask every happy customer for a Google review and reply to each one.
- Keep your name, address and phone number identical everywhere: website, Business Profile, directories and social profiles.
- Earn mentions and links from real local sources: suppliers, trade bodies, local press, partners and clients.
- Check Search Console every month: which searches you appear for, which pages get clicks, and what to improve next.
Which searches should a small business target?
Trying to rank for a generic term like "web design" or "accountant" means competing with everyone. You will lose, and even if you won, much of that traffic would not be right for you. The win for a small business is the specific search: the exact problem, the exact niche, the exact place. A page that ranks first for "accountant in Leighton Buzzard" is worth more than one that ranks tenth for "accountant". That is the kind of search that made Fouracre Accountancy ChatGPT and Perplexity's first pick for a family-run accountant for small businesses and landlords in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire (checked November 2026).
Do you need a website to be found on Google?
A Google Business Profile can appear on the map without a website, but a website is what gets you chosen and what ranks in the ordinary results. It is also where Google and AI assistants check that your details are real. The profile and the site should say the same things, in the same words.
What about ChatGPT and AI search?
More people now ask AI assistants for recommendations. The same groundwork helps both: clear pages that answer real questions, consistent facts about you across the web, and structured data. Then a few extra steps make you easier for AI to cite. Read how to get recommended by ChatGPT.
How long does it take?
Most businesses see calls and clicks start to build from around month 3, with rankings building over months 4 to 6. Local searches with little competition can move sooner, and competitive ones take longer. The full month-by-month picture is in how long does SEO take.
How we do it
Our SEO and AI visibility plan does every step above for you: we fix the foundations, write the pages that answer real questions, set up and run your Google Business Profile, push every change to Google and the AI platforms, and send a plain-English report each month. Kickstart is £650 (paid up front) and builds it. £650 builds it, then £350 a month keeps it working, or you stop and keep the site. Growth is £750 a month on 12 months. For Mainteniq, a London HVAC firm, that meant a page for every system it maintains and every borough it covers, a complete profile, and 39 calls from Google between April and September 2026.
Related questions
Why is my business not showing up on Google?
Usually because Google has not indexed the site yet, the Google Business Profile is missing, unverified or suspended, there is no page for the service people search, or competitors have more complete profiles, more reviews and more useful pages. Search site:yourdomain to see what Google has, and check your profile for a status notice.
How long until I see results?
Google usually shows movement in around three months, and results build from there. AI assistants often pick things up faster. Google decides the rankings. We do the work that earns them, every month.
Is it free to be on Google?
Yes. Appearing in Google search results and having a Google Business Profile are both free. What costs time or money is the work that makes you show up ahead of competitors: the pages, the profile, the reviews and the technical side.
Do I need to pay for ads?
Not necessarily. Most small businesses can be found through organic results and the map. Ads can help while SEO builds, and they show which searches turn into customers, but they stop the day you stop paying.
Can I do SEO myself?
Yes, the basics. Claim and complete your Business Profile, write one clear page per service, ask for reviews and check Search Console monthly. Where most owners get stuck is choosing the right searches and the technical side, which is where help pays off.
How much does SEO cost for a small business?
With YektaD, Kickstart is £650 (paid up front) and builds it: your website redesigned, your Google Business Profile fixed and 3 months of SEO. £650 builds it, then £350 a month keeps it working, or you stop and keep the site. Growth is £750 a month on 12 months for businesses where one job is worth hundreds or thousands. Google Business Profile set-up on its own is £300.
Want this done for your business?
Book a free 20-minute call. Direct access to Yekta.
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