SEO Strategy for Small Businesses: From Zero to Rankings

You don't need to spend $10,000/month on SEO to rank in Google.

The 3-Phase SEO Approach

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4) Technical SEO, on-page optimization, schema markup. **Cost:** $1,500-$3,000 (one-time)

Phase 2: Content & Keywords (Weeks 5-16) Keyword research, content creation, optimization. **Cost:** $2,000-$5,000/month for 3 months

Phase 3: Authority & Links (Months 4-12) Link building, trust signals, ongoing optimization. **Cost:** $500-$2,000/month ongoing

The Realistic SEO Timeline

**Month 1:** Implement technical SEO **Months 2-3:** First rankings appearing **Months 4-6:** Traffic up 50-150% **Months 6-12:** Established rankings

Red Flags in SEO Proposals

❌ "Guarantee first page ranking" ❌ "Cheap & Fast" ❌ "Black hat techniques"

✅ Transparent reporting ✅ Focus on keyword research ✅ Timeline expectations set

Common Mistakes

• Wrong keywords (generic vs local)
• Thin content
• No call-to-actions
• Inconsistent publishing
• Ignoring mobile

Expected Results

Small business with low competition: - 30+ rankings in 6 months - 200-400 monthly organic visitors - 10-20 monthly leads

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