Technical SEO Basics for Small Businesses

When you hear the term SEO, you might picture writing blog posts, finding the right keywords, or showing up higher on Google Maps. That’s all very important, but it’s only part of the story. The behind-the-scenes work that makes your site fast, accessible, and easy for search engines to understand is called technical SEO, and it’s the foundation for everything else you do online.

No, you don’t need to be a developer to understand the basics. With a little knowledge and the right tools, you can make sure your website is set up for success. Let’s walk through four key areas of technical SEO every small business should know: site speed, mobile-first design, indexing, and schema markup.

Site Speed: Why Faster is Always Better

We’ve all clicked away from a website that took forever to load. Your customers will too, and so will Google. A slow site can frustrate visitors and push you down in search rankings.

Speed matters for many reasons. User experience suffers because people expect instant results. A delay of just a few seconds can lead to lost sales or inquiries. Search engines care about speed: Google uses page speed as a ranking factor, especially on mobile devices. Conversions drop on slow sites. In fact, studies show that faster sites convert visitors into customers more effectively.

What you can do to make your website faster:

• Optimize your images (keep them under 200 KB file size for best loading speeds).
• Use a reliable hosting provider (like Bluehost and GoDaddy).
• Minimize unnecessary plugins or scripts.
• Consider a content delivery network (CDN) if you serve a wide area.

A good rule of thumb: If your site loads in under three seconds, you’re in good shape.

Mobile-First Website Design

Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it looks primarily at the mobile version of your site when deciding how you rank. Why? Because most people will find your business on their phone first. If your website is clunky or difficult to use on a small screen, you’re losing customers before they even have a chance to read your offer.

How to check if your website is mobile-friendly:

• Does your site load quickly on mobile data (not just Wi-Fi)?
• Is the text easy to read without needing to zoom in?
• Are your buttons big enough to tap with a thumb?
• Do forms (like contact or booking) work smoothly on a phone?

Open your site on your own phone and walk through a customer journey. Try calling, filling out a form, or making a purchase. If it feels awkward, fix it.

Indexing: How to Help Google Find You

Google is a giant library. For your business to be discoverable, your website has to be “indexed,” which means adding it to the library’s catalog. If Google can’t find or properly read your pages, they won’t show up in search results.

Common indexing issues include:

• Pages accidentally blocked with a “noindex” tag.
• Duplicate content that confuses search engines.
• Broken links or errors that stop Google from crawling your site.

How to fix indexing issues:

• Use Google Search Console (it’s free!) to check which of your pages are indexed.
• Submit a sitemap to guide Google through your site.
• Fix broken links and make sure your most important pages are easy to navigate to.

It’s all about making sure the right pages are front and center when customers are searching.

A Bit About Schema Markup

Schema might sound intimidating, but it’s just structured data that helps search engines understand your content more clearly. It’s like giving Google a cheat sheet for your website. 

For example, if you’re a local restaurant, schema can tell Google what your business hours are, your location and phone number, your menu, and customer reviews. That’s how you get those fancy “rich results” in search, like star ratings, FAQs, or event listings, right below your link.

How to get started with schema:

• Use Google’s free Structured Data Markup Helper to add schema to your site.
• Focus on the basics: Local Business, Product, or Event schema (depending on your business).
• Test it with the Rich Results Test tool before you publish.

Even small touches of schema can make your business stand out in crowded search results.

Technical SEO is in no way glamorous, but it’s what keeps your online presence strong and sustainable. By focusing on site speed, mobile-first design, indexing, and schema, you’re setting the stage for all your content and marketing efforts to actually work.

Small businesses don’t need to do everything at once; start with one area, make improvements, and build from there. Over time, these technical tweaks will pay off in more visibility, better user experience, and more customers finding (and loving) your business online.

Need some help? Technical SEO is our jam. We’d love to do a site audit and get you ranked higher on Google. Reach out today.