What Is SEO? Stop Wasting Money on the Wrong Stuff

So…

“What is SEO and how does it work?”

And honestly? Most people don’t know either.

But they know they need it.

You hear all these little acronyms floating around—SEO, PPC, SEM. Everyone's talking about digital marketing like it’s some magic pill.

So what do most people do?

They go out and buy that three-letter word, hoping it’ll fix their business.

Buy some SEO, patch up your website, and boom, clients start pouring in, right?

Except... it doesn’t work like that.

And if you don’t understand what SEO is, you’ll end up spending money on something you can’t even measure.

So What Is SEO, Really?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. That’s the technical name.

But here’s what it really means:

SEO is the process of making sure your website shows up in Google when people search for what you do.

If someone searches for your type business and your site doesn’t show up?

You’re invisible.

Every time someone types something into Google—that’s a search term.

If that term matches what you offer, and your website is built with strong keyword targeting and content relevance, Google connects the dots. It says:

“Hey, this person is looking for this service—this website delivers it. Let’s rank it.”

Wanna know what Real SEO is? Let us show you.

 

SEO For Small Businesses: Most People Are Lost

Most business owners don’t know what real SEO is.

They just know someone told them,
“You need some SEO.”

And that someone had slick slides, buzzwords, and a vague promise to “get you ranking.”

So they say yes, without knowing what they’re buying.

That’s how you get caught in what we call BSEO:

You’re paying for “search engine optimization,” but you don’t know what’s being done, what it’s targeting, or if it’s even working. You just get monthly invoices and reports that don’t mean a thing.

 

SEO Is Just Matching Terms With Content

Let’s simplify it.

Think about how you search online:

• “Why isn’t my business showing up on Google?”
  
  
• “Do I need SEO for my small business?”
  
  
• “Best SEO company near me”
  
  

Those are real search terms.
If enough people are typing them in, they become keywords worth targeting.

And if you want to win, your website needs content that speaks directly to those terms.

Google scans your page. If it finds those exact phrases—written clearly, naturally, and helpfully—you start climbing.

No tricks. No magic. Just alignment.

 

Start With 10 Questions Your Customers Would Type

Here’s how you build a real strategy:

Write down 10 search phrases your customers would type into Google.

Not your name. Not your business. Just:

• What you do
  
  
• Where you do it
  
  
• And how real people talk about it
  
  

Like this:

• “SEO help for a small business in Ventura”
  
  
• “Marketing agency near me that works with contractors”
  
  
• “Get found on Google in Santa Barbara”
  
  
• “Search engine optimization services Los Angeles”
  
  

These become your targets.

You build pages, ads, and blog posts around them.
They are your foundation for both organic traffic and paid search.

 

The 3 Types of SEO You Need to Know

Let’s break it down. SEO isn’t one thing. It’s three.

1. On-Page SEO

This is the content you put on your site.

Things like:

• Blog posts
  
  
• Service pages
  
  
• Updates
  
  
• FAQs
  
  
• Tips and how-tos
  
  

This is how you become the information source in your niche.

Every time you publish something that answers a question or explains what you do—you build trust with both Google and your market.

On-page SEO is where you optimize for terms like SEO for small business, best SEO strategy for contractors, or small business SEO services in California.

 

2. Off-Page SEO

This is everything happening off your site that builds your reputation:

• Backlinks from other legit sites
  
  
• Reviews
  
  
• Directory listings
  
  
• Social mentions
  
  
• News features
  
  

It’s how Google knows you’re trusted, not just saying you're trustworthy.

Off-page SEO drives domain authority, which feeds rankings.

 

3. Technical SEO

This is the behind-the-scenes work:

• Page speed
  
  
• Mobile-first optimization
  
  
• Crawlability and indexing
  
  
• Clean, functional site architecture
  
  
• Passing a basic technical audit
  
  

If your site’s slow, broken, or hard to read—Google’s not showing it.

 

SEO Is Slow, That’s Why You Pair It With Paid

Let’s be honest: SEO takes time. It’s a long game.

While your organic content grows, use paid ads to buy your way into the results immediately.

SEO is the garden.
Paid is the faucet.

You run Google Ads on the same 10 search terms you’re optimizing for.
Now you’re getting visibility today while building momentum for the long haul.

 

If You Don’t Know What You’re Buying, You’ll Get Burned

Most people paying for SEO never ask the right questions:

• What keywords are we targeting?
  
  
• Which pages are supposed to rank?
  
  
• Are we being indexed properly?
  
  
• Is this even leading to leads?
  
  

If you can’t answer those, you’re guessing.

And in SEO, guessing is expensive.

 

You Don’t Need More Acronyms, You Need a Real Strategy

So here’s the move:

• Write down 10 search terms real customers use
  
  
• Build content that answers those searches
  
  
• Run paid ads on those same terms to validate and get leads fast
  
  
• Track what’s working. Cut what isn’t.
  
  
• Keep publishing. Keep refining. Keep climbing.
  
  

SEO isn’t about doing everything.
It’s about doing the right things, on purpose.

Call us at 805.243.8321 or book you free strategy session today!