what is seo and how does it work?
seo stands for search engine optimisation. it is the process of making a website appear in search results when someone types a relevant query into google or another search engine.
when someone searches "plumber near me" or "electrician wiltshire," google returns a list of results. seo is the work that determines where your website appears in that list.
how search engines work
google crawls the internet using automated programs called bots. they follow links, read pages, and store what they find in an index — a vast record of what exists on the web.
when someone runs a search, google pulls from that index and ranks results. the ranking is based on hundreds of signals, but three matter most:
- relevance — does the page answer the query
- authority — do other sites link to this page, suggesting it can be trusted
- technical quality — does the page load correctly, work on mobile, use https
what seo actually involves
seo covers three areas.
on-page seo is what appears on the page itself: the content, the headings, the page title, the words used. a page about gas boiler servicing in wiltshire needs to say those things clearly and specifically.
technical seo is the structure underneath: page speed, mobile compatibility, correct html, a functioning sitemap, no broken links. google needs to be able to read the page before it ranks it.
off-page seo is links from other websites pointing to yours. each link passes authority. the more credible the source, the more it counts.
how long seo takes
seo is not instant. new websites with no existing authority take longer to rank. established sites with existing traffic see results faster.
a realistic timeline for a trade business starting from scratch:
| stage | typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| google indexes the site | 2–4 weeks |
| pages appear in search results | 1–3 months |
| pages rank on page one for local terms | 3–9 months |
| consistent organic enquiries | 6–12 months |
these are approximations. competitive areas take longer. less competitive local terms move faster.
local seo
most trade businesses need local seo, not general seo. local seo targets searches with a location attached — "roofer dorset," "drainage company trowbridge" — or searches google interprets as local even without one, like "emergency plumber."
local seo includes:
- a google business profile, verified and complete
- location-specific pages on the website
- consistent name, address, and phone number across the web
- reviews on google
see: what is local seo
what seo costs
seo is available as a monthly service or handled in-house. the difference is time and expertise.
| option | typical cost | who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| diy | free | you |
| freelancer | £200–600/month | one person |
| agency | £500–2,000/month | a team |
| computer web | £99/month | computer web |
computer web seo covers on-page work, content, and local optimisation for trade businesses in wiltshire, somerset, and dorset. no contracts, no meetings, no reports padded with graphs.
see: computer web seo
seo vs paid search
paid search (google ads) puts your website at the top of results immediately. you pay per click. when you stop paying, you stop appearing.
seo builds position over time. once a page ranks, it earns traffic without ongoing cost per click. the two approaches serve different timescales.
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