SEO Tips: Make Google Love (+ Rank) Your Website
Including the downlow on the 2025 Google ranking factors
I know you wanna show up on Google. And I also know that when you hear ‘SEO’, you get the cold sweats and start to doubt your intelligence and competence as a small business owner.
Maybe you’ve scoured the internet only to find 20 conflicting opinions about what you need to do to rank on Google. Or maybe it’s all to overwhelming and you haven’t even dipped your toes in yet.
I’ve been there, and I’m here to help.
Google is notorious for guarding it’s algorithm like a kid with a bucket of easter eggs. It wasn’t until my incredible mentor told me about big SEO agencies collecting and reporting data that I began to dig deep into understanding Google’s priorities, and how to help small business owners like me get results.
Making SEO Easy
If you’re here, you don’t want to hear beginner SEO tips from a website bro with their head in dataland and questionable, scammy techniques.
You’re a small business owner managing your own website, and you don’t have time to get your website perfectly optimised, and post 2 blogs a week. You just want some quick, strategic wins to start showing up on Google, for free.
Let’s dive into real, actionable tips backed by the 2025 google ranking data, in order of which will be easiest for a small business owner to achieve on their own.
Gimme the Tips ASAP: Google Ranking Summary
I get it, you’re impatient to grow! While I would love it if you read the whole post, I’ve included the highlights here.
If you’re short on time, including relevant keywords in meta title tags (14%) is the best place to start.
Publishing high-quality, original blog posts remains one of the best ways to improve your website traffic (Consistent Publication of Engaging Content - 23%, Niche Expertise - 12%, Freshness - 6%). It takes time, but it completely transformed my business, and I have a hunch it’ll do the same for you.
Backlinks remain important for Google , but less so than in previous years (13%, down 2% from 2024). You can get backlinks through publishing blog posts that other sites want to link to, teaming up with complementary businesses for a guest post swap, and submitting your site to reputable local or industry directories.
Squarespace: The SEO settings for a blog post
Step 1: Update Meta Title Tags to Include Keywords
Keywords in Meta Title Tags (14%)
The ultimate way to get started on your SEO journey. Updating your meta title tags with strategic keywords that are unique to that page shouldn’t take you long, and the impact for time spent is huge.
As always, keyword strategy is, well, key. Knowing and understanding your target audience, what they might be searching and how they’re searching is a great place to start. From there, it’s a matter of brainstorming short and long phrases related to your business, checking the search traffic on tools like Ubersuggest or Semrush, then assigning 1 main keyword per page.
How Long Should Page Meta Titles Be?
70 characters or less in length
While it can be tempting to squeeze as many keywords in as possible for your best chance at ranking, it can set you back, and it’s not enjoyable for humans to read. Write for your website users first, and then optimise for computers. Feel free to break up some keyword phrases with a | (pipe or vertical bar), or – (en dash).
Industry examples:
Florist Homepage Meta Title: [Location] Florist | Same-day Delivery | [Brand Name]
Natural Skincare Shop Page Meta Title: Natural Skincare Products | Vegan & Cruelty-Free | [Brand Name]
Keywords in Meta Description Tags (<1%)
Meta description tag length: 160 characters or less
Create or update your page meta descriptions while you’re on the meta tag train. These aren’t a huge ranking factor, but they’re great for enticing clicks from search results. Stick to 160 characters, include your keyword, and finish with a call to action like “Shop Now” or “Book Today.”
Mobile-friendly design for My Natural Health
Step 2: Make Sure Your Website is Mobile-friendly
Mobile Friendliness / Mobile-first Design (5%)
Did you know that over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices [Exploding Topics, 2024]? While a 5% ranking factor might not seem like much, mobile-friendly design is so much more than a Google ranking tool. It’s a fundamental of best-practice website design, improving positive user engagement (12%), boosting trustworthiness (4%), and making your website more enjoyable to use, meaning your customers are more likely to come back time after time.
Making your website mobile-friendly doesn’t require a complete overhaul. A few thoughtful adjustments can go a long way. Here are the main things to consider:
Simplify Sections into a Single Column
On a mobile device, space is limited, so it’s best to stack content in a single column. This makes it easier for users to scroll through your site without feeling overwhelmed.
Adjust Font Sizes for Readability
Text that looks fine on a desktop might appear tiny on a mobile screen. Make sure your fonts are large enough to read comfortably without zooming in. A good rule of thumb is to use at least 16px for body text. Your users will thank you for saving their eyes (and sanity).
Optimise Buttons and Navigation for Fingers
Ever tried clicking a tiny button on your phone, only to end up hitting the wrong link? UGH. Make sure your buttons and navigation are large enough for all finger sizes, with plenty of space around them to avoid accidental clicks and unnecessary frustration.
Step 3: Compress and Optimise Your Images
Page Speed (2%)
Page speed isn’t just a ranking factor, it’s also vital for user experience. If your site takes forever to load, people will bounce faster than a toddler on a trampoline.
Tips for Faster Loading Images
Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to compress files without losing quality.
Save images as JPEG or WebP for faster load times.
Name your files descriptively, e.g., “natural-skincare-cleanser.jpg” instead of “IMG1234.jpg.”, just in-case the image takes a little time to load and the name shows up first.
The Rule Design Journal
Step 4: Start Your SEO-friendly Blog
If you needed another reason to get that blog up and running this year, this is it. Not only is it the perfect long-form content to include in your content marketing strategy, but it helps with consistent publication of engaging content (23%), niche expertise (12%), and freshness (6%), to name a few impacted factors!
Consistent Publication of Engaging Content (23%)
The biggest ranking factor by far, Google is taking note when you update your website with content that is high-quality, original, and gets website users to engage.
What do I mean by engage? Hang out on the page a while (increasing ‘time on page’), click links to other parts of the site (reducing ‘bounce rate’), and enjoy a few more pages (’pages per session’).
Can I Use AI to Write My Blog Posts?
With the accessibility of AI, it’s easier than ever for small business owners to write their own, average content. ChatGPT isn’t going to give your blog posts a unique standpoint, or let your tone of voice shine through, and who is going to read that?
Use AI to help with the writing, but take this as your chance to share your unique point of view, responses to genuine questions from real-life customers, and industry hot takes.
Niche Expertise (13%)
Google loves websites that know their stuff, and aren’t afraid to show it. Being seen as a “niche expert” means focusing your content around a specific area of expertise and creating multiple high-value pieces on related topics. When you create blog posts that link to each other and revolve around a core theme, Google starts to see your website as the go-to source for that niche.
How to Build Niche Expertise:
Choose a central topic or “hub keyword” that reflects your business focus.
Create a cluster of blog posts or pages that dive deep into related subtopics.
Link those posts together to guide readers (and Google) through your expertise.
Industry Example:
A yoga teacher might focus on “yoga for beginners” as their hub keyword. Blog topics could include “5 Beginner Yoga Poses to Start With,” “Best Yoga Mats for Beginners,” and “How to Build a Beginner Yoga Routine.”
Here’s another example for an Australian Surf & Swimwear Brand.
Freshness (6%)
Google wants to know that your website isn’t stuck in a time capsule. Regular updates signal that your site is current, relevant, and worth ranking. Freshness doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it’s about keeping your content up-to-date and adding new material regularly.
Ways to Keep Content Fresh:
Update old blog posts: Refresh the information, add new stats, or improve the formatting to make it more engaging.
Repurpose content: Turn a popular blog post into a video, infographic, or downloadable guide.
Publish consistently: Whether it’s once a month or once a quarter, set a realistic schedule and stick to it.
Industry Example:
A natural skincare brand could update an old post like “Best Skincare Ingredients for 2023” to reflect new trends and insights for 2025. Adding fresh visuals or linking to new products also boosts engagement.
Step 5: Have a Plan to Get Backlinks
Backlinks (13%)
Let’s talk about the classic SEO buzzword. You’ve probably been bombarded with spam emails promising “1 million high-quality backlinks”, or other dodgy clickbait. But I’ll let you in on a secret: Google has evolved, and while backlinks are still important, quality matters far more than quantity.
Backlinks are essentially “votes of confidence” from other websites. When reputable sites link to yours, it signals to Google that your content is trustworthy and valuable. Building backlinks doesn’t mean spamming forums or resorting to blackhat SEO tricks. It’s about relationships, relevance, and a little creativity.
Write Guest Posts for Business Friends
Collaborate with businesses or bloggers in your niche to create guest posts that add value to their audience. For example:
A graphic designer could guest post on a marketing blog about “How Good Design Boosts Social Media Engagement.”
A coffee supplier could contribute to a foodie blog with “How to Brew the Perfect Pour-Over Coffee at Home.”
Submit to Industry-Specific Directories
Getting listed in directories relevant to your niche is an easy way to secure high-quality backlinks. For instance:
A business coach could feature on their local coaching directory platform, or wellness-focused directories.
An online wine store could join wine directories like Wine-Searcher or Vivino to reach wine enthusiasts.
Create Link-Worthy Content
Craft content that others in your industry can’t resist linking to. It could be an infographic, guide, or blog post. For example:
A sustainable activewear brand could create an infographic on “The Life Cycle of Sustainable Fabrics” to educate audiences and attract eco-conscious bloggers.
A natural pet food brand could publish a guide like “10 Tips for Transitioning Your Pet to Sustainable Food” that vets or pet bloggers could reference.
Hot Tip: Focus on Relevance
A backlink from a website that aligns with your niche is worth more than dozens of links from random, unrelated sites. Quality over quantity is the mantra here.
Love Potion Recipe for Google
Want to make Google fall head over heels for your website in 2025?
Here's the secret recipe:
Sprinkle keywords into your meta title tags for the perfect flavour.
Add a dash of mobile-friendly design for a smooth user experience.
Compress and optimise your images for lightning-fast loading.
Stir in fresh, high-quality blog content that keeps readers coming back for more.
Finally, garnish with backlinks from quality sources to boost your credibility.
Mix these ingredients with consistency, and you’ll be serving up irresistible website traffic in no time. ❤️🔥
Meet your designer, Ruth
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