Google handles over 8.5 billion searches per day. When someone searches for a business like yours, what determines whether they find you or your competitor? Here's how it actually works - without the jargon.
The Three Steps of Search
Google does three things with websites:
1. Crawling (Finding Pages)
Google sends out "crawlers" (also called "bots" or "spiders") to discover web pages. These crawlers follow links from page to page, constantly discovering new content and checking for changes.
What this means for you: If Google can't access your website or can't follow the links on it, pages won't appear in search results. Your website needs to be technically accessible.
2. Indexing (Understanding Pages)
Once Google finds a page, it tries to understand what that page is about. It reads the text, looks at images, analyses the structure, and categorises everything in a massive database called the "index."
What this means for you: Google needs to be able to read and understand your content. If your website is built in a way that hides content from crawlers, it won't get indexed properly. Clear, well-structured content helps.
3. Ranking (Ordering Results)
When someone searches, Google looks through its index to find the most relevant, helpful results. It considers hundreds of factors to decide what order to show them in.
What this means for you: Being indexed is just step one. You also need to convince Google that your page is the best answer for what someone is searching for.
What Google Is Actually Trying to Do
Google wants to show people the best possible answer to their question, as quickly as possible.
That's it. Everything else follows from this.
Google doesn't care about:
- How much you paid for your website
- How long you've been in business (mostly)
- How hard you worked on your content
- How many keywords you've stuffed in
Google cares about:
- Is this page helpful for what the person searched?
- Is this website trustworthy?
- Is this page fast and easy to use?
- Does this business actually serve this area? (for local searches)
When you understand that Google's goal is to help searchers find good answers, SEO becomes less mysterious. Your job is to genuinely be a good answer.
The Different Types of Searches
Not all searches work the same way. Google shows different things depending on what someone is looking for:
Informational Searches
"How to fix a dripping tap"
The person wants information. Google shows articles, videos, and how-to guides. Often, an AI Overview summarises the answer at the top.
Navigational Searches
"Screwfix Exeter"
The person knows where they want to go. Google shows that specific website prominently.
Transactional/Commercial Searches
"Buy bathroom taps online"
The person wants to purchase something. Google shows shopping results and e-commerce sites.
Local Searches
"Plumber near me" or "Exeter plumber"
The person wants a local service. Google shows the Map Pack (those three businesses with the map) and local results.
For local businesses, that last category is gold. When someone searches with local intent, Google prioritises businesses that are nearby and relevant - not necessarily the biggest or most famous.
The Map Pack (Most Important for Local Businesses)
When someone searches for a local service, Google usually shows a map with three businesses listed. This is called the "Map Pack" or "Local Pack."
Getting into the Map Pack is often more valuable than ranking #1 in the regular results below it. It's the first thing people see, and for many searches, it's the only thing they click on.
The Map Pack is powered by Google Business Profile. If you're a local business, your Google Business Profile is arguably more important than your website for local visibility.
AI Overviews (The New Reality)
You've probably noticed that for many searches, Google now shows an AI-generated answer at the very top - before any websites.
Example: Search "how much does a new boiler cost uk" and instead of showing websites first, Google shows an AI-written summary drawing from multiple sources.
This is significant because:
- Many people get their answer without clicking any website
- Being cited in the AI Overview can drive significant traffic
- Traditional "ranking #1" matters less if an AI answer appears above it
For local businesses, the impact is mixed. AI Overviews appear less often for local searches ("plumber near me") than for informational searches ("how to fix a tap"). But this is changing.
The takeaway: Being the kind of trustworthy, authoritative source that AI systems cite is becoming increasingly important.
What You Can Control (And What You Can't)
Things you CAN control:
- The content on your website
- How your website is structured
- Your Google Business Profile
- How you ask customers for reviews
- Whether your website works well on mobile
- How fast your website loads
- Your business information across the web
Things you CAN'T control:
- What Google decides to show for any given search
- When or how often Google crawls your site
- Algorithm updates that change rankings overnight
- What your competitors are doing
- Whether someone clicks on your result
The SEO game is about optimising what you can control and not obsessing over what you can't.
The Major Ranking Factors (Simplified)
While Google uses hundreds of signals, these are the main categories that matter:
Content Quality
Is your content helpful, accurate, and comprehensive? Does it actually answer what people are looking for? Is it original or just rehashed from other sites?
Relevance
Does your page match what someone is searching for? Are you actually about the topic being searched? Do your title and content clearly communicate what the page is about?
Authority/Trust
Do other websites link to you? Does your business have a track record? Are you a known entity in your field? Do you have reviews and mentions?
User Experience
Is your site fast? Does it work on mobile? Is it secure (HTTPS)? Is it easy to navigate? Do people stick around or bounce immediately?
Local Signals (For Local Search)
Is your Google Business Profile complete and accurate? Do you have reviews? Is your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across the web? Are you actually in the area being searched?
The Honest Truth About SEO
There are no shortcuts. Anyone promising page 1 rankings in weeks is either lying or planning to use tactics that might work briefly before getting you penalised.
It takes time. Genuine SEO is a long-term investment. Results build over months and years, not days.
It's competitive. For many searches, you're competing against businesses that have been building their online presence for years.
Quality wins eventually. Google gets better at identifying genuinely helpful content. The sites that focus on being useful tend to win over time.
Local is different. Local SEO moves faster and is less competitive than national searches. A local plumber isn't competing with the entire internet - just other plumbers in the area.
Where to Focus First
If you're a local business, prioritise these:
- Google Business Profile - Claim it, complete it fully, get reviews
- Website basics - Mobile-friendly, fast, secure (HTTPS), clear about what you do
- Consistent information - Same business name, address, phone everywhere online
- Helpful content - Pages that clearly describe your services and serve your area
- Reviews - Actively request reviews from happy customers
These foundations matter more than any advanced SEO tactics.
The Bottom Line
Google's job is to find good answers. Your job is to genuinely be one.
Focus on having a website that's helpful, trustworthy, and easy to use. Keep your Google Business Profile accurate and active. Ask happy customers for reviews. Be consistent with your business information across the web.
Do these things well, and you're ahead of most local businesses - because most don't bother.
SEO isn't magic or manipulation. It's just making it easy for Google to understand what you do and trust that you're good at it.