Every year brings headlines that SEO has changed for ever. Some things have changed: Google now shows AI-written summaries above many results, and more people search by asking full questions. But for a local business, what decides whether you get found is surprisingly stable.
What still matters most
Clear pages for each service and place. A page for each main service, saying plainly what you do and where, gives search engines something specific to match. "Flat roof repairs in Norwich" on its own page beats a single page listing everything.
A complete Google Business Profile. For local searches, the map results often matter more than the website itself. Accurate details, categories, photos and regular reviews make a real difference. Our local SEO guide covers the steps.
Real reviews. They help you rank locally and convince people once they find you. Asking every happy customer is still the most reliable method. More on that in our article on reviews and testimonials.
A fast site that works on phones. Most local searches happen on a phone. Google takes page experience into account, and people leave slow pages anyway.
Helpful, honest content. Answers to the questions your customers actually ask, written by someone who knows the trade. Thin pages written only to include keywords do not age well.
What has changed
AI answers in search. For some questions, Google shows an AI summary first, with links to the sources it used. Clear, well-structured pages that answer a question directly are the ones most likely to be quoted and linked.
Searches are more conversational. People type or say things like "who can fix a leaking flat roof near me this week". Pages that answer real questions in plain language match these better than pages built around single keywords.
Trust signals carry more weight. Real names, real photos of your work, clear contact details and a visible business address or service area all help both people and search engines trust you.
What has not changed
There are still no shortcuts. Buying links, stuffing keywords and publishing large amounts of AI-generated filler risk doing more harm than good. Steady, genuine improvements win.
A simple plan for this year
- Check each main service has its own clear page.
- Complete and refresh your Google Business Profile.
- Ask every customer for a review.
- Test your site on a phone and fix anything slow or awkward.
- Write one useful article a month that answers a real customer question.
Every website we build starts with these foundations, and our free website check shows where yours stands today.