How to Get Your Company Website on Google: A Basic SEO Guide

A good website isn't necessarily a website that gets found. If prospective customers can't find your website on Google, it only helps people who already know your company. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the work of getting your website into search results for keywords that are relevant to your business.

SEO is often seen as complicated, but the basics are fairly simple. This article explains the three main pillars of SEO and practical steps you can take.

Pillar 1: Technical

Google needs to be able to read, understand and display your website properly. Some important technical points:

• Speed: a slow website drives visitors away and can lower your position on Google.
• Works well on mobile: most searches happen on phones, and Google judges websites by their mobile version.
• HTTPS: the padlock in the browser shows the website is secure.
• Sitemap: a list of pages that helps Google find every page on your website.
• A title and description for each page: every page should have a unique title and description that explain what it is about.
• Clean addresses: readable page addresses, such as /services/product-catalogue-website, are better than random codes.

Most of these are set up when the website is built. Ask your website provider whether they are all in place.

Pillar 2: Content

Google wants to show the page that best answers the searcher's question. That is why content is the core of SEO.

Know your customers' keywords

Think about the words prospective customers type when looking for a service like yours. For example, "company profile website design" or "carton packaging factory Tangerang". Each important page should focus on one main topic or keyword. How to find them from customer questions is covered in keyword research for B2B businesses.

One page per topic

Instead of describing all your services on one page, create a separate page for each service or main product category. That way each page has a chance to appear for more specific searches.

Write articles that answer questions

The questions customers ask most often are the best source of article ideas. Articles that genuinely help get searched for, read and shared. Consistency matters more than volume: two good articles every month are better than ten short articles once in a while.

Linking between pages

Link related pages together, for example from an article to a service page. Internal links help Google understand the structure of your website and help visitors find other information.

Pillar 3: Trust

Google trusts websites more when other parties trust them too.

• Links from other websites: every other website that links to yours is a sign of trust, especially when that website is relevant to your field.
• Google Business Profile: a business profile on Google Maps helps a great deal with local searches, such as "website services Tangerang".
• Consistent business information: the same name, address and contact details on your website, social media and business directories.
• Clear contact details: a website with contact information that is easy to find is trusted more by visitors and search engines.

Monitor with Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google for monitoring your website in search results. With it you can:

• See which keywords make your website appear
• Find out which pages are clicked most often
• Submit a sitemap so new pages are found quickly
• Get notified of technical problems

Search Console data helps you decide which pages need strengthening and which article topics to write next. If a page still isn't showing up, check why a page isn't showing on Google.

How long until you see results?

SEO is a medium-term investment. A new website usually needs anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to start appearing consistently, depending on how competitive the keywords are. More specific keywords, for example ones that mention a product type or an area, generally deliver results sooner.

Common mistakes

• Every page has the same title: Google struggles to tell the pages apart.
• Copying content from other websites: duplicate content rarely ranks well.
• Creating lots of near-identical pages: for example a separate page for every city with the same text. Google may treat this as spam.
• Never updating: a website left unchanged for years slowly loses out to active competitors.
• Chasing quick tricks: buying links or repeating keywords excessively can actually do harm.

First steps for a new website

If your website has just launched, take these steps:

1. Register the website in Google Search Console and submit the sitemap.
2. Make sure every important page has a unique title and description.
3. Create a Google Business Profile if your company serves a particular area.
4. Add your website address to all your company's social media accounts.
5. Start writing articles that answer customers' questions, at least one or two a month.
6. Check Search Console every month to see your progress and any problems to fix.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pay Google for my website to appear?

No. Ordinary (organic) search results can't be bought. Google Ads are paid adverts shown separately with a "Sponsored" label. Ads can help you get visitors quickly, while SEO builds long-term traffic with no cost per click.

How many keywords should I target?

Focus on a few main keywords that are most relevant to your business, then expand gradually through service pages and articles. Each page should have one main focus.

Do I need to replace my old website for SEO?

Not always. If your old website is already fast, works well on mobile and is easy to update, improving the content and structure may be enough. But if the website is very slow or hard to update, rebuilding is often the more effective option.

Good SEO is basically simple: a fast, tidy website, content that answers customers' questions, and a reputation built consistently.

Want a website that is SEO-ready from day one? See our website services, or read what is a CMS to understand how to update content easily.