Small-Business Marketing

What Basic SEO Does—and Does Not—Include

Setting expectations before you buy anything with the letters S, E, and O in it.
By Jody Nova August 2026 5 min read
Illustration for the article: What basic SEO does and does not include.

What is usually included in a build

Included in a build

  • Page titles and descriptions
  • A sensible heading structure
  • Descriptive URLs
  • Image alt text
  • Internal links
  • A sitemap
  • Content organised so search engines can read it

Separate ongoing work

  • Keyword research campaigns
  • New content production
  • Local listing management
  • Review generation
  • Link building
  • Month-over-month reporting

Nobody can promise

  • A specific ranking position
  • A specific number of leads
  • Results by a specific date

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What is a separate ongoing effort

These are real work with real cost, and they continue after launch.

What nobody can promise

Be cautious with anyone who says otherwise.

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