A plain-English guide to digital marketing for local small businesses. Covers local SEO, Google Business Profile, paid search, lead tracking, and the practical tradeoffs owners run into when trying to get found online without burning money.
What this covers
Search visibility basics for local businesses
Google Business Profile and local SEO notes
Paid search guidance for owners considering ads
Lead tracking and attribution basics
Common acquisition mistakes and what to fix first
Practical examples by city and industry
Where to start
First 90 days
Own non-brand local intent before scaling broader campaigns
Track calls, forms, and booked jobs by neighborhood or service line
Build service-page depth so the site can rank beyond one core keyword