Your first steps to getting found on Google and AI search.
You do not need to become a tech expert. You need the right foundations built in the right order. Here is exactly where to start — with real examples you can follow.
SEO is not one giant project. It is many small, specific tasks done well over time.
Most business owners stall on SEO because it feels like one enormous, impenetrable undertaking. Where do I start? Do I need to learn to code? Is it too late? The answer is: you start with foundations, you do not need to code, and it is never too late.
Let us follow Jasmine, who runs a home-based meal prep service in San Juan. She launched her website three months ago but gets zero visitors from search. Her food is excellent — regular customers order weekly. But when someone in San Juan searches “healthy meal prep delivery near me,” Jasmine is nowhere to be found. Her competitor, who started around the same time but optimised from day one, gets 15 to 20 new enquiries every week from Google alone.
The difference is not talent. It is not budget. It is that Jasmine’s competitor did the right foundational steps early. Jasmine can still catch up. And so can you. Here is the exact sequence.
Start with what your customers are already searching for.
Before you touch anything on your website, spend 20 minutes thinking like your customer. Not like a marketer. Not like a business owner. Like the person who has a problem and is reaching for their phone to find a solution.
How Jasmine did this:
Jasmine opened her WhatsApp and scrolled through messages from customers. She noticed patterns:
- “Do you deliver to Greenhills?”
- “How much for a weekly plan?”
- “Do you have keto options?”
- “Can I order for my office team?”
- “What’s in the calorie-controlled meals?”
Each of these questions represents something people are also typing into Google. Jasmine wrote them all down. She now had the seeds for five new pages on her website.
Your turn:
- Look through your customer messages (WhatsApp, Messenger, email, Viber)
- Write down every question you get asked repeatedly
- Think about what words customers use, not industry jargon. Customers do not search for “culinary solutions provider” — they search for “meal prep delivery San Juan”
- Be location-specific. “Aircon cleaning” is too broad. “Aircon cleaning service Mandaluyong” is specific enough to rank
Aim for 15 to 20 phrases. These become the topics your website content is built around.
Why this works for AI search too:
When someone asks ChatGPT “Can you recommend a meal prep service in San Juan that does keto?” the AI searches the web for pages that specifically answer this question. If Jasmine has a page titled “Keto Meal Prep Delivery in San Juan” with clear information about her menu, pricing, and delivery area, the AI is far more likely to cite her in its response.
Confirm that Google can actually see your website.
You would be surprised how often this is the problem. Some websites accidentally block search engines from reading their pages. Others have been live for weeks but Google has never discovered them.
The 30-second test:
Go to Google and type: site:yourwebsite.com (replace with your actual domain name). This shows you every page Google currently knows about.
What the results tell you:
- Pages appear: Good. Google knows about your site. Count the results. Compare to how many pages you actually have.
- Fewer pages than expected: Some pages may be blocked, orphaned (no links to them), or too thin for Google to index.
- Nothing appears: Google has not discovered you yet, or something technical is blocking access.
Real example — Andrei’s mistake:
Andrei hired a web developer to build his auto detailing website. The developer finished the site and launched it. But the developer forgot to uncheck “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” in WordPress settings (a common checkbox used during development). For four months, Andrei’s site was live but completely invisible to Google. He only discovered the issue when a friend asked why his site did not appear in search.
The fix took 10 seconds: uncheck the box, save, and within two weeks Google had indexed his entire site.
If nothing appears after two weeks:
- Check WordPress Settings → Reading → ensure “Discourage search engines” is unchecked
- Check your
robots.txtfile (visityoursite.com/robots.txt) to make sure it is not blocking everything - Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console (covered in Article 5)
Organise your site so both humans and search engines can navigate it.
Your website needs a logical structure. Think of it as a well-organised shop: departments are clearly labelled, aisles are easy to walk through, and everything is where you would expect to find it.
What good structure looks like — Jasmine’s site:
- Homepage: What she does, who she serves, where she delivers. Links to all major sections.
- Menu page: All available meal plans with pricing. Links to individual plan pages (keto, calorie-controlled, bulk/office).
- Delivery areas page: Lists all barangays and cities she covers. Links back to the order page.
- About page: Her story, qualifications, kitchen certifications.
- FAQ page: Answers to the top 10 questions customers ask.
- Contact/Order page: Clear call to action with WhatsApp link, order form, and hours.
Every page links to at least two other relevant pages. No orphans. A visitor can find what they need in two clicks. Google’s crawlers can follow links from the homepage to every other page without hitting dead ends.
What bad structure looks like — Andrei’s original site:
- Homepage says “Welcome” with a photo and nothing else
- Services page exists but is not linked from the homepage menu
- Three blog posts that link nowhere
- Pricing page requires scrolling through five other pages to find
- Contact info is buried in the footer in tiny grey text
Google’s crawlers cannot find the services page because no link points to it. Visitors bounce because they cannot find what they need. Both problems stem from poor structure.
The rule of thumb:
Every important page should be reachable within three clicks from your homepage. If a page has no links pointing to it from other pages on your site, it is an orphan — invisible to both visitors and Google.
Write page titles that tell Google and customers exactly what each page offers.
Your page title is the single most important piece of text for SEO. It appears as the clickable blue link in Google results. It is the first thing a potential customer reads. It is the first thing Google reads. And it is what AI systems use to understand what your page is about.
The before and after:
Andrei’s page titles before optimization:
- Home
- Services
- About
- Contact
- Blog
None of these tell Google or a customer anything useful. They are invisible in search because they match millions of other generic pages.
Andrei’s page titles after optimization:
- Car Detailing and Ceramic Coating in Paranaque — AutoShine PH
- Mobile Car Detailing Services — We Come to You — Paranaque
- About AutoShine PH — 8 Years of Professional Detailing
- Book Your Detailing Appointment — AutoShine PH Paranaque
- Car Care Tips — AutoShine PH Blog
Now each title is specific, descriptive, includes location, and tells both Google and the customer exactly what to expect on that page.
Title writing rules:
- Keep it under 60 characters. Longer titles get cut off in search results.
- Front-load the important words. Put the most critical information first.
- Make each title unique. No two pages should have the same title.
- Include location if you serve local customers.
- Write for humans. It needs to make sense and compel someone to click.
Why AI systems care about titles:
When Perplexity or ChatGPT searches the web to answer a question, the page title is one of the strongest signals they use to determine relevance. A page titled “Mobile Car Detailing Services — We Come to You — Paranaque” is far more likely to be cited for the query “mobile car detailing in Paranaque” than a page simply titled “Services.”
Create one new page that answers a specific customer question.
This is where the work starts paying off. Take one of those customer questions from Step 1 and turn it into a full page on your website.
Jasmine’s first content page:
Jasmine chose the question “How much does meal prep delivery cost in San Juan?” because she gets asked this every day. She created a page with:
- A clear title: “Meal Prep Delivery Pricing — San Juan, Metro Manila”
- A pricing table showing her three plans (basic, premium, keto) with per-meal and per-week costs
- What is included in each plan (number of meals, snacks, delivery frequency)
- Delivery areas covered
- A comparison to eating out daily (showing the savings)
- An FAQ section at the bottom answering follow-up questions (minimum order? cancel anytime? bulk discounts?)
- A clear call-to-action to place an order via WhatsApp
Within six weeks, this page ranked on the first page of Google for “meal prep delivery price San Juan” and brought in her first organic customer. One page. One question answered thoroughly. Real result.
Why thorough answers matter for AI citations:
When someone asks Perplexity “How much does meal prep delivery cost in Metro Manila?” the AI needs to find pages that clearly and specifically answer that question with real numbers. Jasmine’s pricing page, with actual prices, clear structure, and specific location information, is exactly what AI systems look for when generating cited answers.
Your assignment:
Pick your most frequently asked customer question. Create a dedicated page that answers it better than any competitor. Include specifics: numbers, prices, timelines, locations, qualifications. Be the best answer on the internet for that one question in your area.
Every improvement is permanent progress that compounds.
Unlike a Facebook post that dies in 24 hours or a boosted ad that stops the moment your budget runs out, a well-optimized page compounds. Jasmine’s pricing page brings in customers this week, next month, and next year without her spending another peso.
Over time, as you add more pages, each one becomes another entry point. Ten well-optimized pages means ten different ways customers can discover your business through search. Twenty pages means twenty entry points. Each one working silently, 24 hours a day, bringing in people who are actively looking for exactly what you offer.
This is the compounding effect of SEO. The work gets easier over time because each new page benefits from the authority your site has already built. The first ranking is the hardest. After that, momentum builds.
Five things you can do today — pick one and start.
- Do the
site:check. Typesite:yourdomain.cominto Google right now. Count the results. Compare to the actual number of pages on your site. This is your visibility baseline. - Write 15 customer questions. Open your messages (WhatsApp, Messenger, email). Write down every question customers have asked you in the past month. These are your content topics.
- Rewrite your page titles. Log into your website editor. Check every page title. Replace anything generic (“Home,” “Services,” “Page 1”) with specific, descriptive titles that include what you offer and where.
- Fix your navigation. Can a brand new visitor find your services, pricing, and contact info within two clicks? If not, restructure your menu today.
- Create one content page. Take your most asked customer question. Write a thorough, honest answer. Give it a clear title. Publish it. This is your first step toward organic visibility.
Frequently asked questions about getting started with SEO.
How do I check if Google knows my website exists?
Type site:yourwebsite.com into Google (replace with your actual domain). If your pages appear in the results, Google knows about you. If nothing appears and your site has been live for more than two weeks, something may be blocking Google from discovering or indexing your site. Check your robots.txt file and ensure your pages are not set to noindex.
What should I write on my website to rank on Google?
Write about what your customers are already searching for. Think about the questions they ask you in person, via chat, or email. Each question or topic becomes a page on your site. Be specific (not “cakes” but “custom birthday cakes delivered in Quezon City”), answer thoroughly, and include your location if you serve local customers. Genuine helpfulness ranks better than keyword stuffing every time.
How many pages does my website need to rank well?
There is no minimum page count. A 5-page website with excellent, targeted content can outrank a 500-page site with thin, generic content. Focus on quality over quantity. Each page should serve a clear purpose and answer a specific customer question or need. Over time, adding more helpful content expands the number of searches you can appear for.
What is the most important thing on a webpage for SEO?
The page title (title tag) is the single most impactful element. It appears as the clickable blue link in Google results and is the first thing both Google and potential customers read. A good title clearly describes what the page offers, includes words your customers search for, and stays under 60 characters. “Professional Dog Grooming Makati — Walk-Ins Welcome” is far better than “Home” or “Services.”
How do I get my website to show up in ChatGPT or Perplexity results?
AI search tools cite websites that are well-structured, authoritative, and clearly helpful. The same fundamentals that help you rank on Google also help AI systems find and cite your content: clear page titles, structured headings, thorough answers to specific questions, schema markup, and mentions or links from other trusted websites. There is no separate process — good SEO benefits both traditional and AI search simultaneously.
How should I structure my website navigation for SEO?
Keep it simple and logical. A visitor should find your key information (services, contact details, pricing) within two to three clicks from any page. Group related pages together (all services under a Services section). Make sure every important page is linked from your navigation menu or from other pages. Pages with no internal links pointing to them are invisible to both visitors and search engines.
Do I need a blog to rank on Google?
Not necessarily, but it helps. A blog lets you publish content that answers customer questions, targets specific searches, and demonstrates expertise. However, a blog full of thin, irrelevant posts can actually hurt your site’s overall quality signals. Only publish blog content if it genuinely helps your target audience. A well-optimized services page or FAQ page can rank just as effectively for your core topics.
Terms used in this article.
- Page title (title tag)
- The clickable headline that represents your page in Google search results and browser tabs. Set in your website editor’s SEO settings. The most important on-page SEO element.
- Navigation
- The menu structure on your website that helps visitors move between pages. Should be simple, logical, and include all important pages.
- Orphan page
- A page on your site with no internal links pointing to it. Invisible to both search engines and visitors because there is no path to discover it.
- Internal links
- Links on your website that point to other pages on the same website. They help visitors navigate and help Google discover and understand your content structure.
- Organic visitor
- Someone who finds your website through unpaid search results (as opposed to paid ads or social media). The most valuable type of visitor because they arrived with intent.
Bottom line: You do not need to do everything at once. Pick one step from this list, complete it today, and move to the next one tomorrow. Jasmine started with a single pricing page and now gets weekly customers from Google. Andrei unchecked a single box and went from invisible to indexed. Consistent small improvements compound into significant visibility. Start now.
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