- Google your own product or service and look at what appears. That’s where your customers are, and it’s where your strategy should start.
- Blogs, videos and articles help people find you when they’re just starting to look for answers. Focus on being useful, not just selling.
- When people start comparing options, make sure you’re appearing in the Local Pack, Shopping results, and credible organic listings.
- Strong reviews, an active social presence and a fast, user-friendly website can turn browsers into buyers.
- Every ad, listing and piece of content depends on a strong SEO strategy, because if Google can’t find you, neither can your customers.
The first step to smarter marketing? Understanding how customers discover you
Back in the day, way back before the internet existed, promoting a business was all about people and connections. You’d head down to your local community hub, have a chat, hand out a few flyers and rely on good old-fashioned word of mouth. You built trust by showing up in person and talking to people who actually needed what you offered. A local plumber might’ve dropped by hardware stores to leave a few business cards, while a baker would chat with regulars at the market and hand out free samples to get their name out there.
It was simple; you knew who your customers were because you saw them face to face. These days, things look a little different. People still want that same sense of connection and trust, they’re just finding it online. Instead of chatting at the local café, it’s a Google search. Instead of a flyer on the noticeboard, it’s your website or socials. And how do you show up these days? With SEO (and other channels, but we’re focusing on SEO mostly in this article).
Understanding how your customers find you today is really just the modern version of having those everyday chats. It’s about knowing where people spend their time, what they care about, and how to show up when they’re looking for you. Once you get that, everything about your digital marketing feels easier. You stop trying to be everywhere at once and start focusing on the places that actually connect you with the right people.
So, what does that first “hello” look like now? Well, for service-based businesses, it typically starts with a search. Let’s look at how people find you online, step by step, from curiosity to conversion.
Awareness
The first step for most customers is when they realise they need something, head to Google and begin the search. They’re not typing your business name, they might not even be searching for the services you offer just yet. They’re asking questions, trying to solve a problem, or looking for ideas.
You may think, what does answering their question in a blog post do for me? You aren’t technically getting any ‘business’ from it, but it goes a long way in getting your name in front of the people who are already in the awareness stage.
Maybe they land on your blog after searching how to get a red wine stain out of carpet. They read your step-by-step guide, try it themselves, and bookmark your page. A few months later, when the carpet needs a proper clean, who do you think comes to mind? That’s right. You do.
Okay, now that you understand the importance of providing helpful information, the next question is how to actually do it. The approach will vary depending on your industry, but one tactic that works across almost every niche is simple: create a content marketing strategy.
Where can you show up in the SERPs to reach those customers?
AI Overviews
This is Google’s latest way of giving people quick answers. It pulls key info from different websites and presents it all in one neat summary at the top of the page. If your content is clear, helpful and genuinely useful, it might be included in that overview, putting your name in front of people before they’ve even scrolled down.
People Also Ask
You’ve probably seen these before, the little drop-down questions that appear mid-scroll. They show how curious people really are and what else they want to learn. Creating content that naturally answers these questions is a great way to appear in those sections and build visibility.
Video results
Some things are easier to watch than read. Searches like “how to repot a plant” or “how to clean white sneakers” often bring up videos first. Short, helpful clips on YouTube or even repurposed TikToks can appear here, showing your audience that you’re not just knowledgeable but approachable too.
Organic blog results
These are the gold mines of search. A well-written blog that answers a real question will always have a place in the SERPs. Think of it as your chance to have a helpful conversation with your audience that keeps bringing people back long after you’ve hit publish.
Top stories and articles
When a topic is trending, Google often highlights news sites or popular blogs. Digital PR can help you get featured or quoted in these pieces, building trust, earning quality backlinks and showing Google that your website is a credible source.
Not sure where to start? We’ve broken it down for you in our blog: How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy.
Consideration
Once the research is done, your customer starts weighing up their options. They already know what they’re after and are naturally leaning toward a name that’s popped up before (thank you, helpful content). Now they’re figuring out who fits best.
Maybe they’ve narrowed it down to a few brands and are now searching things like best solar installers near me or affordable accountants Brisbane.
If you Google those same kinds of searches, you’ll probably notice the results look a little different from before. Instead of how-to blogs or videos, the SERP now shows comparison-style content, reviews, maps and paid ads. This is where your customer is making their shortlist, and where you need to start standing out for credibility, reputation and relevance.
Here is where they might find you during the consideration stage:
Local Pack
If your business has a physical location, the Local Pack is one of the main places customers might spot you. It’s that map with three highlighted businesses that shows up when someone searches “near me.” To appear here, create a Google Business Profile — it’s one of the most underrated local SEO strategies out there.
Your profile works best when it’s given a little regular TLC. Keep your photos fresh, your details accurate and your reviews up to date. The more active your profile, the more likely you are to pop up when locals are comparing options nearby.
Google Ads
Just like with organic searches, people are more likely to click the first few results they see, and that’s where Google Ads can give you a leg up. Yes, they say “sponsored,” but if you’ve got a strong offer or a clear USP, that’s often enough to stop someone scrolling straight past.
For example, if you’re a psychologist just starting out, with a few open spots in your calendar and a focus on ADHD assessments, a Google Ad with the headline “No Long Wait Times” pushes you straight to the top and speaks right to a big pain point for your audience.
Not sure what your customers’ pain points are? Try creating a user persona. It’ll help you understand who you’re speaking to, what they care about and how to show up where they’re already looking.
The best way to tell if you should be running sponsored ads is to think like your customer. Type into Google what they might be searching, and if you’re met with a wall of ads before you even reach the organic results, it might be worth giving Google Ads a go.
Shopping results
If you sell products online, this is where your customers are spending their time. Be honest, if you’re looking for a new pair of shoes, you’re probably not jumping from website to website comparing prices. You’d head straight to the Google Shopping tab and see what comes up first, right?
Your customers do the same thing. Setting up Google Merchant Centre and linking your website and Google Business Profile lets your products, prices and images appear right where they’re already looking. Keep everything up to date, and if you want to get there faster, Google Shopping Ads can help put your products right at the top of the list.
Local directories
Believe it or not, some people still scroll through places like Yellow Pages, Yelp or LocalSearch before they hit Google. Keeping your details the same across these sites tells Google you’re the real deal and still active. A few quick listings can work wonders for helping customers find you and it might just give your Google Business Profile the nudge it needs to land in that Local Pack spot.
Organic listings
And, of course, there are still the traditional search results, your own website pages. These matter more than ever at this stage. Make sure your service or product pages are clear, detailed and trustworthy, with testimonials, reviews and answers to common questions.
The goal here is to look at the SERP like your customer does.
Are they seeing ads? Then maybe it’s worth testing one.
Is the local pack dominating? Optimise your GBP.
Are shopping results taking up half the page? Get your products listed.
Every feature you see tells you something about how people search, and how your business can show up more effectively.
Decision
Alright, so you know where you can show up in the SERPs. You’ve figured out where your audience is finding you, whether that’s through ads, videos, shopping results or the local pack. But what happens next?
This is where your potential customer is weighing things up. They’ve seen your name a few times, maybe even clicked through to your website, and now they’re deciding who to trust. At this stage, it’s not just about being visible anymore. It’s about being convincing.
Social media
Put yourself in their shoes. If you were choosing between two hairdressers you found on Google, what would you do next? If you’re anything like me, you’d head straight to their Instagram to check out their recent work and get a feel for the person you’re trusting with your hair.
So on top of a good SEO strategy that keeps you ranking, popping up in Local Pack and overall improves your brand credibility, multichannel strategies with social media go a long way nowadays.
Reviews
Or, maybe you’d jump straight onto their Google Business Profile to see what people are saying. And sure, yours is all set up, but are fresh reviews still rolling in? New feedback tells Google (and everyone else) that your business is reliable and worth checking out.
A few great recent reviews can be all it takes to sway someone your way, so talk to your clients and ask if they wouldn’t mind leaving a review. The worst they can do is say no (hopefully they don’t).
Website
Then there’s your website. It’s often the make-or-break moment. Is it easy to navigate? Does it load quickly? Does it make it clear what you do and how to get in touch?
A slow or outdated site can undo all your other hard work, so this is the time to make sure it’s simple, friendly and built to convert.
Showing up in the SERPs is only half the job done
No matter where your customer is in the buying journey, one thing stays the same: you need a strong presence across every channel. You can spend as much as you want on ads and show up for every search term under the sun, but if your website, GBP and social presence don’t back it up, it’s not doing much.
Without SEO, your website can easily fade into the background. You might still get clicks from ads, but if people land on an outdated site, see old reviews or can’t find the info they need, they’ll move on fast. That’s money down the drain and no new customers to show for it.
So you just need to think about how your customers search. If they’re asking questions, they want helpful blogs and answers that show you know your stuff. If they’re ready to buy, your products need to appear in Google Shopping, not buried three pages deep on your website.
Even then, it all comes back to trust. If Google doesn’t trust your business enough to show it to potential customers, none of that effort will matter. That’s why SEO isn’t just part of your marketing, it’s the difference between being found and being forgotten.
Need a hand showing up where it matters? Let’s talk 👋
