SEO remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of digital marketing. Small business owners hear conflicting advice, get overwhelmed by technical jargon, or fall victim to promises of overnight success. That’s why Grace sat down with Chase McGee, our SEO specialist and strategic partner, to cut through the noise. Chase brings years of hands-on experience helping businesses of all sizes navigate the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization. In this candid conversation, he shares practical insights, realistic expectations, and actionable advice that any business owner can understand and implement.

Grace – “Let’s start simple: If a small business owner asked you, ‘What exactly is SEO?’ how would you explain it in plain language?”

Chase – “You’ve probably heard the term “SEO,” which refers to taking strategic actions to improve a company’s website rankings in the organic search results. However, most people don’t understand the specific actions taken to achieve that result.

SEO in 2025 is the art of producing the best piece of website content for every commercially valuable keyword. This means we want to rank organically for the top 50-150 keywords that prospects in our target market type into Google when they’re looking for what we offer.

Google’s algorithm is designed to, over time, reward the companies that are consistently publishing unique, useful content by placing their pages at the top of the organic results. An SEO campaign involves doing exactly that at scale.”

Grace – “For someone who’s new to digital marketing, how would you describe the difference between SEO and paid ads?

Chase – “While there are many strategic differences between SEO and paid ads, the main distinction is that with SEO, we are earning our way to the top of the Google rankings, while with paid ads, we are paying to rank at the top of the Google rankings.

On a more fundamental level, people subconsciously trust the top-ranking organic Google results because of the implicit trust they have in Google’s judgment. Users trust that Google will only rank reputable, helpful companies in the organic results, which leads to higher click-through rates on organic rankings and better conversion rates from organic traffic compared to paid landing pages.”

Setting Expectations

Grace – “We often hear from business owners that they’re not sure if SEO is “worth it” because it can take time to see results. Why is that, and what’s a realistic timeline?

Chase – “SEO is an investment in the same way that hiring a new key employee or purchasing a new piece of equipment is for a business. SEO will, in most circumstances, begin to yield tangible results in 3-5 months. However, once SEO becomes a consistent source of net new revenue, growth continues for an average of three years for most industries and will continue to generate new revenue for as long as the SEO is properly maintained through content updates, publication of new material, and ongoing optimization.

The reason it takes time is that Google needs to see consistent, quality content being published before it trusts your site enough to rank it highly. Unlike paid ads where you can get immediate visibility, SEO requires building that trust and authority over time.”

Grace – “What results can a small business realistically expect if they commit to an SEO strategy?

Chase – “On average, we target a break-even point between month 4 and month 6 of the campaign. This can vary depending on the business’s sales cycle length and how established their site already is. Results typically begin to climb rapidly between months 7 and 9 of the campaign, with ROI reaching its peak in the 3rd year of the campaign.

To put this in perspective, a small business might see their first few leads from SEO around month 3-4, break even on their investment by month 5-6, and then experience significant growth as their content library builds and Google begins to see them as an authority in their space.”

Addressing Common Misconceptions & Roadblocks

Grace – “What are some of the biggest misconceptions you see about SEO?

Chase – “Oh man, where do I start? The biggest one is that people think SEO is just about getting to the top of Google. Like, “Great, I’m ranking #1 for this keyword!” But then they’re confused when they’re not getting leads. Rankings don’t automatically equal customers – you need content that actually converts visitors once they land on your site.

The other thing that kills me is when business owners try to do SEO on the cheap. They’ll find someone on Fiverr offering to optimize their entire website for $50, or they’ll try to do it themselves with an online course. Look, I get it – budgets are tight. But SEO done right takes hundreds of hours over many months. If you’re not willing to invest properly, you’re honestly better off just focusing on other marketing channels.

And please, please stay away from anyone promising quick fixes or “black hat” tactics. The only SEO that works long-term is playing by Google’s rules, not trying to trick them.”

Grace – “For a small business with a tight marketing budget, where’s the best place to start?

Chase – “That really depends on what type of business we’re talking about. For local businesses – like contractors, restaurants, service providers – I always recommend starting with your Google Business Profile. Most businesses are leaving so much on the table there. Get that properly optimized, build a system for consistently getting reviews, and you can start seeing real movement within a few months without breaking the bank.

Now, for national companies or B2B businesses, sometimes I actually recommend starting with paid search if the cost per click isn’t too crazy in their industry. Here’s why: you can generate cash flow in weeks instead of months, and then reinvest those profits into a bigger SEO campaign. It’s all about getting that initial momentum and proving ROI before you commit to the longer-term investment.”

Grace – “Are there any “quick wins” you recommend to help build momentum early on?

Chase – “Early on, the quickest wins will come from updating the targeted keywords on an existing website to attempt to force rankings early for keywords able to bring in customers in the short term. Additionally, optimizing the Google Business Profile for local businesses with an established presence can cause an immediate jump in calls.

I’d also recommend fixing basic technical issues like page speed, mobile responsiveness, and broken links – these can provide quick ranking boosts. Creating location-specific landing pages for service-area businesses and optimizing existing high-traffic pages with better calls-to-action can also generate immediate improvements in conversions, even before you see ranking improvements.”

Practical Strategy Talk

Grace – “When you’re working with a new client, how do you decide which keywords or topics to focus on first?

Chase – “We select our target keyword focus with a balance between client priorities and where we believe the client can see the fastest ROI. If the choice lands between a strategy that can, in 12 months, bring 20 customers per month, or in 3 months bring 5 customers per month, we will implement the three-month strategy first followed by the 12-month strategy.

This approach helps build trust and momentum early on. We look for keywords where the client already has some authority or where competition is lighter, allowing us to demonstrate results quickly while laying the groundwork for more competitive, high-volume keywords down the road.”

Grace – “How can a local business compete against larger national companies in search rankings?

Chase – “Local businesses have a distinct advantage against larger national companies in that they are what we refer to as “local experts” – they can provide the finer points of their service and how it specifically serves local customers. This could mean specific insights on the type of wiring used in a particular city from an electrician, or details on how the local climate affects caring for AC units from an HVAC company.

Google’s algorithm is uniquely designed to present the most relevant information, and a local business can beat larger national companies by presenting information that only a real local expert would know. National companies simply can’t match that level of local specificity and expertise at scale.”

Grace – “If you could fix only three things on a website to improve SEO, what would they be?

Chase – “SEO done properly involves making hundreds if not thousands of changes on a website, but the core aspects of this boil down to three categories. These assume we are not adding anything to the site, just updating what is already there.

1. Meta Page Title Tag Updates: Each page should target a specific commercially valuable keyword in order to give Google the signal that we would like to rank for a keyword that has the potential to generate business.
2. Content Updates: Content should be updated to create the best page experience for those searching the aforementioned keywords – making sure it actually answers what people are looking for when they search those terms.
3. Technical Clean-Up: I would ensure all technical issues are cleaned up – the page is responsive, works well on mobile, loads quickly, and all pages are linked together logically with no orphan pages.

These three areas give you the biggest impact for your effort because they address Google’s core ranking factors: relevance, user experience, and technical performance.”

Content & Optimization

Grace – “Blogging and content marketing come up a lot in SEO conversations. How important is content for rankings, and what makes it effective?

Chase – “Content is the most important factor for rankings behind keyword selection. Google’s algorithm is designed to match a searcher with the most relevant piece of content out of the billions of pages on the internet based on the search query they used. In order to achieve any meaningful ranking, the content must be strategically designed to best support the user searching our defined keyword.

What makes content effective is depth, usefulness, and answering the real questions your target audience has. It’s not about keyword stuffing – it’s about becoming the go-to resource for your topic. For the needle to truly move, a business should be publishing 6-8 authoritative content pieces monthly, each targeting specific commercially valuable keywords.”

Grace – “We know mobile optimization is critical, but can you explain why it’s become such a big ranking factor?

Chase – “Mobile optimization matters because most people search from their mobile devices, especially in a B2C context. Google prioritizes the pages that best fulfill the search intent of their users, and part of this fulfillment is tied to ease of use on the page. If the user cannot easily navigate the site on their device, they will return to Google, indicating to Google that their search intent has not been fulfilled.

Google also switched to mobile-first indexing, which means they primarily use the mobile version of your site for ranking and indexing. So if your mobile experience is poor, it directly impacts how Google sees and ranks your entire website, not just your mobile rankings.”

Measuring & Maintaining Success

Grace – “What metrics matter most when measuring SEO success for a small business?

Chase – “The most important metric is always qualified leads. Of course, we always want to measure ROI, but this can vary based on the quality of the business’s sales process, which could cause an understated figure if the sales team is underperforming.

Early in the campaign, we track leading indicators of success. This can include seeing pages rank for the first time, moving up in rankings for our targeted keywords, and increases in engaged sessions originating from our content. These early signals help us know we’re on the right track before the leads start flowing consistently.

The key is connecting the dots between rankings, traffic quality, and actual business results, not just celebrating traffic increases that don’t convert to customers.”

Grace – “How can a business owner know their investment is paying off, especially in the early months?

Chase – “SEO, like many investments, returns slowly, then all at once. Business owners can be sure that their investment is paying off by checking for improvements in the aforementioned leading indicators of success.

Each business will begin in a different place. Some will see ROI quickly, while others will take longer. This can vary depending on how many years you’ve had a website, prior SEO efforts, and the level of competition in your market. At the end of the day, it’s about making sure improvements are happening consistently for the key leading indicators of success.

If you’re seeing steady progress in rankings, increased organic traffic to your target pages, and better engagement metrics month over month, you’re on the right path, even if the phone isn’t ringing constantly yet.”

Looking Ahead

Grace – “SEO is always evolving. What changes do you see coming in the next 2–3 years that small businesses should prepare for?

Chase – “As more and more people are relying on AI for their searches, the online reputation of the company is going to become more critical. LLMs (Large Language Models) crawl the web for reviews and general sentiment about a company prior to recommending them to a searcher, so businesses should prepare early by auditing their online presence and ensuring they are putting their best foot forward in the digital world.”

Grace – “AI tools are showing up in the SEO world. How do you see them impacting small business strategies?

Chase – “AI tools will level the playing field with SEO. In the past, good SEO was enough to rank you at the top of Google. Now, everyone has access to good SEO for a low cost. Companies must invest in great SEO in order to truly move the needle.

For example, it is no longer enough to simply publish content on Google. Anyone can spin up an article in minutes with AI. It must now be the best article on Google in order to rank, which entails presenting original ideas and concepts in the content, crafting the page for better user engagement, and providing genuine expertise that AI alone cannot replicate.”

Grace – “If you could give one piece of SEO advice to every small business owner reading this, what would it be?

Chase – “The results of an SEO campaign will always be a reflection of the business. If you are selling a product or service that does not have demand or you are not uniquely positioned in your market, SEO will not be a magic bullet that solves that problem.

SEO in its purest form will magnify a business’s offerings and will produce results in line with the desirability of those offerings. If you are looking to start an SEO campaign, audit the business first to understand if your offering can sell to cold traffic who do not already know, like and trust you. If not, fix that first, then move on to SEO.”

Ready to Get Started?

SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming or mysterious. As Chase highlighted throughout our conversation, success comes from understanding your business fundamentals, setting realistic expectations, and committing to doing things the right way.

If you’re considering beginning or enhancing your SEO efforts as part of an overall marketing strategy, we’re here to help you navigate the process. At Reuben Rink, we work with trusted partners like Chase to ensure our clients get results that actually move the needle for their business.

Interested in exploring how SEO could work for your business? Let’s have a conversation about your goals and see if it’s the right fit. Contact us today to get started.