📘 Google Marketing and SEO for Business Owners 101

📘 Google Marketing and SEO for Business Owners 101

The Ultimate Step-by-Step Playbook for Entrepreneurs, Founders, and Local Businesses

Table of Contents

Part 1: Foundations of Digital Visibility

1. Why Google Matters for Your Business
   
   

   • Understanding Search Engines
     
     

   • Google’s Market Share & Influence
     
     

   • How Customers Find You
     
     

2. What Is SEO?
   
   

   • SEO vs. Paid Ads
     
     

   • On-Page, Off-Page, Technical SEO Overview
     
     

   • The Buyer Journey & Search Intent
     
     

3. How Google Ranks Content
   
   

   • Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking Explained
     
     

   • Google's Algorithm (Simplified)
     
     

   • Ranking Factors That Matter in 2025
     
     

Part 2: SEO for Business Owners (No Tech Jargon)

4. Getting Started: Your Website SEO Health Check
   
   

   • Mobile-Friendly, HTTPS, Fast Loading
     
     

   • Tools: Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights
     
     

5. Keyword Research 101
   
   

   • How to Find What People Are Searching For
     
     

   • Free Tools: Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic
     
     

   • Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords
     
     

6. On-Page SEO Made Simple
   
   

   • How to Write Optimized Titles and Meta Descriptions
     
     

   • Header Tags, Alt Text, and Keyword Placement
     
     

   • SEO Copywriting Tips
     
     

7. Local SEO: Showing Up in Your Area
   
   

   • Google Business Profile Optimization
     
     

   • Local Citations, NAP Consistency
     
     

   • Reviews and Reputation Management
     
     

8. Off-Page SEO and Backlinks
   
   

   • What Backlinks Are and Why They Matter
     
     

   • How to Earn Links (Ethically)
     
     

   • Guest Posting, Directories, and PR
     
     

9. Technical SEO (Explained for Non-Techies)
   
   

   • Sitemaps, Robots.txt, Canonicals
     
     

   • Site Structure and Crawlability
     
     

   • When to Hire a Pro
     
     

Part 3: Google Marketing Essentials

10. Google Business Profile Mastery
    
    

    • Setup, Optimization, and Posting
      
      

    • Photos, Q&A, and Customer Interaction
      
      

    • Analytics and Insights
      
      

11. Google Ads (Pay-Per-Click) for Beginners
    
    

    • How PPC Works
      
      

    • Smart Campaigns vs. Search Campaigns
      
      

    • Budgeting, Targeting, and Writing Great Ads
      
      

12. Google Analytics: Tracking What Works
    
    

    • Setting Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
      
      

    • Understanding Key Metrics
      
      

    • What Business Owners Should Track Weekly
      
      

13. Content Marketing That Google Loves
    
    

    • Blogging for Business
      
      

    • Content Calendar Planning
      
      

    • Using AI (ethically) for content generation
      
      

Part 4: Long-Term Growth Strategy

14. Avoiding SEO Scams and Overhyped Promises
    
    

    • Red Flags in SEO Pitches
      
      

    • How to Vet Agencies or Freelancers
      
      

15. SEO + Google Marketing Action Plan
    
    

    • Month-by-Month Checklist
      
      

    • Quick Wins vs. Long-Term Strategies
      
      

    • DIY vs. Delegation: When to Get Help
      
      

16. Staying Ahead of Google Updates
    
    

    • Understanding Core Updates
      
      

    • Best Practices That Never Go Out of Style
      
      

Appendices

• A. Glossary of SEO & Marketing Terms
  
  

• B. Recommended Tools (Free & Paid)
  
  

• C. Resources & Communities for Business Owners
  
  

• D. SEO Audit Template
  
  

• E. Business Blog Post Template
  
  

Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to pay — in USD, CAD, and real-world examples — for SEO and Google Marketing services as a business owner:

SEO Pricing (2025)

1. Monthly Retainers

• United States (general):
  
  

  • $1,000–$2,500/month is most common for small to mid-sized businesses
    Backlinko
    
    

• Broader range:
  
  

  • $500–$1,000/month for very local or light SEO needs
    
    

  • $2,500–$5,000/month for more competitive industries
    
    

  • $5,000+/month for enterprise-level work
    Search Engine LandBacklinko
    
    

• Canada-specific:
  
  

  • CAD 800–2,500/month for small businesses
    Wide Ripples
    
    

• Latest average (WebFX, August 2025):
  
  

  • USD 2,500/month, with typical ROI of around 748%
    WebFX
    
    

2. Hourly Rates

• Typical range:
  
  

  • $50–$100/hour, mostly for general work
    
    

  • $100–$250/hour for more experienced consultants
    BacklinkoSearch Engine LandAustin Bryant Consulting
    
    

• Canada:
  
  

  • CAD 100–150/hour for SEO consulting
    Wide Ripples
    
    

• Expert-level (e.g., US/UK):
  
  

  • Up to $500+/hour for top-tier specialists
    Reddit
    
    

3. Project-Based & One-Time Fees

• General range: $1,000–$5,000+ for one-off projects (e.g., site audits, keyword research campaigns)
  BacklinkoSearch Engine LandSEO Chatter
  
  

• More comprehensive projects/audits:
  
  

  • $5,000–$30,000+
    NutshellSEO Chatter
    
    

• Canada (small-business scope):
  
  

  • $1,000–$5,000+ depending on project depth
    Wide Ripples
    
    

Google Ads (PPC) Pricing

A. Management Fees

• Agency model:
  
  

  • Typically 10%–30% of ad spend per month
    Little Dragon Media
    
    

• Freelancers/small agencies:
  
  

  • Often $500–$1,500/month flat fee plus setup
    Reddit+4Reddit+4Reddit+4
    
    

Real-world examples:

A freelancer charged $750/month + $500 setup for a small client with <$3,000/month ad spend.
Reddit
Another source suggested £400 + 20% of ad spend (UK-based).
Reddit
One shared $500–$750/month for ad spend of ~$1,600–$2,000.
Reddit

B. Setup/Special Projects

• Campaign Setup:
  
  

  • Freelancer: $500–$1,500
    
    

  • Agency: $1,000–$3,000
    Dangil Tech
    
    

• Ongoing Optimization:
  
  

  • Freelancer: $300–$1,000/month (5–10 hours)
    
    

  • Agency: 10–20% of ad spend
    Dangil Tech
    
    

C. Hourly Consulting

• Rates vary, but many experienced consultants charge $150–$250/hour, with setup plus retainers cited.
  Reddit+1
  
  

Summary Table

Service Type

U.S. Cost (USD)

Canada Cost (CAD)

SEO – Monthly Retainer

$1,000–$2,500 (common)

$800–$2,500

SEO – Hourly Rate

$50–$250+

$100–$150

SEO – One-time Project

$1,000–$5,000+, up to $30k

$1,000–$5,000+

Google Ads – Management

$500–$1,500/month or 10–30% of ad spend

Similar*

Google Ads – Setup

$500–$3,000 one-time

Similar*

Ads – Hourly Consulting

$150–$250+/hour

Similar*

*Canadian costs may align closely, though actual figures vary by agency or consultant.

Key Takeaways

• Your actual costs depend heavily on your niche, competition level, goals, and whether you're hiring freelancers vs agencies.
  
  

• SEO typically requires a long-term monthly investment, while PPC can work with both setup+retainer models or percentage fees.
  
  

• Always get clear deliverables, reporting frequency, and KPI definitions in writing—this avoids issues like the $20,000 SEO failure story from Australia.