Google advocates outline SEO fundamentals for small businesses

Google Search Advocates John Mueller and Martin Splitt released detailed guidance for small business SEO implementation on July 10, 2025, through episode 95 of their Search Off the Record podcast. The 29-minute discussion addresses fundamental questions that business owners frequently encounter when considering search engine optimization for their websites.

Mueller and Splitt emphasized understanding business objectives before implementing technical solutions. "What is the goal of your website? Essentially, from a technical term, what is the conversion that you want to track when someone goes to your website and like what then?" Mueller explained during the episode. The advocates stressed this foundational approach rather than immediately deploying technical modifications.

The discussion included practical examples, with Splitt describing common oversight patterns among food truck operators who create websites without including essential information. "Then you go to their website, and they don't tell you what's on the menu. They don't tell you where they are or when they are open. And I'm like, 'How do we get here?' How did that happen?" Splitt noted, highlighting content strategy fundamentals that precede technical optimization.

Summary

Who: Google Search Advocates John Mueller and Martin Splitt, addressing small business owners and developers seeking SEO guidance

What: Comprehensive discussion of SEO fundamentals including business goal definition, customer research methods, technical assessment approaches, implementation timelines, professional engagement criteria, and AI integration considerations

When: July 10, 2025, through episode 95 of Search Off the Record podcast (29 minutes, 34 seconds duration)

Where: Published on Google Search Central YouTube channel and podcast platforms, targeting global audience of small business owners and website developers

Why: Address frequently asked questions about SEO implementation while providing practical guidance that avoids technical complexity, enabling small business owners to make informed decisions about search optimization investments and strategies

Customer research emerges as optimization foundation

Mueller detailed customer research methodologies that small business owners can implement without technical expertise. "Ask your existing customers and just ask them like, 'How did you find me? What were you looking for? Where were you looking like? Were you just looking on a map? What is it that brought you here?'" Mueller suggested. The approach enables businesses to understand search patterns before investing in optimization strategies.

The advocates recommended analyzing search behavior to determine realistic optimization targets. Mueller emphasized practical assessment of competitive landscapes, warning against unrealistic ranking expectations. "Sometimes tempting to say, 'Well, I would like to appear first for the search bookstore on the internet.' Probably that's not going to happen," Mueller explained, advocating for location-specific and niche-focused targeting approaches.

Splitt connected these research methods to content strategy development, explaining how understanding customer search patterns informs website content decisions. The discussion positioned market research as essential preparation rather than optional enhancement for small business SEO efforts.

Technical foundation requirements receive simplified assessment

The podcast addressed technical evaluation methods for business owners without programming knowledge. Mueller provided straightforward testing approaches: "Search for their site in general. Search for it by name, search for it by the domain name that you have, and see if anything shows up in Search. If things are showing up, then probably you're okay."

The advocates specified that common content management systems provide adequate technical foundations for most small businesses. "If you're using something common like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, any of these systems, probably the technical foundation is okay, and you can focus more on the content side of things," Mueller explained.

The discussion acknowledged artificial intelligence coding tools as potential complication factors. Mueller noted concerns about AI-generated technical implementations: "Maybe you go to ChatGPT and you're like, 'Oh, make me a website.' And it goes, 'Well, I know lots about JavaScript frameworks. Here you go.' It's possible, but it feels very unlikely."

Implementation timeline and measurement expectations detailed

Mueller provided specific timeframes for observing SEO changes on small websites. "If you're talking about something like a homepage, maybe one or two other pages, then probably within a week or two, you should see that reflected in Search," Mueller stated. The timeline applies to basic content modifications rather than comprehensive website restructuring.

The advocates emphasized measurement tool setup prior to making optimization changes. Mueller recommended Search Console implementation alongside analytics tracking: "Perhaps set up Search Console for your website so that you see the searches that people are doing. And, of course, some way to measure the goal that you want."

Splitt questioned the business risk associated with testing optimization strategies, expressing concern about potential traffic loss during experimental periods. Mueller addressed these concerns by distinguishing between minor content adjustments and major structural changes, recommending gradual testing approaches aligned with customer needs.

Professional SEO engagement guidance provided

The discussion addressed timing considerations for hiring SEO professionals or agencies. Mueller connected professional engagement decisions to measurable business outcomes: "When you realize there's concrete value in working on SEO for your website, where there's some business result that comes out of it where you can actually measurably say. When I started doing SEO for my website, I made so much more money."

Both advocates warned against specific red flags when evaluating SEO service providers. Mueller specifically cautioned against ranking guarantees: "If an SEO makes any promises with regards to ranking or traffic from Search, that's usually a red flag, because a lot of things around SEO you can't promise ahead of time."

The podcast highlighted resource recommendations including the SEO Starter Guide, Search Essentials documentation, and Google's video content series. Splitt mentioned his "SEO Made Easy" series alongside Cherry's "SEO for Beginners" content as supplementary educational materials.

AI integration maintains website value proposition

Mueller addressed concerns about artificial intelligence potentially replacing website optimization efforts. He emphasized website foundations remain essential across emerging technologies: "Having a website is the basis for being visible in all of these systems, and for a lot of other things where you offer a service or something, some other kind of functionality on a website."

The discussion positioned AI search features as complementary rather than replacement technologies for website optimization. Mueller provided examples where AI responses require underlying web content: "If you want a t shirt, you don't want a description of how to make your own t-shirt. You want a link to a store where it's like, 'Oh, here's t-shirt designs.'"

Splitt questioned whether AI capabilities might eliminate SEO learning requirements entirely. Mueller responded by emphasizing continued value in optimization knowledge and implementation, suggesting multiple systems require website foundations for content discovery and functionality.

Marketing community implications

This guidance arrives as search professionals express anxiety about Google's AI developments, with 45% of SEO professionals reporting they are "scared out of their minds" about AI Mode impact on traditional optimization strategies. The podcast's practical focus on foundational elements contrasts with industry discussions about AI search optimization requiring comprehensive technical adjustments.

Recent Google Search Console updates have integrated AI Mode data into traditional web search metrics, creating measurement complexity for optimization professionals. The advocates' emphasis on basic measurement tools and customer research provides stability amid these technological transitions.

The timing coincides with Google's expansion of AI Mode to Workspace accounts and advertising integration announcements, indicating continued importance of foundational SEO principles as search technology advances.

Timeline

• July 10, 2025: Google Search Advocates release episode 95 of Search Off the Record focusing on small business SEO fundamentals
• July 2, 2025: Google extends AI Mode to Workspace accounts in the US
• June 25, 2025: Google search head reveals "game system" approach as AI mode begins advertising rollout
• June 17, 2025: Google AI Mode now counts toward Search Console totals
• June 16, 2025: SEO expert releases AI search content optimization checklist
• June 12, 2025: Google deprecates seven structured data types to simplify search results
• May 30, 2025: SEOs express widespread fear over Google's AI Mode rollout