The SEO rabbit hole I did not expect to fall into

When I was made redundant, I saw it as an opportunity to finally go all in on web design. I wanted to help local businesses thrive with websites that looked good and felt considered. I was genuinely excited, but as I started building and observing the landscape, I realised I needed to pivot.

I can make beautiful websites, but I am competing with designers who have been refining their craft for decades. It reminded me of my time shooting wedding photography; it took fifteen weddings before I even understood how to capture light and emotion, and another year to feel half-competent.

Web design felt the same. I had to ask myself a more honest question: Is competing on beautiful design alone really how I help people best?

The Berkshire Hathaway Realisation

Through my background as a change manager, something had already started to click. I saw how much structure and clarity matter in achieving actual outcomes.

Most businesses don’t actually need a "beautiful" website. Good design helps, but what local businesses really want is a site that works. They want enquiries, bookings, and sales. They want people to arrive, and they want them to stay.

Have you ever seen Warren Buffett’s website for Berkshire Hathaway? It’s famously simple—nearly plain text. It looks like it was knocked up in a Word document in the 90s and hasn't been touched since.

Now, this man is a multi-billionaire, consistently one of the top five richest people on the planet. He could certainly afford the most high-tech, flashy website money can buy. But he doesn't have one because he doesn't need it. His "Word doc" website works perfectly because it prioritises function over form.

The lesson here isn't that we should all have ugly websites. It's that Buffett has already won the "visibility" game. Everyone knows where he is. For the rest of us—local businesses trying to grow in a crowded market—we have to work for that visibility. We need functional SEO design to ensure that when people find us, our "function" is as clear as his, and the path to getting there is wide open.

The Forest and the Highway

That realisation pulled me down the SEO rabbit hole: Global and Local SEO, analytics, citations, and site structure. I realised that SEO isn’t a "dark art"—at its core, it’s quite simple.

SEO is about making sure the right people can find your business when they are searching for what you offer.

Think of your website as a shopfront. Right now, it might be the most beautiful shop in the world, but it’s sitting in the middle of a forest with no roads and no street signs. Your competitors aren’t necessarily better than you; they’re just easier to find because they’re sitting on the main street with clear signage.

My work is about building the highways to your door. It’s about making sure that when someone asks Google or Gemini to find a physio, plumber, or salon, the path leads to you—not the competitor down the road with worse service but better visibility.

For most local businesses, that journey starts somewhere simple. A properly optimised Google Business Profile is often the best foundation, I will expand further in future posts.

Outcomes over Obsession

This is why I pivoted. I stopped obsessing over pretty pictures, pixels, sourcing the best animations (I mean it helps) and started focusing on outcomes. Your website shouldn't be a cost; it should be an asset—a salesperson that works around the clock while you’re working, sleeping, or on holiday.

SEO takes time. It isn’t magic, and it doesn't replace good service or word of mouth. But without it, even the best business can remain invisible.

Being found matters more than being fancy.

Your website is often the first "employee" a customer meets. If that employee is well-dressed but can't be found in the building, they aren't much use to you.

I’ve shifted my focus to building websites that act like digital infrastructure—reliable, visible, and designed for outcomes. If you're ready to stop obsessing over pixels and start focusing on growth, I'd love to help you find your way out of the forest.

Why not start now?