Website Design and SEO Services: What You Get

Most small businesses don’t actually need “a website” or “SEO” as separate line items. They need a site that turns local traffic into calls, bookings, form fills, and sales, and they need search visibility that is built into the foundation instead of sprinkled on later.

If you’re comparing website design and SEO services, this guide breaks down what you should expect to receive, how the process usually works, and what to ask for in a proposal so you can avoid paying for deliverables that don’t move the needle.

What “website design and SEO services” should mean (in plain English)

A real website + SEO engagement is not “make it pretty” plus “add keywords.” It’s a coordinated build where:

• Your pages are structured around what customers are actually searching for (especially local intent).
• The site loads fast, works on mobile, and is easy to navigate.
• The technical setup helps search engines crawl, understand, and trust your content.
• Tracking is installed so you can prove what’s working.

For small local businesses in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, SEO is usually less about chasing national rankings and more about:

• Showing up for service-based searches (for example, “emergency plumber near me” or “wedding florist El Monte”).
• Converting that visibility into actions (calls, quote requests, bookings, store visits).
• Building trust quickly (reviews, clear messaging, social proof, fast pages).

What you typically get: deliverables that matter

Below are the deliverables you should expect when design and SEO are done together. Some teams bundle these into one scope, others separate them into phases.

1) Discovery, positioning, and page strategy

Good projects start with clarity, not colors.

This phase usually includes:

• A short discovery workshop or interview(s) to understand your offer, service area, differentiators, and constraints.
• A recommended site structure (navigation, page list, and priorities).
• A conversion plan (what each page is trying to get the visitor to do).

If your vendor can’t explain why your site needs specific pages (and what each page is for), the project is already drifting.

2) UX and mobile-first design (built for action)

Design should support conversions, especially on phones.

A solid scope often includes:

• Mobile-first layouts for core pages (home, services, service detail, about, contact).
• Clear calls to action (call, book, request a quote) placed intentionally.
• “Trust blocks” (reviews, certifications, photos of real work, warranties, service areas).

For mobile experience, Google recommends building with mobile users in mind because Google primarily uses the mobile version of a site for indexing and ranking. You can review the concept in Google’s documentation on mobile-first indexing.

3) SEO-friendly information architecture (how your pages are organized)

SEO is heavily influenced by structure:

• Clean navigation that matches how people think about your services.
• Logical internal linking between related services and locations.
• Page templates that prevent thin, duplicate pages.

For local businesses, this is where your “money pages” come from: the service pages and location/service-area pages that match real searches.

4) On-page SEO setup (the essentials, done correctly)

At minimum, on-page SEO deliverables should include:

• Unique title tags and meta descriptions for key pages.
• Proper heading hierarchy (one clear H1 per page, scannable H2s).
• Image optimization basics (file size, descriptive alt text).
• Keyword usage that reads naturally (no stuffing).

This is also where vendors should help you avoid common mistakes like having every page titled “Home | Company Name” or using the same heading on every service page.

5) Technical SEO foundations (crawl, index, performance)

Technical SEO is what keeps your site from silently underperforming.

Typical deliverables include:

• Indexing controls (robots.txt, noindex where appropriate).
• XML sitemap setup and submission.
• Canonicals to prevent duplicate content issues.
• 301 redirects (especially if you’re redesigning or migrating).
• HTTPS and security basics.

Performance matters for both rankings and conversions. Google’s performance guidance is closely tied to Core Web Vitals and real user experience, which you can explore in Google’s overview of Core Web Vitals.

6) Local SEO essentials (the difference-maker for many small businesses)

If your customers come from a service area, local SEO should be part of what you’re buying.

Common deliverables include:

• Google Business Profile (GBP) guidance and best practices (and sometimes setup).
• NAP consistency checks (Name, Address, Phone) across your site.
• Local schema markup where appropriate (for example, LocalBusiness schema).
• Location/service-area strategy that doesn’t create spammy doorway pages.

Local SEO is not only “put your city name everywhere.” It’s consistency, relevance, and trust.

7) Conversion setup: forms, calls, and lead routing

A beautiful site with weak lead capture is a very expensive brochure.

Expect at least:

• Contact forms that work reliably (and are easy to test).
• Click-to-call buttons for mobile.
• Spam protection.
• Clear confirmation messages and follow-up routing.

If your business relies on speed-to-lead, ask about connecting forms to your CRM, email marketing tool, or scheduling system.

8) Analytics and measurement (so you can prove ROI)

You should not have to guess whether the new site is helping.

Measurement deliverables often include:

• Google Analytics 4 installation.
• Google Search Console setup.
• Basic conversion events (form submits, click-to-call, booking button clicks).
• A simple reporting baseline (what we’ll measure and why).

If you want a practical way to interpret this data after launch, Brother Web Design also has a guide on using search and analytics data to improve pages: How to optimize your website | 3 Easy Steps to Read the Data.

9) Launch, QA, and post-launch stabilization

A professional launch includes more than publishing pages.

You should expect:

• Cross-device QA (iPhone/Android/desktop).
• Form and call testing.
• Redirect testing (if replacing an old site).
• A post-launch check-in period to catch issues quickly.

A quick table: what to ask for (and why)

Use this as a simple proposal checklist when you’re comparing vendors.

How the process usually works (and how long it takes)

Timelines vary, but most small business builds fall into a predictable sequence.

Discovery and planning

This is where goals, pages, and content responsibilities are clarified. If nobody can tell you who is writing content, sourcing photos, and approving pages, timelines will slip.

Design and content alignment

Wireframes or page layouts come first, then design polish. SEO input should happen here, not after the site is built.

Development and integrations

Your site gets built on the chosen platform, forms are connected, tracking is installed, and technical SEO basics are implemented.

QA and launch

Everything is tested, redirects are put in place (if needed), and the site goes live.

Post-launch optimization

The first 30 to 90 days are where many wins appear: improving page titles, tightening service page messaging, refining internal links, and adjusting CTAs based on real behavior.

If you want a deeper look at what to expect from the web design side (separate from SEO), this related guide can help: Web Design Services: What Small Businesses Should Expect.

What you (the business owner) may need to provide

A good vendor will reduce workload, but you’ll still have responsibilities. Expect to contribute:

• Service details (what you do, where you do it, what makes you different).
• Real photos (team, office, work examples) when possible.
• Access to your domain, hosting, and Google tools (or a plan to transfer access).
• Approval cycles (someone must be accountable for decisions).

When founders are too busy to approve content, projects stall. When founders rush approvals without reviewing for accuracy, websites go live with mistakes that reduce trust.

The “skills gap” problem (and a smart fix)

Even with great design and SEO foundations, you’ll get better long-term results if someone on your team understands the basics of:

• How Google Search Console works
• What pages drive leads
• How to write helpful service content
• How reviews, local signals, and on-page structure connect

If you want structured training for a non-technical team, consider a learning provider that offers practical, expert-led routes. For example, live upskilling courses with LinkedIn Learning integration can be a good fit for founders who want to build internal capability without guessing.

Red flags when comparing providers

Not every “SEO included” package is meaningful. Watch for:

• SEO deliverables that only mention “keywords” without specifying pages, structure, or technical setup.
• No discussion of tracking (if they can’t measure leads, they can’t improve them).
• Vague promises like “rank #1” with no context or constraints.
• A redesign plan that ignores redirects and existing rankings.
• No plan for content ownership (who writes, who approves, what happens if content is late).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need SEO if my business mainly gets referrals? Yes, because referral traffic still checks your site to validate trust. SEO foundations (speed, structure, service pages) also improve conversions for referred visitors.

What’s the difference between on-page SEO and technical SEO? On-page SEO is what users and search engines see on the page (titles, headings, content, internal links). Technical SEO is the behind-the-scenes setup that affects crawling, indexing, duplicates, and performance.

How long until SEO results show up after a new site launches? Often you’ll see early movement in weeks (indexing, improved click-through from better titles), but meaningful local growth typically takes a few months. The timeline depends on competition, reviews, content depth, and how strong your Google Business Profile presence is.

Should my web designer also manage my Google Business Profile? They don’t have to, but your site and GBP should align (services, locations, contact info, categories). If nobody owns that alignment, local performance usually suffers.

What should I ask for so I can compare proposals fairly? Ask each vendor for a written list of deliverables (pages included, SEO tasks included, tracking included), who provides content, the timeline, and what post-launch support looks like.

Want a website that’s designed to rank and convert?

Brother Web Design helps small businesses and startups in the Los Angeles and Inland Empire area with custom web design, SEO and local optimization, lead generation, and ongoing support. If you want clarity on what your business actually needs (and what it doesn’t), start with a conversation and a practical plan.

Explore how integrated efforts can improve outcomes in this related guide: Website Design and Digital Marketing: Better Together, or visit BrotherWebDesign.com to discuss your project.