How does SEO work?
SEO works by helping search engines crawl, index and rank your pages for the right searches. Here's what happens at each stage and what you can influence.
October 15, 20264 min read
The SEO4i blog
Field notes on technical SEO, site audits, AI search readiness and content that actually ranks, from the team building SEO4i.
What is SEO?
SEO is the work of helping search engines find, understand and show your pages to the right people. A plain explanation of what it covers and where to start.
October 15, 20264 min read
Is SEO still important in 2026?
Discover if SEO remains critical for business growth in 2026. Learn about evolving search, AI visibility, and how to stay competitive online.
October 8, 20262 min read
How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI
AI assistants recommend a small fraction of the businesses that rank on Google. Here is the practical checklist for getting cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and AI Overviews.
September 14, 20267 min read
Getting Cited by AI When Someone Asks ChatGPT for a Durham Contractor
Assistants now recommend local contractors directly. Here is what they quote, why most Durham sites are invisible to them, and what to publish.
September 9, 20263 min read
Ajax and Pickering Restaurants: Showing Up for "Near Me" at 6pm
How Ajax and Pickering restaurants win "near me" searches at dinner time: hours, menus, photos, reviews and the details that decide the map pack.
September 9, 20262 min read
SEO for Durham Trades: HVAC, Plumbing, Roofing and Landscaping
What HVAC, plumbing, roofing and landscaping companies in Durham Region should build first for search — including seasonal and emergency demand.
September 9, 20263 min read
Google Reviews in Durham: How Many You Need, How to Ask, How to Reply
A realistic review target for Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering businesses, a request process that works, and reply templates that help you rank.
September 9, 20263 min read
Why Your Whitby Competitor Outranks You With a Worse Website
Your site looks better and still loses. Here are the seven reasons an older, uglier Whitby competitor ranks above you, and which ones you can fix this month.
September 9, 20263 min read
Durham Service Area Pages: One Page for All of Durham, or One Per Town?
Whether to build one Durham Region page or separate Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering pages — and how to keep town pages from becoming duplicate content.
September 9, 20263 min read
How to Rank in the Google Map Pack in Oshawa
What decides the three map results in Oshawa searches, which of it you control, and the order to work in to get your business into the pack.
September 9, 20263 min read
SEO for Durham Region Businesses: What Actually Moves the Needle
A practical SEO priority order for Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering businesses: what actually earns local rankings, and what quietly wastes money.
September 9, 20263 min read