Everything You Need to Know About Getting Your New Website Seen
You’re finally making the investment to build the website you’ve always wanted. Naturally, you want to make sure people can actually find it.
Maybe you’re thinking:
“If someone searches for what I do — will my site show up?”
“What about my location? My niche? My keywords?”
These are smart questions and it’s great that you’re thinking about these things now as you’re building your website.
While we wish we could push a magic button to make your new website show up at the top of Google as soon as we click publish on your new website, but that’s unfortunately not how it works.
Even with a beautifully built, SEO-optimized site… you’re not going to rank at the top of Google overnight.
This guide breaks down what SEO actually is, what’s included in your website build, and what it really takes to show up in search. If you’ve never thought about SEO before, don’t worry — this is for beginners, with real examples and clear next steps.
What SEO Actually Is (And Why It Matters)
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization — which is a fancy way of saying: “Helping Google understand your website so it can show it to the right people.”
For example:
If you’re a retreat company hosting experiences in Bali and Costa Rica, you probably want to show up when someone types in “wellness retreat” or “yoga retreat Bali.” But so do hundreds of other retreat centers and companies — and many of them have been working on their SEO for many years. Their websites are older and more established. They publish regular content. They’ve built up backlinks to other reputable sites and developed their domain authority.
That means the chances of showing up at the top of Google for a competitive keyword like that — especially with a brand new site — are very low.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t be found. It just means you need to be more strategic and specific to eventually rank higher in the list.
Real Example: The Power of Specific Keywords
Let’s say you’re opening a Pilates studio in Culver City.
You may want to show up on search when someone types in “Pilates Studio LA.” But that’s a very broad search — and you’re now competing with hundreds (if not thousands) of popular and established studios across the city.
Now let’s try something more specific: “Mega-Reformer Pilates Studio Culver City”
This is called a long-tail keyword — a longer, more specific phrase — and it dramatically lowers the competition. You go from being 1 in 2,000 websites vying for those top spots to maybe 1 in 20.
Not only are you more likely to show up — but the person searching is more likely to book with you, because they know what they want.
Same idea applies to a retreat company that runs seasonal experiences in Bali and Costa Rica:
You might struggle to rank for “Wellness Retreat South America” or “Yoga Retreat Bali” — but you’ll have a much better shot with keywords like:
“Spiritual Business Retreat June 2025”
“Luxury Women’s Retreat Ubud Bali”
“Mindfulness Retreat Costa Rica for Entrepreneurs”
What’s Included in Your Website Build (SEO-wise)
At No Man’s Land, when we build your site, we include foundational, on-page SEO — meaning your site will be technically sound, optimized for search engines, and set up with best practices from Day 1.
Here’s what that includes:
✅ Keyword-based Page Titles + Meta Descriptions
These are what show up in Google results. I’ll write them using your supplied keywords.
✅ Image Alt Text
Google can’t “see” images — so I’ll add descriptive text that explains what the image is.
✅ Header Structure (H1, H2s)
We’ll format your page headings in the correct hierarchy so Google can easily understand the structure of your content.
✅ Mobile Optimization + Fast Load Times
Your site will be built to perform across all devices, which impacts SEO rankings.
✅ Google Indexing + Sitemap Submission Support
Once we go live, we’ll give you instructions on how to submit your site to Google so it can start crawling and indexing your pages. This only takes 10 minutes to setup through your Google account.
What Foundational SEO Doesn’t Do
Just because your site is built with SEO best practices doesn’t mean you’ll show up on Page 1 right away.
Why?
Because SEO is competitive — and ranking highly takes more than a clean setup. You need relevant content, keywords, time, and domain authority (aka trust in the eyes of Google). That kind of visibility builds over time — especially if you’re in a crowded industry or targeting broad search terms.
What Actually Gets You Ranking (Over Time)
What your SEO strategy looks like long term will depend on the kind of business you run. Some businesses (like online shops, travel/retreat companies or content-driven brands) might benefit from blogging or creating regular content. Others (like local fitness studios) can see strong results without a blog by focusing on location-based keywords and keeping their Google Business Profile up to date.
Here are some general tips on how to improve SEO, but this may vary based on your business type and your long term SEO strategy:
✔️ Create Helpful, Searchable Content On Your Blog
Examples:
- “What to Pack for a Bali Women’s Retreat”
- “Top 5 Places to Visit in Nice, France”
✔️ Use Location + Audience-Based Keywords
Instead of just “retreat,” say “women’s creative retreat Bali” or “business retreat Costa Rica.”
✔️ Use your Google Business Profile strategically
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often more powerful than your actual website when it comes to local SEO. If someone searches “Reformer Pilates near me,” your GBP is what’s likely to show up first — not your homepage. So make sure to keep it updated with:
- Services
- New photos
- Weekly posts
- Google reviews
- Service areas
✔️ Get Backlinks
A backlink is when another website links to yours — like a blog, podcast, or partner. Backlinks help increase your domain authority, which tells Google your site is trustworthy.
✔️ Keep Your Site Active
Google favors updated sites. Even one blog post a month or adding testimonials can help.
How to Choose Keywords (And What to Do With Them)
If SEO is a big priority for your business, we always recommend working with an SEO specialist to help you define the best keywords to target. They’ll take into account search volume, competition, and user intent — and help you build a strategy that’s backed by data.
That said, if you’re not ready to invest in that yet, you can still take a first pass at choosing keywords by following these basic steps:
1. Think Like Your Ideal Client
What would they type into Google to find you? Use specific combinations of:
- What you offer
- Who it’s for
- Where you are (if relevant)
Examples:
- “luxury women’s retreat Bali”
- “retreat for creative entrepreneurs Costa Rica”
- “private reformer pilates Culver City”
2. Use Free Tools (Optional)
If you want to check what people are actually searching for, try:
These tools show real phrases people type into search engines and can give you ideas for variations.
3. Narrow It Down
Pick 5–10 keywords or phrases you’d love to be found for. Think of them as your “visibility goals.”
If you’re unsure or want validation before building your site around these keywords, an SEO expert can help you refine and prioritize the list.
What to Do With Your Keywords
Once you have your keywords:
✔️ Use them in your website copy — especially in:
- Headlines and subheadlines
- First few sentences of each page
- Page titles (like “Retreats,” “About,” “Work With Me”)
- Image names and captions (if possible)
✔️ Weave them in naturally — don’t just repeat the same phrase over and over. Write for humans first, search engines second.
✔️ Then send your final copy and list of keywords to us.
We’ll take care of:
- Making sure the technical SEO elements are in place
- Formatting headlines and page structure to match SEO best practices
- Writing page titles and meta descriptions using your keywords
We don’t do keyword research, but we’ll make sure your site is structured in a way that supports the keywords you want to rank for.
What You Can Do After Launch
If SEO is important to your business long-term, here are a few things you can continue doing:
✔️ BLOG MONTHLY
Answer questions your audience is Googling. It helps you rank and builds trust.
✔️ PITCH YOUR BUSINESS
Being featured in interviews, blogs, or articles helps you earn backlinks.
✔️ KEEP YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE UPDATED
If you have a physical location, your Google Business Profile is key. Make sure it’s fully filled out with your services, hours, location, and fresh photos. Update it regularly with posts, offers, and reviews — this helps you show up in local search and on Google Maps.
✔️ KEEP UPDATING
Google likes to see signs of life. Update your site seasonally with testimonials, retreat recaps, or FAQs.
✔️ STAY CONSISTENT
SEO builds slowly. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a 3-6 months to see results.
Want to Go Deeper? Work With an SEO Specialist
At No Man’s Land, we understand that not everyone has the funds to hire a specialist for every area of their business — especially in the early stages. That’s why we’ve included the core SEO foundations in your site build, along with actionable tips you can implement yourself after launch.
But if visibility on Google is a top priority for your business, working with someone who specializes in SEO will always get you the best results.
An SEO expert or agency can:
- Do in-depth keyword research tailored to your niche and audience, identifying search terms with the highest opportunity and lowest competition
- Analyze your competitors to understand what they’re ranking for, how they structure their content, and where they’re getting traffic from
- Build a content and backlink strategy — which often includes writing high-value content for your site and securing backlinks by getting your business mentioned on blogs, partner websites, directories, or digital publications (these links signal to Google that your site is credible)
- Optimize blog posts and create long-form content that’s designed to answer what people are searching for and attract ongoing organic traffic
- Monitor keyword performance and make ongoing improvements based on how your pages are ranking and what your audience is actually clicking on
At No Man’s Land, we don’t offer ongoing SEO services — we stay in our lane, which is stunning branding and website design.
If SEO is a top priority for your business and you’re ready to take it further, we’re happy to refer you to a trusted specialist. Let us know if you’d like an introduction.
Final Thoughts
Your site will be thoughtfully designed, SEO-ready, and built to grow with you. But showing up on Google isn’t automatic — it takes strategy, consistency, and time.
We’ve outlined what’s included in your build, how to choose keywords, and what you can do after launch to improve visibility. If SEO is a big focus for your business, working with a specialist can help you go further, faster — and we’re always happy to refer you to a trusted partner.
If you’re ready to build a brand and website that not only looks incredible but is set up to perform, reach out to start your project with No Man’s Land. We’d love to support you.
