Three Things That Actually Help People Find You Online (And It's Not What You Think)

People find you online through:

1. They search for what you do + where you are 2. Someone tells them about you 3. They find you because you actually replied to their email or comment

That's it. That's genuinely 95% of how self-employed people get found online.

Not the algorithm. Not going viral. Not clever marketing tricks. Not being on TikTok or whatever the latest platform is.

Just those three things.

And here's the good news: all three of those are things you can control.

Thing 1: They Search For What You Do + Where You Are

This is the biggest one. And it's simpler than most people think.

Someone needs what you offer. They Google it.

"Hairdresser in Reading" "Coach for career changers Bristol" "Cleaner near me" "Photographer in my area" "Plumber Reading area"

They search for the specific thing they need + the location.

If your website mentions what you do and where you are clearly, you show up.

If it doesn't, you don't.

That's it. That's SEO. Not magic. Just: be clear about what you do and where you do it, and get found by people searching for exactly that.

How to make this work:

• Your home page needs to say what you do and where you operate

• Your service pages need to be specific (not "services" but "hair colouring" and "hair cutting" and "wedding hair")

• Your location needs to be mentioned (not vaguely, specifically: "Reading," "Bristol," wherever you work)

• You need blog content answering specific questions people search for ("how to prepare for your first appointment" "what's the difference between X and Y" "common questions about X service")

• Your Google My Business profile needs to be filled out properly

All of that makes you findable when someone searches for what you do.

No fancy tactics. Just clarity.

How Google Actually Thinks About This

Google's job is simple: when someone searches for "hairdresser in Reading," show them actual hairdressers in Reading.

Google looks at your website and thinks: "Does this look like an actual hairdresser in Reading?"

If yes, you show up in search. If no, you don't.

It's checking things like:

• Does the website mention what they do?

• Do they mention Reading?

• Do they have real examples of their work?

• Do people actually contact them and are they responsive?

• Do they have clear information about pricing, process, availability?

If you've got all that, Google ranks you. Simple as that.

If you're vague or confusing, Google doesn't rank you. Because Google knows people searching for "hairdresser in Reading" don't want a vague website about hair in general. They want to find an actual hairdresser in Reading who can book them.

Thing 2: Someone Tells Them About You

This is still the biggest source of customers for most self-employed people.

Someone you've worked with recommends you. Someone sees your work and tells a friend. Someone posts about you on social media.

This is word-of-mouth. It's been the most powerful marketing tool forever and it still is.

How to make this work:

Actually be good at what you do. That's step one.

Then:

• Make it easy for people to refer you (have a clear way to contact you, a clean website, business cards maybe, a polished social media profile)

• Ask for referrals sometimes (not constantly, but: "if you know anyone who might benefit, I'd love to work with them")

• Thank people who refer you

• Make it easy for people to tag you or mention you online

• Deliver spectacularly so people actually want to tell others about you

That's it.

You don't need a complex referral program. You just need to do good work and make it easy for people to recommend you.

Thing 3: They Find You Because You Actually Replied

This is the one most people underestimate.

Someone comments on your Instagram post. You respond genuinely within an hour. They feel seen. They book you.

Someone sends you an email asking a question. You answer it properly within a few hours. They're impressed by your responsiveness. They book you.

Someone messages you on social media. You reply. You have a conversation. By the end, they're interested in your services.

This is real marketing. Just: being a human and responding to humans.

How to make this work:

• Check your messages and emails regularly

• Respond quickly (within a few hours, same day ideally)

• Actually engage with comments on your social media (don't just post and disappear)

• Answer questions properly, not with one-word responses

• Be genuine and warm in how you respond

• If someone asks about your services in a comment, respond publicly so others see it too

This is such a simple thing but it's incredibly powerful.

Most people see a comment and don't respond. Most businesses see an email and take days to reply. Most take months to respond to messages.

If you respond fast and genuinely? You stand out immediately.

Why These Three Things Matter

These aren't sexy. They're not trendy. They're not "growth hacking" or "going viral" or any of the other marketing language people throw around.

But they work. For literally every self-employed person who's getting customers.

Think about the people you know who have successful self-employed businesses. How did they get their customers?

It's one of these three things, right?

What Doesn't Actually Matter As Much As People Think

The algorithm. Nobody needs to crack the algorithm. Instagram's algorithm doesn't determine your success. TikTok's algorithm doesn't matter. You don't need to be on every platform.

Loads of followers. You don't need thousands of followers to get customers. You need the right people to know about you.

Going viral. Literally irrelevant for most self-employed businesses. You don't need millions of views. You need consistent, relevant enquiries from people in your area or your niche.

Fancy design. Beautiful website design is nice but it's not what gets you customers. Clear information gets you customers.

Content calendars and consistency hacks. You don't need daily posts or a complicated posting schedule. Just regular, genuine visibility.

The Actually Complicated Part

The actually hard part isn't the marketing. It's the work itself.

Getting really good at what you do. Delivering brilliantly. Following through. Building trust over time.

That's the hard part.

The marketing part? Just be clear, tell people about it, respond when they get in touch.

That's the simple part.

Most people get it backwards.

What Actually Happens

You get clear about what you do. You build a simple, proper website that explains what you do and where you do it. You show real examples of your work. You post about it on social media with some regularity. You respond to people who reach out.

Then:

• People search "your service + your location" and find you

• People tell their friends about you

• People engage with your posts and book because you actually responded to them

And you're building a business.

Not complicated. Not trendy. Not requiring you to be an expert in marketing or technology or anything else.

Just: be good, be clear, be visible, be responsive.

The Myth About Finding People

There's this idea that finding customers is mystical. That you need some secret formula or special skills or to "hack the algorithm."

It's not.

People find you through regular, straightforward ways:

• Searching for what you do

• Hearing about you from someone else

• Interacting with you online and having you actually respond

That's the whole system.

Everything else is noise.

Stop looking for secrets. There are none.

The three ways people find you online are straightforward and under your control.

Get clear on what you do. Show up consistently. Be responsive. Do good work.

That's how people find you. It's how they always have found small businesses.

And it works.