Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does a digital marketing freelancer actually do for a small business?
A: I handle the digital marketing tasks that keep falling to the bottom of your to-do list, keeping your website updated, writing blog posts and email newsletters, managing your Google Business Profile, tracking your analytics, and making sure your business is showing up where your customers are looking. Think of it as having a dedicated marketing person without the overhead of a full-time hire.

Q: How is working with you different from hiring a marketing agency?
A: With an agency, you’re paying for a team, an office, and an account manager who may or may not have ever run a small business. With me, you get one person who knows your business, does the work themselves, and is easy to reach—no junior staff learning on your dime, no markups, no surprises.

Q: Do you only work with businesses in Ontario?
A: Most of my clients are in Ontario — that’s where my roots are and where I have the deepest knowledge of the local market. That said, the majority of what I do works just as well remotely, and I do work with businesses outside Ontario. If you’re not sure whether we’d be a good fit, reach out.

Q: How do I know if I’m ready for a monthly retainer?
A: If you’re spending time on marketing tasks that aren’t getting done consistently, or if you know your online presence needs work but you never quite get to it, a retainer is probably the right fit. If you have a one-off project in mind, I offer standalone services too — and many clients start there before moving to a monthly package.

Q: How long does it take to see results?
A: It depends on what we’re working on. Google Business Profile improvements and fixing basic SEO issues can show results within a few weeks. Content and email marketing build over months. Paid ads can drive traffic quickly, but stop the moment you stop paying. I’ll always be upfront with you about what to expect and when.

Q: How do we get started?
A: Book a free discovery call, and we’ll talk through where your business is at, what’s not working, and what would make the biggest difference. From there, I’ll recommend a package or service that fits, and we’ll go from there.

Q: What kind of website updates are included in my package?
A: Content updates: adding new information, updating hours, prices, team members, and seasonal changes, swapping out photos, and keeping pages accurate and up to date. I’m not a web developer, so complex rebuilds or custom coding aren’t part of what I do, but day-to-day content maintenance, content additions, new pages and webpage popups or sign-up forms are exactly what the Foundation package is built for.

Q: Do you build websites from scratch, or only manage existing ones?
A: I primarily focus on managing and improving existing websites rather than building new ones from scratch. If you need a new site built, I can work with you and a developer to build the right site for you. I will then be ready to step in once it’s live to handle the ongoing content and SEO side.

Q: My website is old and outdated — can you help?
A: Often yes. Outdated content, missing location information, slow pages, and poor mobile experience are all things I can address without a full rebuild. If the site is beyond saving, I’ll tell you honestly rather than charge you to polish something that isn’t working.

Q: What platform do you work with?
A: My primary experience is with WordPress, which powers the majority of small business websites. I have extensive experience with themes and responsive page builders such as SiteOrigin, Elementor, Divi, and more. I’m also comfortable working with other common platforms, such as Squarespace. Just ask if you’re not sure whether yours is a fit.

Q: What is SEO, and why does my small business need it?
A: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization — it’s the work that helps your business show up when someone searches for what you offer on Google. For a small business, that means showing up when someone nearby is actively looking for your product or service. It’s one of the few marketing channels where the traffic keeps coming without paying for every click.

Q: What’s the difference between SEO and paid ads?
A: Paid ads (like Google Ads) put you at the top of search results immediately, but the moment you stop paying, the traffic stops. SEO takes longer to build, but the results compound over time. A well-optimized page can bring in traffic for years. Most small businesses benefit from a combination of both, but SEO is the foundation.

Q: How long does SEO take to work?
A: Honest answer: three to six months before you start seeing meaningful movement, and longer for competitive keywords. Local SEO tends to move faster than broad national SEO. I’ll set realistic expectations from the start and show you what’s improving along the way.

Q: Do I need a blog to rank on Google?
A: Not strictly, but it helps significantly. A blog gives you the opportunity to rank for the questions your customers are actually typing into Google, build authority in your industry, and give people a reason to keep coming back to your site. For most small businesses, it’s one of the highest-return content investments you can make.

Q: What is local SEO, and is it different from regular SEO?
A: Local SEO is specifically about showing up in location-based searches — “restaurant near me,” “plumber in Uxbridge,” “resort on Rice Lake.” It involves your Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, and location signals on your website. It’s a subset of SEO, but for most small businesses in Ontario, it’s the most important one to get right.

What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of making sure your business shows up when someone nearby searches for what you offer on Google Search, Google Maps, and, increasingly, in AI-generated answers. It covers your Google Business Profile, your website’s location signals, your business listings across the web, and your online reviews.

Why is my business not showing up on Google Maps?
The most common reasons are an incomplete or unverified Google Business Profile, inconsistent business information across the web, too few reviews, or a lack of local content on your website. Usually, a combination of all four. These are fixable, and the onboarding audit covers exactly how to fix them.

What is a Google Business Profile, and do I need one?
Yes, absolutely. Your Google Business Profile is the listing that appears when someone searches for your business or finds you on Google Maps. It shows your hours, location, photos, reviews, and contact information. It’s free, it’s one of the most visible things Google shows for local searches, and an incomplete or outdated one is one of the most common missed opportunities I see.

What are local citations, and why do they matter?
A local citation is any mention of your business name, address, and phone number on another website, directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, TripAdvisor, and hundreds of others. Google uses these to verify that your business information is accurate and consistent. Inconsistent citations, different phone numbers, old addresses, and name variations can quietly hurt your local rankings.

How do online reviews affect my local search ranking?
Significantly. Google considers the number of reviews, your overall rating, how recent they are, and whether you respond to them. More reviews, higher ratings, and consistent responses all send positive signals. I can help you build a simple process for asking customers for reviews and make sure every review gets a thoughtful response.

I have multiple locations. Does that change anything?
Yes, each location needs its own Google Business Profile, its own page on your website with location-specific content, and its own citation profile. It’s more work, but the approach is the same. Get in touch, and we can talk through what that looks like for your specific situation.

Is local SEO a one-time fix or ongoing work?
Both. There’s a foundational setup that makes a big difference quickly by fully optimizing your Google Business Profile, fixing citation inconsistencies, and cleaning up your website’s location signals. But local SEO also needs ongoing attention: keeping your information up to date, publishing local content, responding to reviews, and staying on top of Google’s changes. That’s what the monthly retainer is for.