Small Business SEO Services & AI SEarch Optimisation

Get found in Google and in AI-powered answers.

Affordable Small Business SEO Services Including AI Search

Search is changing fast. Your next customer might not scroll Google at all. They might ask an AI like ChatGPT or Gemini for a recommendation. And they’ll go with whoever gets named.

My SEO services are built for this new world. I still cover the essentials: technical SEO, content, and on-page work. But I also set your website up so AI tools know what you do and when to recommend you.

That’s Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)

When we work together, we’re aiming for:

  • Higher rankings in traditional Google search
  • More visibility in AI Overviews and AI Mode
  • A better chance of being named when someone asks AI “who should I use for…?”
  • Clearer messaging so both people and AI know exactly who you help

If you are looking for Hereford SEO services, please click here.

EXCELLENT
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Based on 47 reviews
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Jeremy Moulsdale profile picture
Jeremy Moulsdale
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I'm so pleased I chose Melissa to create my new website. Not only am I delighted with the result, but it was a pleasure to work with her. I was very nervous about the whole process, but she guided me through it from start to finish, with clarity, insight and expertise. I would absolutely recommend her if you're thinking about a new website.

Owner's reply
It has been such a pleasure to work with you Jeremy and I am delighted that you found the process of creating your new website less daunting than you expected!
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Lisa Harris profile picture
Lisa Harris
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I contacted Melissa to help build my new website. I wanted a site that would display my textile art in a professional manner whilst explaining the thought processes and inspiration behind it and how people can commission my work. Working with Melissa was a real pleasure. She totally understood what I was aiming for and the way I wanted my art work to be presented. Melissa has helped me in lots of unexpected ways. She has given my work a rebrand and shown me how to engage better with my audience, keeping my site simple but aesthetically interesting. The biggest win from working with Melissa is how this process of reflection on my work and what I am about has improved my confidence. I am proud of my new website and feel confident referring customers to the site knowing they will get a professional, well-presented and informative view of my work. I will definitely continue to work with Melissa because of the expertise she brings and her friendly supportive attitude. I look forward to our partnership continuing to bear fruit as my website develops in tandem with my textile art.

Owner's reply
This: "The biggest win from working with Melissa is how this process of reflection on my work and what I am about has improved my confidence." This is just everything! Who knew the process of creating a new website with me could boost your confidence! Honestly Lisa, I am so delighted to hear this and know that your brilliant business will go from strength to strength.
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Sophie Gordon profile picture
Sophie Gordon
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Melissa was wonderful to work with from start to finish. As somebody with no prior knowledge of website design, she made the entire process feel easy and enjoyable, while offering thoughtful guidance on my audience and marketing.

Owner's reply
Thank you Sophie, I really enjoyed working on your website design and am delighted that you are so happy - we achieved such a lot in one day! Wishing you every success. Melissa
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Jane & Brian Viner profile picture
Jane & Brian Viner
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Melissa has helped enormously in the development of our fledgling business, by working tirelessly and expertly to rebuild our website and really make it work for us. She has a huge amount of expertise and also - luckily for us! - a huge amount of patience. She created a website that not only looks beautiful but also fulfils all the technical criteria we needed. She's very hands-on and incredibly committed. We couldn't possibly have managed any of this without her, and we're extremely grateful that she's part of our Writers Inc team. Jane Sanderson and Brian Viner

Owner's reply
Thank you both! It was such a great project to work on and I am sure your writers' retreats are going to be a huge success and dont forget I am always here to help troubleshoot any issues.
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Mastercraft Shutters profile picture
Mastercraft Shutters
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My website was in need of a revamp and the agency managing my SEO was providing me with very little help. I was recommended Melissa and after our first discussion about what I need and how she could help, I knew she was going to be great. Melissa has lots of interesting ideas and she really went above and beyond to create a website that performs to the highest of standards. The new website visually is absolutely fantastic but more importantly it is user friendly, optimised well and the SEO is already working its magic. Almost instantly I was noticing more enquiries coming through the website. If you are looking for a personalised service with someone who genuinely wants to help you and your business succeed then get in touch with Melissa. Thank you for all your help and I look forward to working with you again in the future.

Owner's reply
Thank you so much Craig! It has been an absolute pleasure working with both yourself and your team to get your website up and running!
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Jason Mills profile picture
Jason Mills
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A great initial website created by Wildcurrant to start our business a couple of years ago. We recently updated and expanded the site with Melissa's help, guidance and savvy advice, and now have more customers and enquiries than ever! It's definitely working for us. Thank you!

Owner's reply
Thank you Jason! It means everything to me that the websites I build bring you the clients you want - it's the magic of SEO...
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Hana Maatugh profile picture
Hana Maatugh
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I had the pleasure of having a discovery call with Melissa from Wild Currant Marketing, and I can’t recommend her enough. She was an absolute star—so helpful, generous with her time, and full of valuable information and tips about websites and SEO. Melissa is not only highly professional and experienced in marketing and SEO, but also a genuinely kind and honest person to work with. What really stood out to me was her transparency: if something wasn’t in her scope or schedule, she didn’t hesitate to refer me to someone she personally trusts. That kind of integrity is rare and speaks volumes about her character. If you’re looking for expert advice from someone who truly cares, Melissa is the one to go to!
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Francis Plowden profile picture
Francis Plowden
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Melissa has been incredibly helpful at advising us with our website and marketing issues. She is very knowledgeable, straight to the point and spent time explaining everything patiently to us. Many grateful thanks. Farm Forestry Company

Owner's reply
Thank you Francis, do get in touch again if you have any further concerns. Melissa
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Jo McAllister profile picture
Jo McAllister
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Melissa has a wealth of knowledge, all up-to-the-minute. She is helpful, clear and concise in her delivery.

Owner's reply
It was great to chat with you Jo and I have emailed over today the video on linking a Squarespace website and GA4. Melissa
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Anastasia Baker profile picture
Anastasia Baker
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The amount of clients coming to Night Nannies has increase by about 25-30% in past 4 months since I contacted Melissa and I totally attribute that to her wisdom. We contacted Melissa to help us with updating the look of our website and improve my Google ads reach. Melissa hugely improved our SEO and Laura did something magical with our Google ads, as now most of our clients are coming from Google and far more of them. It was the best money I ever spent and I have been recommending them to my fellow entrepreneurs.

Owner's reply
This review makes my heart sing Anastasia - for both of us! It was a delight to work with your team and please do keep in touch. Melissa
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Book a free discovery call. No hard sell, just a clear next step.

My Small Business SEO Services: A Three-Step Approach

I offer three clear phases of SEO. You can start at any point, and I’ll meet you where you are.

Step 1: SEO Audit & Strategy Session

I start by getting to know your business, your goals, and your competitors.

Then I check your website against the four key areas of SEO:
➔ Technical SEO
➔ Content
➔ On-Site Optimization
➔ Off-Site SEO

I also check how ready your site is for AI search. This means looking at whether your content is clear enough for AI tools to understand and use in their answers.

You’ll get a clear PDF roadmap showing where you are now and what to do next. We then meet online to go through it together.

What’s Included:

  • Full website audit
  • Light-touch keyword research
  • Technical SEO review
  • A clear action plan
  • AI-readiness check on your key pages

Investment: from £675 (based on website size and complexity)​

If your audit makes you want the full website too, the audit costs you nothing. Book a Wildcurrant build within 60 days of your audit being completed and I’ll refund the audit fee in full. Your build itself can start later.

Step 2: SEO Setup & Implementation

Research and planning: I set up Google Analytics and connect your site to Google Search Console. Then I do a deep dive into keyword research, competitor research, and content planning.

I look at how your content can show up in both Google and AI search. That means clear service pages, useful content, and a structure that helps AI tools understand what you do and who you help.

Set-up and updates: This includes updating page titles and meta descriptions, improving content, fixing image alt text, building an XML sitemap, and more.

Results and next steps: You should start to see changes in your search results within a few weeks of set-up being done. We’ll then review results and agree the next steps together.

For businesses ready to lay a solid SEO foundation.​

What’s Included:

  •  Google Analytics and Search Console set-up
  • Deep dive into keyword research
  • On-page SEO optimisation
  • ​Competitive research
  • Content strategy
  • Content optimisation for target keywords
  • Content structured for AI and answer engines (AEO foundations)

Investment: Starting from £995 (based on website size and complexity)​

Step 3: Choose Your Monthly SEO Support Level

Ongoing SEO is where we keep building your visibility — in Google and in AI search results. We improve existing pages, publish useful content, and keep an eye on how your site is showing up as search changes.

What’s Included:

  • Regular improvement for both traditional search and AI search features
  • Technical SEO maintenance
  • Strategic planning sessions​
  • Monthly performance reports

Investment: half day = £695 | full day = £1,200 | 1.5 days per month = £1,885

Why Choose Wildcurrant for Small Business SEO Services?

That’s where I come in. I do the hard work so you don’t have to. You stay focused on your clients. I stay focused on making sure people can find you.

Why Work With an SEO Agency in Ludlow?

As an SEO agency in Ludlow, I work with small businesses both locally and across the UK. Being based on the Shropshire and Herefordshire border means I understand the challenges smaller businesses face when trying to compete online.

Whether you’re based nearby or further afield, you get the same hands-on, personal approach. No account managers. No being passed around. Just clear, honest SEO work from someone who genuinely cares about your results.

What is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?

AEO is simply the next step in SEO.

Instead of only asking how to rank higher on Google, we also ask: how do I make it easy for AI tools to recommend my business?

In practice, that means:

Clear, focused pages for each service you offer

Helpful content that answers your customers’ real questions

A well-structured site that is easy for both people and AI to navigate

Strong signals from across the web, like reviews, listings, and backlinks

Traditional SEO is still the foundation. AEO builds on top of it. Together, they give you more visibility as AI becomes part of how people search.

If phrases like ‘AI Overviews’ and ‘LLMs’ make your eyes glaze over, don’t worry. My job is to stay on top of the tech so you can focus on running your business.

Small Business SEO Services That Fit Your Budget

Every business is different, so I offer flexible options. You can start with an audit, move into a full set-up, and then choose the level of monthly support that suits you. There’s no pressure to commit to more than you need.

There is a minimum three-month commitment for ongoing work. After that, it’s flexible with no long-term contract.

Book a free discovery call. No hard sell, just a clear next step.

What is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?

Answer Engine Optimisation is simply the next phase of SEO.

It’s not just about ranking on Google any more. It’s about making sure AI tools know who you are, what you do, and when to recommend you.

Practically, that means:

Clear, focused pages about each service you offer

Helpful content that answers your customers’ real questions

A well-structured site that’s easy for both humans and AI to navigate

Trusted signals from around the web (reviews, citations, backlinks)

Traditional SEO is still the foundation. AEO builds on top of it, so that strong base leads to more mentions, more visibility, and more enquiries as AI becomes part of how people search.

If phrases like “AI Overviews” and “LLMs” make your eyes glaze over, don’t worry. My job is to stay on top of the tech so you can stay focused on running your business.

FAQs

Do You Have Case Study on SEO That I Could Read?

I do, read my Night Nannies SEO Case Study here.

Small Business Websites & SEO

If you need the foundations sorted first, I can build the site too — see my small business website design service (WordPress, Woocommerce and Shopify).

What Is On-Page SEO for Small Businesses?

On-page SEO means making changes to the pages on your website, things like your text, images and page titles, so Google can find you more easily.

What Is Off-Page SEO for Small Businesses?

Off-site SEO for small businesses refers to actions taken outside your website—like backlinks, directory listings, and social proof—to boost your site’s authority and help it rank higher in search results.

Q: How Long Does it Take to See Results from SEO?

SEO takes time. You may see some changes within a few weeks, but bigger results usually take between three and six months.

Q: Do I Need to Commit to a Long-Term Contract?

Not at all. There is a minimum 3‑month commitment required. But after this my ongoing SEO support is flexible, with no long-term commitments. You can choose the level of support that suits your business.​

Q: Can You Help with Local SEO?

Yes. Local SEO is a big part of what I do. I can help your business show up in local search results and on Google Maps.​ Everything you need to know about local SEO – click here

Why Choose Wildcurrant for Small Business SEO Services?

Logo with two large pink and purple letter Ns; a star is on the left N and a crescent moon on the right N. Below, Night Nannies® appears in purple text, perfect for showcasing Small Business SEO Services with a whimsical touch. Wildcurrant Marketing
Melissa Critchley, Website Design and SEO Consultant, Wildcurrant Marketing

Melissa Critchley
Founder of Wildcurrant Marketing, specialises in website design and search engine optimisation for small businesses. Based in Ludlow, Shropshire, she works with clients across the UK (and sometimes beyond!) Find out more here.

Great design is wasted if nobody finds it. Let’s talk.

If you are:

  • looking for a new small business website,
  • with or without SEO
  • or stand alone SEO services including Local SEO
  • or Meta or Google Ads,

Then please drop me a line, give me a call or book a 15 minute free discovery call at a time that suits you HERE

Email me: melissa@wildcurrant.co.uk

Call: 07771 623276

Strategic website design plus advanced SEO & GEO

ABOUT


I get small businesses found in Google and named in AI answers | WordPress websites, SEO and AI visibility | 20 years in marketing, 8 building sites | Ludlow, Shropshire

07771 623276

melissa@wildcurrant.co.uk

The Coach House, Brand Lane, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1NN

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