SEO Aberdeen: The Basics That Still Win in 2025

‍Takeaway:
For Aberdeen SMEs, SEO wins come from a fast, mobile-friendly site, people-first content that shows real expertise, clean local signals (GBP, reviews, NAP), and simple tracking. Do those four well and you’ll rank, get found locally, and stay visible as AI-search evolves.

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1) Technical Health — make the site easy to crawl & love to use

Why it matters: Search engines can’t rank what they can’t access, and users bounce from slow pages.

What to do (essentials only):

• Speed / Core Web Vitals: Target < 2.5 s LCP and good CLS & FID. Fast sites help Googlebot crawl more and rank better Google Search Central – Core Web Vitals and Bing Webmaster Guidelines §2.1 Page Speed.
• Mobile-first: Google indexes the mobile version first Google Search Central – Mobile-first Indexing. Responsive design is required for both Google and Bing Bing Guidelines §2.2 Mobile friendliness.
• HTTPS: Secure sites build trust and are a page-experience signal Google Search Essentials – HTTPS.
• Clean architecture: Simple URL structure, XML sitemap, no blocked pages Google Search Essentials – Crawl and Index.
• Error-free crawl: Fix 4xx/5xx; monitor crawl stats in Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools.

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2) Content & Authority (E-E-A-T made practical)

Why it matters: Google and Bing reward pages that clearly help people and come from credible sources.

What to do:

• People-first pages: Write for users first Google Helpful Content Guidelines.
• Natural language: Use keywords naturally; avoid stuffing Google Search Essentials – Spam Policies.
• Show experience: Include authorship, case studies, original images E-E-A-T framework.
• Link hygiene: Cite reputable sources and use internal links for context Bing Guidelines §3.3 Authority & Utility.
• On-page sanity: One H1, logical H2/H3s, clear titles and meta descriptions Google Title & Snippet Guidelines.

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3) Local SEO — where Aberdeen businesses win fast

Why it matters: Local results (Maps/3-pack) drive calls and visits.

What to do:

• Google Business Profile (GBP): Complete every field, add photos, post updates Google Business Profile Help – Improve Your Local Ranking.
• Bing Places: Import from Google and verify Bing Places for Business Help.
• Reviews: More and better ratings boost prominence Google Local Ranking Factors.
• NAP consistency: Use identical Name, Address, Phone across all citations Google Business Profile Help – Business Information Accuracy.
• Localized content: Mention Aberdeen naturally; create dedicated pages for key service areas Bing Guidelines §3.2 Relevance.

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4) Structured Data — help machines understand you

Why it matters: Clear markup → better rich results and local accuracy.

What to add:

• LocalBusiness schema: name, address (PostalAddress), geo, telephone, openingHours, url Google LocalBusiness Structured Data.
• AggregateRating/Review: If you show first-party reviews Google Review Snippet Documentation.
• FAQ: Mark up genuine Q&A sections FAQPage Schema Guidelines.
• Validate in the Rich Results Test.
• Bing also uses schema to “better understand page content” Bing Guidelines §2.4 Structured Data.

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5) Measure What Matters (ditch vanity metrics)

Why it matters: You improve what you measure — not myths.

Weekly checks (10 minutes):

• Google Search Console: Queries, clicks, coverage Search Console Overview.
• GA4: Track organic engagement and conversions Google Analytics Help Center.
• Bing Webmaster Tools: Monitor crawl, index, and backlinks BWT Overview.

Ignore: meta keywords, keyword density, third-party DA/DR scores, link quantity over quality Google Search Essentials – Spam Policies.

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6) AI is changing the SERP — your foundations still carry you

What’s changing:

• Fewer clicks on simple queries: AI summaries answer upfront Google Search Labs – SGE Overview.
• Citations matter: AI highlights trustworthy sources Google SGE documentation.
• Local blending: AI snapshots pull GBP data and reviews Bing Chat & AI Search Announcement.
• Conversational intent: Long-tail, question-based queries rise.

How to adapt:

• Be cite-worthy: Concise, structured answers; use FAQ markup.
• Double down on accuracy: Consistent NAP, fresh hours, strong reviews.
• Ship schema: Feed AI parsers explicit data.
• Create “help me choose” content: Comparisons & guides feed AI answers Google SGE content tips.

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Quick Checklists

Local SEO Setup

1. GBP complete (categories, hours, photos, messaging)
2. Bing Places synced & verified
3. NAP identical across site + top directories
4. Review request process live
5. Local pages with unique Aberdeen content
6. LocalBusiness schema validated

Monthly KPI Snapshot

• Organic leads (forms / calls)
• Top organic landing pages + conversion rate (GA4)
• GSC queries gaining / losing traction (GSC or a new favourite of mine SEOgets)
• Fix list: new errors or slow pages

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