--- title: Web Design and SEO Articles | Blue Lake Web Design description: Practical web design and SEO articles for Michigan business owners. No fluff, no theory nobody can act on. url: https://bluelakewebdesign.com/blog/ --- Web Design and SEO Articles | Blue Lake Web Design Call # Web Design and SEO Articles Written for business owners, not for other agencies. If you cannot act on it, it does not go here. Web Design SEO Local SEO Google Ads Facebook Ads Press Local SEO Oct 31, 2026 ## What Is Local Business Schema and How Do I Add It? Local business schema explained for business owners: what it is, which details to include, a copy-ready example, how to test it, and when to hire help. Web Design Oct 30, 2026 ## What Do You Get When You Hire Someone to Build Your Website? Website design deliverables explained for business owners: what a project should include, what to put in writing, and how to tell essentials from extras. Facebook Ads Oct 29, 2026 ## Should I Boost a Facebook Post or Run an Ad? Boosted posts and Facebook ads both cost money, but they work differently. See what each does, what it costs, and which fits your small business. Web Design Oct 28, 2026 ## What Are Core Web Vitals and How Do You Pass Them? Core Web Vitals explained for business owners: the three scores Google checks, what a good result looks like, how to test your site free, and what to fix first. SEO Oct 27, 2026 ## How Long Should a Blog Post Be for SEO? There is no magic word count for Search Engine Optimization. Learn what the research says, how to pick the right blog post length, and what to write first. SEO Oct 26, 2026 ## What Are UTM Parameters and How Do You Use Them? UTM parameters are short tags you add to a link to see where website visitors came from. Learn what each one means, with plain examples and common mistakes. Facebook Ads Oct 25, 2026 ## How Does Google Ads Remarketing Work for a Small Business? Remarketing shows Google ads to people who already visited your website. Here is how it works, what you need first, and how to decide if it fits your business. Local SEO Oct 24, 2026 ## What Is NAP Consistency and Why Does It Matter? NAP consistency means your business name, address and phone number match everywhere online. Learn how to check yours and fix it, in plain English. SEO Oct 23, 2026 ## What Should a Contact Form Include on a Small Business Website? Plain contact form best practices for small business owners: which fields to ask for, where to put the form, how to stop spam and what to do after submit. SEO Oct 22, 2026 ## Homepage Design Best Practices for Small Businesses What belongs on a small business homepage, how to write the headline, and what to leave off. A plain guide from a Michigan web design shop. Web Design Oct 21, 2026 ## What Are the Benefits of a Responsive Website? What a responsive website does for a small business: one site for every screen, Google's mobile-first approach, easier upkeep, and what it costs to get one. SEO Oct 20, 2026 ## What Are Branded and Non-Branded Keywords? Branded keywords include your business name, non-branded ones do not. Learn the difference, how to check each in Google, and which one your business needs first. Web Design Oct 19, 2026 ## How Do You Design a Landing Page That Gets Customers? What a landing page is, how it differs from your homepage, what to put on it, and how to decide whether your business needs one. A plain guide for owners. Local SEO Oct 18, 2026 ## How to Find the Keywords Your Local Customers Search For A plain-English guide for small business owners: find the words local customers type into Google, pick the ones worth using, and put them on your site. Web Design Oct 15, 2026 ## Website Design Timeline: 8 to 14 Weeks for Small Business Sites See how long a small business website takes, from discovery to launch, and how ready content, clear phase approvals, and named reviewers keep dates on track. SEO Oct 14, 2026 ## Evergreen Content Examples for Small Businesses, From Guides to Tools Find evergreen content examples for small businesses, including guides, checklists, FAQs, and tools. Get simple steps to create and refresh each asset. Facebook Ads Oct 13, 2026 ## Facebook Ads Budget for Small Businesses: Start Daily, Scale Safely Small business owners can set a realistic Facebook ads budget with a daily starting point, account for Meta's learning phase, and scale carefully. Google Ads Oct 12, 2026 ## Google Ads for Contractors: Pay Per Click or Per Lead? Learn how contractors can compare Google Ads and Local Services Ads, plan a budget, track lead quality, set up ads, and decide when to hire help. Google Ads Oct 11, 2026 ## Performance Max Campaigns: 30–50 Monthly Conversions, New Controls See when Performance Max campaigns fit, why to keep Search live, and how 2026 reporting, asset controls, and landing page checks improve launch readiness. SEO Oct 10, 2026 ## On Page SEO Checklist: 13 Checks for Search, AI, and Core Web Vitals Run 13 ordered checks for page titles, headings, links, images, schema, Core Web Vitals, and indexing, with practical steps for AI discovery. Web Design Oct 9, 2026 ## Small Business Website Maintenance Cost: 3 Budgets, Renewal Costs Compare monthly website maintenance costs by site type, then use three sample budgets and renewal pricing to plan for hosting, updates, and year two. Local SEO Oct 8, 2026 ## Google Reviews: 3 Small Business Moves, Plus Fixed Price Site Help Build a repeatable workflow to get more Google reviews with profile updates, QR codes, timely asks, checkout calls to action, and fixed price website help. SEO Oct 7, 2026 ## Avoid Accidental Sitewide Blocks: Robots.txt for SEO Launch Checklist Practical robots.txt steps for SEO: back up your file, test in Google Search Console or Bing, start permissive, then monitor 72 hours after deployment. SEO Oct 6, 2026 ## Audit First Website Redesign SEO: 30–90 Day Plan to Save Rankings Audit first checklist to protect rankings during a redesign: exact redirects, mobile and structured data parity, and 30–90 day monitoring after launch. Google Ads Oct 5, 2026 ## Fix Core Web Vitals on Google Ads Landing Pages in Two Weeks Practitioner playbook tying Google Ads' Big Three to Core Web Vitals fixes, Rel mCvR tracking, and a two week landing page build you can launch fast. Web Design Oct 4, 2026 ## SMB Landing Page Cost 2026: Budget Bands, GA4 Benchmarks, Fixed Price 2026 cost guide for SMBs: compare budget bands, conversion benchmarks, GA4 setup tips, and when a fixed price landing page saves you money. Web Design Oct 3, 2026 ## 4–6 Week Baseline: A/B Testing Landing Pages Without False Positives Avoid false positives in A/B tests. Use a 4–6 week baseline, predefined MDE and stopping rules, and a practitioner checklist to build test-ready landing... Local SEO Oct 2, 2026 ## Core Web Vitals: Speed First Local Landing Pages for SMBs That Convert Make local landing pages that convert: prioritize mobile Core Web Vitals, exact NAP/schema, and unique local content. Includes agency tradeoffs and a... Web Design Oct 1, 2026 ## Testing First Conversion Rate Optimization for Checkout and Forms Testing first conversion rate optimization that fixes checkout and form friction to recover sales. Fast fixed price help from Blue Lake. Local SEO Oct 1, 2026 ## Stop Losing Map Pack Spots: 90 Day Plan for Local Businesses A practical plan you can execute in 90 days to boost Map Pack ranking. Verify your Google Business Profile, fix pin and category, collect steady reviews,... Local SEO Sep 30, 2026 ## Local Citations SEO: Clean NAP for AI and Small Businesses Audit and fix NAP inconsistencies before adding listings. Prioritize AI-visible Tier 1 profiles, 10–50 core listings, and quarterly monitoring for... Google Ads Sep 29, 2026 ## Call Tracking for Ads: CRM Imports, Privacy, and 60 Day GFNs Privacy aware call tracking for ads that ties calls to revenue using Google Forwarding Numbers, DNI, CRM imports, and server side tag setup. Google Ads Sep 29, 2026 ## SMB Google Ads Cost: Budget $1,000 to $2,500 to Hit CPL Targets SMB Google Ads cost benchmarks and step by step budget math: average CPC $5.42, CPL $66.69, plus how to set $1,000 to $2,500 test budgets and cut wasted... Google Ads Sep 28, 2026 ## Use Smart Bidding First: When to Shift Broad vs Phrase Match Decide when to use broad or phrase match. Learn how Smart Bidding and account maturity should guide your switch, with a safe test checklist and a managed... Local SEO Sep 27, 2026 ## 30–90 Day Google Business Profile Checklist for Small Businesses Checklist first 30–90 day playbook for small businesses to claim, verify, and optimize their Google Business Profile. Includes steps for reviews, photos,... Google Ads Sep 26, 2026 ## 10× Customer Value and a 60–90 Day Test for Small Business Google Ads Budget-first Google Ads advice for small businesses: when $500–$3,000/month and the 10× customer-value rule make ads pay, plus a 60–90 day test plan and... Google Ads Sep 25, 2026 ## 30.4 Rule: Set Your Google Ads Budget and Scale Like an Agency Learn the 30.4 monthly rule, when to use Performance Planner, and agency tested steps to set, forecast, and scale your Google Ads budget. Web Design Aug 20, 2024 ## Should You Design Your Website? Here's the Pros and Cons Should you design your own website? The benefits and pitfalls of creating your own site, plus what you need to know about domains, CMS choices, and hosting. Press Feb 25, 2024 ## Web Design Agency in Novi, Michigan Offers Affordable Web Design and Marketing Blue Lake Web Design, a Novi, Michigan web design agency, announces expanded services delivering affordable custom-designed websites for companies across the state. SEO Feb 21, 2024 ## How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 in Less Than 10 Minutes on your Wordpress Website Our method of installing GA4 on WordPress is easy, and has worked for every single site we have installed it on. Set up Google Analytics 4 in less than 10 minutes. Web Design Sep 28, 2023 ## The Principles of Good Web Design A comprehensive guide to good web design principles, covering visual hierarchy, layout, navigation, content, style, technical optimization, testing and SEO. Web Design Sep 6, 2023 ## How to Hire a Web Design Agency | Think about THIS before hiring a web designer! Hiring a web agency can be complicated. Here are the questions to ask yourself, what a web developer is actually responsible for, and how much web designers charge. Get started ## Want this handled for you? Call (248) 800-1855 for a free quote. Fixed price, no contract, and most sites are live in about two weeks. Start a Project Book 15 Minutes