How to Get Your Business Found Online in Lakewood, Washington
If you run a business in Lakewood, you already know this city is growing fast. With Joint Base Lewis-McChord nearby, a strong healthcare sector, and a steady flow of new housing developments, there’s no shortage of potential customers. But here’s the problem: many of those customers are searching on Google, and your business might not be showing up.
Why is that? Most small businesses in Lakewood struggle because they assume Google just “knows” about them. That’s not how it works. Google finds your business by crawling the web for signals—things like your website, your address, and what other sites say about you. If those signals are weak or missing, you’re invisible.
The good news? You can fix this yourself with a few simple steps.
1. Claim and fill out your Google Business Profile
This is the single most important thing you can do. Go to Google Business Profile (it’s free), claim your listing, and fill out every field. That means your exact address, phone number, hours of operation, and a short description of what you do. Add photos of your storefront, your team, and your products. If you skip this step, you’re basically handing customers to your competitors.
2. Ask for reviews (and respond to them)
Reviews are like gold to Google. After every sale or service, ask your happiest customers to leave a review on your Google profile. Don’t be shy—just say, “If you had a good experience, it would really help us if you left a quick review.” And when someone does leave one, reply to it. Even a simple “Thanks, Sarah!” shows Google you’re active and trustworthy.
3. Make sure your website works well on a phone
Most people in Lakewood search for businesses on their phones. If your site takes forever to load or looks squished on a small screen, they’ll leave. Use Google’s free Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check. If it fails, ask your web developer to fix it. A fast, clean mobile site keeps people on your page longer, which tells Google you’re worth showing.
4. Use local keywords on your site
When you write about your business, mention where you are. Instead of “We sell roofing materials,” say “We sell roofing materials in Lakewood, Washington.” Put your city name in your page titles, headings, and even in your image file names. This helps Google connect your business to local searches like “roofing Lakewood.”
One more thing: backlinks
You might hear the term “backlinks” and think it sounds technical. It’s not. A backlink is simply when another website links to yours. Think of it like a neighbor telling people your store is worth visiting. The more trustworthy sites that link to you, the more Google trusts you. That’s where a service like BacklinkUSA.com comes in. We publish articles about businesses like yours on high-authority websites, which creates those helpful links and helps you rank higher in local search results.