Marhardt Consulting · Field Notes
The Journey
Lessons, field notes, and updates from the work — small business technology, automation, and building for Main Street.
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October 27, 2026
What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? A Plain Guide
Answer engine optimization means structuring a page so a search engine can lift a direct answer from it. What that takes on a small site, and what it is not.
October 22, 2026
How Customers Search for Local Businesses: Your Town Has More Than One Name
You call your town one thing and your customers type another. A worked example from Lake Orion shows how to find the names people really search with, and where to put them.
October 21, 2026
Should My Small Business Sell Online? An Honest Checklist
Some shops should not sell online, and it is cheaper to find that out before you build anything. Four questions to answer first, and three smaller ways to start if a full store is too much.
October 20, 2026
Gold Buyer Advertising: How to Win Estate Sellers Before the Drive
The person selling inherited jewelry is anxious, not shopping. Here is what they check before choosing a gold buyer, why "we buy gold" signs fall flat, and what to publish in their place.
October 15, 2026
Will AI Replace Websites? What Small Businesses Should Expect
No. AI tools answer by reading web pages, so your site is the source, not the casualty. Short answers to the questions owners ask about AI, SEO and clicks.
October 14, 2026
Coin Shop Marketing: Two Funnels, One for Buyers and One for Sellers
A gold and coin dealer has two customers: people buying metal and people selling it. Here is how we built Bullion Reserve's site as two separate funnels, and how any business with two audiences can do the same.
October 13, 2026
How to Do Market Research Yourself Before You Pay for It
You can answer most of the early questions about your market in one afternoon with free public data and a search box. Here are the five steps, and the point where paying for research starts to make sense.
October 8, 2026
The Google Map Pack: How the Top Three Are Chosen
The three businesses under the map are picked from Business Profiles, not web pages. Here is what Google says it weighs, why a good website ranking does not carry over, and which levers an owner can move.
October 7, 2026
Pawn Shop Marketing Ideas: What Customers Check Before They Walk In
A pawn shop has two customers: one who wants to be treated fairly and one who wants to see the case. Here is what each checks on a phone before driving over, and five low-cost moves that answer them.
October 6, 2026
How SEO and AI Search Actually Work: Your Website Is the Source
AI answers do not come from nowhere. They are assembled from web pages a crawler already read and indexed. Here is the pipeline in plain steps, and what it means for a small business website.
September 5, 2026
The 10 Tasks Your Small Business Should Automate First
Ten tasks worth automating before anything else, ranked by payoff. Each comes with a simple trigger: if you do it by hand more than three times a week, it qualifies.
September 5, 2026
The Clarkston Small Business Guide to Winning Local Search
A 90-day plan for winning local search in Clarkston and Oakland County: complete your Google Business Profile, build a review habit, fix the website fundamentals, and earn local links.
All posts, by series
The Small Business Website Playbook
- DIY Website Builder vs. Hiring a Pro: The Honest Math
- What Should a Local Business Website Include? A No-Fluff Checklist
- Your Website Is Your First Impression (Customers Judge in Seconds)
- Slow Website, Lost Customers: Why Page Speed Matters for Small Sites
- 7 Signs It's Time to Redesign Your Website
- What Website Maintenance Actually Covers (and What It Should Cost)
- Do You Really Need a Website If Your Business Is on Facebook?
- How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in Michigan?
Winning Local Search
- Google Business Profile Setup for Oakland County Businesses
- How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Begging or Buying Them)
- Local SEO Basics: How Small Businesses Win Their Own Backyard
- The Clarkston Small Business Guide to Winning Local Search
- The Google Map Pack: How the Top Three Are Chosen
- How Customers Search for Local Businesses: Your Town Has More Than One Name
- What Is SEO? A Plain-English Guide for Small Business Owners
The Automation Playbook
- The 5-Minute Rule: Why Lead Response Time Makes or Breaks Local Businesses
- The Real Cost of Missed Calls for Small Businesses (and the Fix)
- Phone Tag Is Costing You Customers: The Case for Online Booking
- Getting Paid Faster: Invoicing Habits That Fix Small Business Cash Flow
- What Is a CRM, and Does a 5-Person Business Actually Need One?
- Email Follow-Up Automation: The Channel Small Businesses Leave on the Table
- The 10 Tasks Your Small Business Should Automate First
- You've Outgrown Your Spreadsheets: 7 Signs Your Shop Needs Real Systems