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 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.
September 5, 2026
Local SEO Basics: How Small Businesses Win Their Own Backyard
Local search runs on proximity, relevance, and prominence. What each one means in plain English, the five moves worth making on a small budget, and the SEO services you should never pay for.
September 4, 2026
What Website Maintenance Actually Covers (and What It Should Cost)
Website maintenance is either real work or a hosting markup with a nicer name. Here is what it should include, what the market charges, and the questions that expose the difference.
September 4, 2026
Email Follow-Up Automation: The Channel Small Businesses Leave on the Table
Follow-up, not newsletters. Five short email automations that recover stalled quotes, earn reviews, and bring quiet customers back, each written once and running forever.
September 4, 2026
What Is a CRM, and Does a 5-Person Business Actually Need One?
A CRM is a shared memory of every customer and conversation. Here is the honest answer on when a small business needs one, when a notebook still works, and what the ROI numbers really say.
September 4, 2026
How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Begging or Buying Them)
92% of consumers read reviews before trying a local business. How to earn more Google reviews with a direct link, a well-timed ask, automated requests, and smart replies, without ever begging or buying.
September 3, 2026
7 Signs It's Time to Redesign Your Website
A website fails slowly, then suddenly. Seven signs yours has slid too far, each with a two-minute test, plus an honest answer on redesign versus refresh.
September 3, 2026
Google Business Profile Setup for Oakland County Businesses
The map box at the top of local search results decides who gets the call. A step by step guide to claiming, verifying, and filling out your Google Business Profile the right way, plus the mistakes that get profiles suspended.
September 3, 2026
Getting Paid Faster: Invoicing Habits That Fix Small Business Cash Flow
Most small businesses are waiting on money they have already earned. Five invoicing habits, from same day billing to polite automated reminders, that shorten the gap between finishing the work and getting paid.
September 3, 2026
Phone Tag Is Costing You Customers: The Case for Online Booking
Around 40% of online appointments get booked outside business hours, while most calls to small businesses go unanswered. Why online booking wins customers you never hear about, and how to add it without losing control of your calendar.
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
- 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