“So… you work for Google?”

No. No, I don’t. But thanks for asking, Grandma.

If you’ve ever tried to explain what you do for a living to someone outside the digital marketing world — like a family member, a new client, or a person who still uses Internet Explorer — you know how weirdly hard it is to describe SEO.

Here’s how to break it down without the buzzwords, and actually make it make sense.

The Elevator Pitch Version

SEO is making sure a website shows up on Google when someone searches for something related to that business.

That’s it. That’s the line.

But if they blink blankly and say, “Oh… so like ads?” — then it’s time to go deeper.

Use Real-World Analogies

People don’t need technical jargon. They need comparisons they can wrap their heads around.

1. SEO is like getting a store listed in the yellow pages — and putting it on Main Street instead of a back alley.
If your business isn’t on Google, it’s like having a store no one can find.

2. Google is like a librarian.
When someone asks a question, Google sorts through billions of pages to find the most relevant answer. SEO makes sure your website has the info and organization to be chosen.

3. Your website is like a garden.
You have to plant the right seeds (keywords), keep the soil healthy (technical SEO), and pull the weeds (bad backlinks, broken links) if you want anything to grow.

4. SEO is like dating Google.
You have to play the game, earn trust, and prove you’re a good fit. Show up too needy or spammy, and you’re getting ghosted.

Breaking Down the Core Parts

“What do you actually do?”

Try this:

“I help websites show up on search engines by doing three main things:

1. Fixing technical issues so search engines can crawl the site properly.

2. Researching what people are searching for and adding that language to the website.

3. Getting other reputable websites to link back to it so Google trusts it more.”

If they’re still with you, you’ve won.

What Not to Say

Avoid these rookie traps:

• “I optimize metadata and analyze CTR fluctuations.” (You’ll lose them immediately.)

• “It’s all about backlinks, domain authority, and technical crawl depth.” (Save that for nerd talk.)

• “It’s kind of like hacking Google.” (No. Just no.)

If All Else Fails…

Just say:

“You know how when you Google something, the first few results aren’t ads? I help businesses show up there.”

They’ll nod. They’ll smile. They’ll probably still tell people you “do internet stuff,” but at least you tried.