Nowadays, it is difficult for web design to be effective without SEO techniques integrated into the build. Even if an Ohio web design company doesn't offer SEO, it pays to work with an SEO expert to ensure there is plenty of content and that the content is optimized.
In my years in the search engine optimization business, I have seen many websites with more photos than written content. Google, Bing, and the other search engines cannot read a picture like they can text, which is why it is imperative to have informational articles, product descriptions, and text every chance you get. THAT is what Google, Bing, Yahoo, and the others read.
The search engines look at location and the content to see what you are all about. If you are a furniture store in New York, then Google and the other search engines will figure out that you are a furniture store in New York and index you as such.
In the meantime, you want quality backlinks. This means other sites linking to your site. These other sites also need to have decent "page rank." If they don't, then the link won't have as much power as you need to give you a boost. While a lot of links can help, it isn't always about the quantity; it's about the quality.
Stay tuned for more about Ohio SEO practices and why our great state needs more of it to help develop both online and offline businesses.
