Tag Archive for: seo

Why Your Website Isn’t Getting Found (And How to Fix It)

You’ve invested in a website that looks great, but if it isn’t showing up when people search for your services, you’re missing out on leads and business.

The good news is you (or someone else who manages your website) can make improvements that are easy, free and effective at boosting your position in Google’s search results.

Or we can take a look for you – just email us your website address (URL). I’ll check your site is optimised and let you know what I find.

What Google looks for when ranking websites

Google’s search algorithms are sophisticated, but the basics still matter. When someone enters a search phrase, Google’s crawlers (automated programmes that scan the web) look for:

  • Meta page titles – The title that appears in search results and browser tabs. This should include your key phrase and accurately describe your page.
  • Meta descriptions – Short summaries (up to 155 characters) that tell searchers (and Google) what the page is about.
  • Headings (H1, H2 etc.) – Use headings properly and include keywords naturally in them.
  • Image alt text and file names – Google can’t “see” images, so it reads the file name, image title and alt text. Rename images to reflect what they show (e.g. bathroom-renovation-ipswich.jpg instead of IMG123.jpg), and use descriptive alt text.
  • Content – Google is looking for relevance: does your page include the phrases people search for? Make sure your key services and locations are clearly mentioned in your text.

Below is a screenshot of my listing on Google search results. I change the description text (‘meta description’) every now and then and check what works – what descriptions get more clicks – what gets more visitors to my website.

Easy, free tasks to improve your SEO

Here’s what you can do right now:

  • Check and improve page titles and meta descriptions
    Every page of your website should have a unique title and description – not generic or duplicated text.
    Example:
    Bad title: “Home”
    Good title: “Expert Plumbers in Ipswich | ABC Plumbing”
  • Use the exact phrases people search for
    If you offer bathroom renovations in Ipswich, then use that phrase exactly somewhere in your headings and text. Think: “Looking for expert bathroom renovations in Ipswich?”
  • Add alt text to your images
    Right-click any image in your website CMS (e.g. WordPress) and check the “alt text” field – add a short description including keywords if relevant.
  • Make your content clear and local
    For local businesses, mention your location naturally throughout your site: “Serving clients across Suffolk including Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and surrounding areas.”

Submit your site to Google Search Console

Even if your site is optimised, Google won’t always find it quickly. You can help by registering for Google Search Console – a free tool that lets you:

  • Submit your sitemap (a file listing all your pages)
  • Request indexing so Google knows your pages exist
  • See if Google detects any problems with your site

It’s free, and takes just a few minutes to set up – but can make a big difference.

What to avoid

Even if your content is good, technical issues can hold you back:

  • Slow-loading pages – Google penalises sites that load slowly, especially on mobile.
    Tip: Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights and fix any major issues it flags.
  • Poor mobile-friendliness – Your site must work properly on smartphones and tablets, not just desktops.
  • Duplicate content – If your site copies text from elsewhere, Google may penalise it.

Don’t forget your Google Business Profile

If you’re a local business, your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is essential.

It lets you appear in the map listings and in local searches – sometimes above the usual search results.

  • Set it up free at Google Business Profile
  • Encourage happy customers to leave reviews – reviews improve your ranking and show trustworthiness.

Quick checklist

✔️ Use keyword-rich page titles and meta descriptions

✔️ Add alt text and correct image file names

✔️ Make content clear and include key phrases naturally

✔️ Submit your site to Google Search Console

✔️ Improve site speed and mobile-friendliness

✔️ Set up and optimise your Google Business Profile

✔️ Get customer reviews.

Even simple tweaks can improve your visibility – and they’re all free if you know what to look for.

If you need help fixing any of this, I’m happy to take a look and point you in the right direction – just send me an email.

SEO is still important for small businesses – here’s why

SEO – three letters that cause mixed feelings for many business owners: some who know and see the benefits, some that want to avoid it at all costs, and some that have had their wrists slapped due to bad SEO practices before. But like, dislike or ignore it, SEO is vital for any business with a website.

Search engine optimisation is something that all business owners should be thinking about today. Because in the future, your natural search engine rankings could massively boost your business.

More brand awareness

If people see your website floating around, you would be surprised at just how many people remember you. The more traffic you get to your website, the more remarketing you can do (putting ads in front of people that have visited your website – on other websites they visit and on the social networks they use). This will increase your company awareness even more. The average prospect needs a whopping eight associations with your business before they become a customer. The more you make yourself available to them, the higher chance you have of getting the results you want. Being seen more, along with your other marketing tools is critical to increasing your long-term customer base.

More customers

If your website is spot on, increasing your traffic will lead to an increase in your customers. If your website doesn’t turn visitors into customers then this is what needs to be your priority, not traffic. But once this is taken care of (which we can help you with by the way!), more traffic results in more customers. So by being high in the rankings for a range of relevant key search terms, your traffic should steadily grow, with people all ready to buy your products or services. 50% of all searches will head to the top three results in Google. This means it is crucial that your business is occupying the top spots.

Some of your competitors WON’T be doing it

Many of your competitors will have old websites which aren’t responsive and mobile friendly. Your industry may have seen the same businesses occupy the top listings in search results, but that can change. Whilst it takes effort and possibly paid help, you can get there and convert their customers into becoming yours. There are always opportunities to explore and get more business from in regards to natural rankings.

Less reliant on budget

As the name suggests, pay per click costs money each time someone clicks on your advert. If you have 50 visitors, you pay 50 times. Whereas if you have 50 visitors from natural results, technically you aren’t paying per visit, just the effort and time it has taken to get you there. SEO is less budget reliant than PPC. Your SEO campaign should help you to improve your range of keywords meaning you aren’t so restricted in terms of a monthly budget.

SEO isn’t entirely cheaper than PPC as it does depend on how much you invest in each. But in general it should work out far less budget restrictive in the long run than your paid campaigns might be.

Increased long-term return on investment

There is no increased cost with more people searching for something through natural search results and landing on your website, unlike PPC where you still have to pay for each visit. This means in terms of a long-term return on investment, SEO will always be the more cost effective way to go. As discussed, because SEO is your long-term goal, it might cost you more in the first year than other online marketing strategies, but if your SEO is good and the results are effective, it will provide one of the more effective return on investments you will ever see from a marketing perspective.

So how can you start improving your SEO? Take a look at our 8 simple ways.

content marketing calendarDownload our free Content Marketing Calendar

Use this template to create a full schedule of activities for marketing your business over the next 3 months.

Click here for more info and to download.

6 ways to make your website sticky – do it right now

It’s a known fact that you have very limited time to grab the attention of visitors to your website before they leave to look at the next listing in search results – a few seconds in fact! So how can you do that and ensure they don’t click off so soon? Here are 6 ways to make your website ‘sticky’ and they are all things you can do right now!

Read more

Website strategies seminar

We held a seminar covering website strategies that get results. For those of you who didn’t attend, this post gives an outline of what was covered.

Read more

8 ways to improve your position in Google search results

With advances in technology, it’s simple to create a website at a low cost. This means that most businesses have many competitors when trying to sell their products and services online. Now that Google is the main search engine used, it can be difficult for businesses to be noticed in search results. These tips listed can give you some guidance on how to improve your position in Google search results.

Read more