Most small business websites are not held back by one big problem but by several small ones. Here are the mistakes we see most often, with the fix for each.
Mistakes on the website
- One page for every service. Create a separate page for each main service so each can rank.
- The same title on every page. Give each page a unique title with its main keyword and city.
- No city or area mentioned. Local searchers include places; your pages should too.
- Slow pages on mobile. Compress images and remove unnecessary plugins.
- Thin content. Two lines per service will not rank. Answer real customer questions.
- Copied text. Content copied from competitors or manufacturers rarely ranks.
- No clear call to action. Traffic without enquiries is wasted.
Mistakes with Google
- No Google Search Console. You cannot fix problems you cannot see.
- Neglected Google Business Profile. For local searches it often matters more than the website.
- Few or unanswered reviews. Ask every happy customer and reply to all reviews.
- Different details on different sites. Keep your name, address and phone identical everywhere.
Mistakes in strategy
- Chasing keywords nobody searches. Target what customers actually type.
- Buying cheap backlinks. They can harm your site. Earn links from real, relevant sites.
- Redesigning without redirects. This can wipe out years of rankings overnight.
- Giving up too early. SEO takes months; stopping after six weeks wastes the work done.
Where to start
Fix the first four website mistakes and set up Search Console this week. Then work through your Google profile and reviews. For a full list of what to check, use our SEO checklist or request a professional SEO audit.
Want the full picture? This article is part of SEO: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
