Ten Common Small Business SEO Mistakes

Visibility mistakes

Mistake one: a site setting or file that blocks search engines, left on from development. Check it after any launch. Mistake two: no profile, or an incomplete one, on Google, Apple and Bing. Mistake three: a business name, address or phone number that differs from place to place.

Content mistakes

Mistake four: one page that tries to cover every service, so none gets a clear message. Give each main service its own page. Mistake five: thin pages with a few lines of generic text and no proof. Add specifics, photos and answers.

Mistake six: copied text from a manufacturer or competitor. Duplicate content adds nothing, so write your own.

Experience mistakes

Mistake seven: a site that is slow or hard to use on a phone, though most local searches happen on mobile. Test your pages on a real device. Mistake eight: hiding the phone number or form. A visitor ready to call should find the number without hunting.

Mistake nine: no tracking of calls and forms, so you cannot tell what works. Even a simple log helps. Mistake ten: expecting results in a few weeks and abandoning effort too soon, or on the other hand, paying for months of vague work without any reports.

How to fix them in order

Start with anything that blocks visitors or search engines. Next, correct inconsistent business details. Then improve service pages one at a time, starting with the one that earns the most. Add tracking before and after each change so you can see the effect.

Set aside two hours a month for upkeep. Keep a log of changes with dates.

Not owning your domain, hosting or profile logins is a serious risk, and so is signing a long contract without a clear scope. Insist on access to every account in your own name. Ask what will be done each month and how it will be reported.

A first-hour self-check

Open your site on a phone and try to call the business within ten seconds. Search your business name and check that the profile shows correct hours, phone and address. Search for your main service with a place name and see whether a service page of yours appears. Open the page source of the home page and make sure there is no instruction telling search engines to stay away.

Then open your analytics and confirm that form and call events are recorded. If any one of these steps fails, you have found a high-value fix. Most owners discover at least two problems in the first hour. Write them down and fix them one at a time, starting with whatever stops customers from reaching you.

Repeat this check every quarter, and after any website change.

Ask for evidence

Whenever someone recommends a change, ask what problem it solves, how you will know it worked, and what happens if you wait. A good answer is specific and measurable. A vague answer about authority or signals is a cue to ask more questions before spending anything.

Common questions

This guide is general information. Search engines change how they work and their guidelines; check Google's current documentation for your situation. Nobody can guarantee a ranking.