5 Reasons you are not showing on the First page of Google (and how to fix it)
Showing on the first page of Google is the ultimate goal of any business; we all want to be found by searching customers. What’s the point of building your website or paying a developer to do you one and not being found when people look you up. In reality, if you have just launched your website, you have a lot to compete with, and Google will not prioritise your website immediately. These tips can help move you up the ladder and make search engines take you more seriously. 1. Your website is too slow On average, most web pages take about five or six seconds to load. Guess how long most users are going to stick around before they leave the page? -2-3 seconds. Yes that’s right! Most mobile users click away after 2 seconds on average. Having a slow website will not make people stick around. Google looks at the way people engage with your website by comparing people sticking around on your site versus “bouncing” right off, as a way to determine whether users find your site valuable. If your site appears to be valuable, it will rank higher. If users aren’t willing to stick around for your page to load, they won’t have an opportunity to see the value that you offer, and search engines will likely negatively impact your rankings accordingly. One way to check this is to check a free website speed tool and identify if your site is loading slow. Usually if it is the culprit could be large images, too many scripts or plugins. The solution: Optimise your images and scripts. Remove any unused plugins. Check that it’s optimised for mobile users. 2. Your website doesn’t have SSL Ever wondered what the little padlock in your browser next to the website’s domain name is? That’s an indicator that the website is encrypted by an SSL certificate. If you don’t see one (or if the lock is open/red), it may mean that you’re visiting the site over an insecure connection that anyone else can be “listening in” on. Whatever you do, make sure your website has SSL if you want search engines to take you seriously. SSL and HTTPS are crucial to prevent specific types of virtual threats, called man-in-the-middle attacks. These are situations where a hacker would be connected to your wifi network (for example, in a public café) and intercepting unencrypted data being transmitted between your website and your device. 3. You are not targeting the right keywords You’re going to have a hard time ranking if it’s not clear to search engines what questions you’re trying to answer . Your content needs to be clear enough so people can understand quickly what it is that you’re offering, not just site pages filled with cliché jargon. Be straight to the point and put what people would ideally search for. You need to think like a customer. For instance, if you are a Pizza shop in Cardiff, what most people would search for is “Pizza place, open in Cardiff” or “Hawaiian Pizza, Cardiff”. Try to think of keywords your ideal cutomer will search for, and weave them into your content. You can use online tools to find trending keywords in your industry. 4. Your Business page is not optimised Businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results. If your business info isn’t accurate, your Business Profile might not show up for relevant searches in your area. Make sure all your services and keywords are listed on your page and all your info is accurate. Post regularly on your business page to improve engagement. Invest in high-quality, professional images that are relevant to your business. Use images of your products, your team, or your customers to build trust and authenticity. 5. Ignoring Mobile Users More than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your homepage looks messy or is hard to navigate on a phone, you’re losing a huge portion of your potential audience. When you’re building or redesigning your website, always check it on a mobile device. Ensure that buttons are large enough to tap, text is easy to read, and the layout looks clean and professional. In Summary If you’re not on the first page of Google, it’s likely due to a combination of factors related to your website’s relevance, authority, usability, and the quality of its content. Improving your Google ranking requires a comprehensive strategy encompassing keyword optimization, content quality, user experience, backlinks, technical SEO, and local SEO. Remember, achieving a first-page ranking takes time and patience, with the right strategy, it’s a goal that’s well within your reach!
Don’t Make These 5 Mistakes on Your Homepage
The homepage is your website’s front door. It’s the first thing most people see, and it has to make a great impression fast. A mistake here can cause visitors to click away in seconds. You should definitely avoid these mistakes. 1. A Confusing Headline The headline is the most important piece of text on your homepage. It should instantly tell visitors who you are, what you do, and who you do it for. The Mistake: Your headline is either too clever, too generic, or simply missing. Phrases like “Your Future Awaits” or “We Do It All” don’t tell me what your business is about or why I should care. If a visitor has to read three paragraphs to figure out what you sell, you’ve already lost them. Write a clear, concise headline that gets straight to the point. A good formula is: “We help [your ideal customer] do [your service] so they can [achieve a positive result].” For example, “We help busy entrepreneurs build beautiful websites so they can attract more clients and grow their business.” 2. A Hidden Call to Action (CTA) Once a visitor understands what you offer, you need to tell them what to do next. This is where your call to action comes in. It’s the button or link that guides them to the next step, whether that’s “Buy Now,” “Contact Us,” or “Get a Free Quote.” If the button blends in with the background, or you have five different buttons all competing for attention, visitors won’t know where to click. Use a single, prominent CTA on your homepage. Make it a different color from the rest of your site so it stands out. 3. Too Much Text Your homepage isn’t a book. People who visit your website are in a hurry; they want to scan for information, not read a novel. A wall of text is overwhelming and will send visitors running for the back button. Break up your content into small, digestible chunks. Use bolded text to highlight key points, and use bullet points or numbered lists to make information easy to scan. 4. Poor Quality Images Your website’s visuals are just as important as the words. Low-quality images can make your business look unprofessional, outdated, or untrustworthy. Invest in high-quality, professional images that are relevant to your business. Use images of your products, your team, or your customers to build trust and authenticity. Always make sure your images are optimized for the web so they don’t slow down your page loading time. 5. Ignoring Mobile Users More than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your homepage looks messy or is hard to navigate on a phone, you’re losing a huge portion of your potential audience. When you’re building or redesigning your website, always check it on a mobile device. Ensure that buttons are large enough to tap, text is easy to read, and the layout looks clean and professional.
These Free Ai tools can improve your SEO
1. Google Search Console This is the most fundamental and essential free SEO tool, and it’s powered by Google’s own AI and machine learning algorithms. Think of this as a report card from Google. Every time someone uses Google to search for something, Google looks at all the websites, then sends you a note to say, “Hey, a bunch of people searched for ‘this service,’ and your business came up! But they didn’t click on it because your website wasn’t very clear.” It tells you: If there are any problems with your website, like a broken or confusing path, what words people typed to find you, and how healthy your website is. 2. SEOptimer SEOptimer provides a free, instant SEO audit for any website.You just enter a URL, and it provides a comprehensive report on your site’s on-page and technical SEO. It scores your site and identifies issues with meta tags, headings, content quality, and mobile usability, giving you a clear roadmap for on-page optimization. 3. PageSpeed Insights This tool from Google uses AI to analyze your website’s performance. This tool analyzes your site’s loading speed on both desktop and mobile and provides a list of actionable, AI-driven suggestions on how to improve its performance, from optimizing images to minifying code 4. Ubersuggest Ubersuggest, by Neil Patel, provides a good range of SEO tools for free. The free plan gives you a daily limit of keyword searches and an overall SEO analyzer for your website. It can suggest new content ideas, help you track your rankings, and provide a backlink report, giving you a quick overview of your SEO landscape. 5. Semrush Semrush is a comprehensive SEO suite, and its free plan offers valuable AI-powered features. You get limited access to its powerful keyword research tools, competitive analysis, and site audit features. You can get a daily quota of queries to check on keyword volume, difficulty, and get a quick health check of your website.
5 Simple SEO Tips to Get Your Business Found on Google in 2025
Having a beautiful website in 2025 isn’t enough. You need to make sure it’s working for you, and that means getting it in front of the people who are looking for your services. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. Here are five simple SEO tips you can start using today. 1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile This is arguably the most important step for any local business. Your Google Business Profile is a free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. Make sure your business name, address, phone number (NAP), and website are exactly the same everywhere. Inconsistencies can confuse Google. Upload high-quality pictures of your work, your team, and your premises. Ask happy customers to leave you a review on Google. Responding to both positive and negative reviews shows you value customer feedback. Create regular posts on your profile about new projects, special offers, or company news. This keeps your profile active and sends a signal to Google that your business is open and thriving. 2. Research and Use Keywords Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google to find what they’re looking for. Using the right ones on your website is crucial. Think Like a Customer: What would your ideal client search for to find your business? For example, instead of just “cleaning services,” they might search for “cleaners in Cardiff” or “move out cleaning in Newport”. Weave these keywords into your website’s content, including your page titles, headings, and paragraphs. The goal is to make it sound natural, not forced. Make sure to include location-specific terms like “Cleaning Wales,” “Affordable cleaners Newport,” or “South Wales cleaners.” 3. Create Quality Content Google’s top priority is to provide users with the most helpful and relevant information. By creating valuable content, you’re not only helping your audience but also showing Google that you are an authority in your field. Start a Blog: A blog is a fantastic way to create content. Write about topics your customers care about. Think about the common questions you get from clients. Turn those questions into blog posts or FAQ pages. 4. Improve Your Website’s Speed No one likes a slow website. If your site takes too long to load, visitors will leave, and Google will notice. A fast website provides a better user experience and can lead to a higher ranking. Large image files are often the main reason for a slow website. Use an image compression tool to reduce their size without sacrificing quality. Your website’s hosting service can affect its speed. Ensure you’re with a reliable provider. Make it Mobile-Friendly: A fast website on a desktop might be slow on a mobile device. Google now prioritizes mobile-first indexing, so your site must perform well on smartphones and tablets. 5. Write Compelling Meta Titles and Descriptions The meta title and description are the snippets of text that appear on the Google search results page. They are your first opportunity to get a click. Keep it Concise: Your title should be around 60 characters and your description around 160 characters. Any longer and Google will cut them off. Use Keywords: Include your main keyword in both the title and description, as it makes your result more relevant to the search query. Write an “Ad”: Think of these as a mini-advertisement for your page. Write a clear, engaging sentence that tells the user exactly what to expect when they click and why they should choose you. By focusing on these five simple tips, you can lay a strong foundation for your online presence and start attracting more of the right customers to your business. Ready to get found online? Our specialty is building beautiful, functional websites that are designed to get you noticed