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If you're a small business owner, you've probably spent a fair amount of time building and maintaining your website. But despite all your efforts, you might notice that it’s not ranking as high in search results as you'd like.
So, why isn’t your website ranking? More importantly, what can you do to fix it? The answer lies in Search Engine Optimisation (also known as SEO).
SEO can feel like a mystery at times, especially with so many factors influencing rankings.
In this blog, we'll dive into common reasons why small business websites struggle to rank higher and how you can fix them by integrating reviews and best practices for local SEO.
1. Your website isn’t optimised for local SEO
Local SEO is crucial for small businesses that want to show up in searches made by customers in their area. If you’re not optimising your site for local search, it’s unlikely you’ll rank well, especially when potential customers are searching for “best plumber near me” or “electrician in Auckland.”
How to fix it:
- Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile: Your Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful local SEO tools you have. Make sure all your information is up-to-date, including your name, address, phone number (NAP), business hours, and website. Additionally, add photos, respond to customer reviews, and post updates regularly.
- Use local keywords: Use location-based keywords throughout your website—on your homepage, service pages, and blog posts. There are a bunch of free keyword research tools to help you identify what your potential customers are searching for online.
2. You don't have enough reviews
Reviews play a massive role in how your business ranks in local search results. Google uses reviews not just to judge your reputation but also to determine relevance and trustworthiness.
If you don’t have enough reviews—or worse, you have a lot of negative reviews—it could be hurting your SEO.
How to fix it:
- Encourage reviews from customers: Ask your happy customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile, as well as on other review platforms that matter for your industry (e.g. NoCowboys and Facebook).
- Automate review requests with betterbunch: betterbunch makes it easy to automatically send review requests to your customers via email or SMS. The more positive reviews you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in local search results.
- Respond to your reviews: Google also looks at how businesses engage with reviews. Responding to positive and negative reviews shows that you care about customer feedback and helps build trust.
3. Your website isn’t mobile-friendly
Did you know that more than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices? If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, Google may penalise it by ranking it lower, even if the rest of your site is perfect.
People expect websites to load quickly and display properly on their smartphones, so a poor mobile experience can drive potential customers away.
How to fix it:
- Responsive design: Make sure your website uses responsive design, meaning it automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. This is especially important for mobile users, who will leave your site if it’s difficult to navigate.
- Improve page speed: Google also factors page speed into rankings. Slow-loading websites are a major ranking killer. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to check your website’s speed and find ways to make it faster.
4. Your content isn’t high-quality or relevant
Content is king in SEO. If your website’s content is thin, outdated, or irrelevant to what your potential customers are searching for, it won’t help your rankings.
Google rewards websites that provide valuable, informative, and fresh content.
How to fix it:
- Create useful content: Focus on creating content that answers common questions and solves problems for your target audience. For example, write blog posts on topics like “How to Choose the Right Plumber in Auckland” or “5 Tips for Maintaining Your Lawn in Summer.”
- Update your content regularly: Google loves fresh content. Regularly update your website with blog posts, new service pages, or case studies to show that your site is active and relevant.
- Include long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords (e.g., “best electricians for home repairs in Nelson”) are less competitive and more specific to what your potential customers are searching for. These keywords can help your content rank higher in niche search results.
5. Your website is hard to navigate
User experience (UX) is a critical factor in SEO.
If visitors land on your website and find it difficult to navigate, or if it takes too long to load, they’re likely to leave quickly. Google takes this into account and may lower your ranking as a result.
How to fix it:
- Improve navigation: Make sure your website is easy to navigate, with a clear menu and intuitive layout. Visitors should be able to find the information they need in just a few clicks.
- Add clear calls to action: Whether it’s booking a service or contacting you for more information, make sure there are clear calls to action (CTAs) on every page of your site.
Integrating reviews and Local SEO best practices with betterbunch
Integrating reviews and local SEO best practices doesn’t have to be difficult.
With betterbunch, you can automate the process of collecting customer feedback and reviews, which can directly boost your local search rankings. betterbunch also helps streamline your Google Business Profile management, ensuring that all the key elements of your local SEO strategy are working together to drive results.
By combining high-quality content, optimised website design, and an ongoing review strategy, you’ll be well on your way to improving your search ranking and attracting more customers to your business.
Final thoughts
If your website isn’t ranking as high as you’d like, the solution likely lies in optimising for local SEO, improving your mobile experience, gathering more customer reviews, and ensuring your content is high-quality and relevant.
By integrating these elements, your small business can climb the ranks and become more visible to potential customers searching for your services.
Start making these changes today, and watch your website’s rankings improve! If you need help managing reviews and feedback, betterbunch is here to support you every step of the way.
