The Real Reason Your Website Isn’t #1 (Yet)

We hear this question all the time from small business owners: “Why aren’t we at the top of Google?” It’s a fair question. Ranking higher can absolutely bring more traffic, but here’s the part most folks forget — if your site isn’t doing a good job once people land on it, those clicks won’t turn into customers.

As we like to say around here,

Your website should work as hard as your best salesperson, otherwise what’s the point?”

Why Your Competitors Might Be Outranking You

When another company shows up higher than you, it usually comes down to a handful of things Google pays attention to:

• They’ve been online longer. Longevity gives Google confidence.

• Their site structure is cleaner. Simple pages, clear headings, and logical navigation help Google understand what the site is about.

• They update content more often. Google loves a site that stays alive and relevant.

• Their content matches actual search terms. Not jargon — real phrases people type into the search bar.

• More trusted websites link back to them. Backlinks still carry big weight.

But here’s the thing: Google can’t actually see the quality of your team, your customer service, your talent, or your personality. It’s just scanning signals and making educated guesses. We often explain it like this:

Google’s not reading your whole story. It’s just skimming the chapter titles.

That’s why the mix of a strong website and steady SEO work matters.

So What Can You Do Right Now? (Easy Wins)

These are quick improvements that most small businesses can handle without a major rebuild:

1. Make sure every page has one clear topic. If a page tries to do too much, Google gets confused. Keep each page focused.

2. Add real, useful text to your homepage. A headline, a quick value statement, and a paragraph explaining who you serve and what makes you different.

3. Sprinkle keywords naturally. Think simple phrases like “Madison graphic designer” or “custom Squarespace websites.” Use them in headings and a few times in the body.

4. Add internal links. Link your pages to each other — Google reads those connections.

5. Check your site speed. A slow site will absolutely drag your ranking down. Compress images and remove old plugins or scripts.

6. Keep adding new content. A blog, a FAQs page, new project portfolios — anything that shows your site is active.

These little things alone can move the needle more than most folks expect.

And When You’re Ready for Bigger Gains…

At some point, you might want a deeper look. That’s where our Tingalls’ Website SEO Audit comes in. It’s one of our most popular services because it gives you a clear, simple roadmap.

We review your site the same way Google does: structure, keywords, content clarity, mobile layout, page speed, metadata, and overall user experience. Then we hand you a list of what’s working, what’s hurting you, and what to fix first.

Clients love it because it takes the guesswork out of SEO. No fluff, no jargon — just straightforward steps to improve your site’s visibility.

As we often remind folks:

SEO isn’t magic — it’s maintenance. And when you follow the right plan, the results show up.

If you’d like help tightening things up or want us to run the audit, just reach out. We’re here to make your website pull its weight!