Confessions of a Website Designer: The Real Reasons Your Site Isn’t Showing Up on Google
Let’s be honest for a second: I’ve seen behind the curtain of a lot of small business websites. And here’s what I can tell you with total confidence—most of the time, when a site isn’t showing up on Google, it’s not because the business isn’t great. It’s because no one gave the website the SEO strategy, technical foundation, and content structure it needed to compete in the search results.
I’m going to walk you through the real (and fixable) reasons your website might be invisible online, based on what I see all the time. If you’re serious about showing up when someone Googles your service or business, start here.
Your Homepage Has Zero SEO Strategy
Here’s a dirty little secret: many homepages look great but say nothing to Google. They’re filled with vague phrases like “Welcome to our site!” or “We’re here to help!” — but they never mention the actual service, city, or keywords someone would type into Google.
Your homepage needs to clearly state:
Who you are
What you do
Where you do it
And why people should trust you
If you’re a plumber in Joplin, MO, your homepage should say “Residential and Commercial Plumbing in Joplin, MO” not just “Quality You Can Count On.” Strategic use of keywords on your homepage is the foundation of solid search engine optimization. Without it, Google won’t know who you are or where to rank you.
You’re Not Creating Content Google Can Index (Or Understand)
I know blogging can feel like a chore. But if your website doesn’t have any written content, Google has almost nothing to crawl. Pages with well-structured keyword-rich content, headers, and internal links are critical for SEO success.
Think of every blog post and service page as a new opportunity to rank for another keyword. Want to show up when people search “best wedding photographer in Springfield”? You need a page that says exactly that—and offers helpful, original information.
Even better? Google rewards content that’s regularly updated. So keep things fresh. Add blog posts. Expand your FAQs. Rewrite outdated pages. If Google sees activity, it sees authority.
You’ve Got Technical Issues Killing Your SEO Behind the Scenes
Now let’s get into the stuff you don’t see—but Google definitely does.
⚠️ Your images might be too large, slowing your load time.
⚠️ Your site might be missing alt text, which helps with accessibility and SEO.
⚠️ Your mobile version might be clunky, and Google now uses mobile-first indexing.
⚠️ You might not even have a sitemap submitted to Google Search Console.
All of these things affect your search engine performance. Technical SEO isn’t glamorous, but it’s crucial. Even one broken link or slow-loading page can hurt your Google ranking. A well-maintained, fast, and clean-coded site wins every time.
You’re Not Targeting Local Search (Even If You Should Be)
If you’re a service-based or location-specific business, local SEO is your best friend—and most people ignore it completely. I’ve seen gorgeous sites with zero mentions of the city they serve. That means when someone types in “dentist near me” or “Joplin web designer,” they’re not going to show up—no matter how good they are.
Here’s what you need:
Your city and service clearly mentioned on every key page
A fully optimized Google Business Profile
Consistent business listings (Name, Address, Phone) across all directories
Local content that positions you as the go-to expert in your area
If you’re not showing up in local results, it’s probably because Google can’t tell you’re a local business.
You Don’t Have Enough Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Believe it or not, lack of CTAs can impact your Google rankings too. Google watches how people interact with your site. If visitors land and bounce because they don’t know what to do next, that sends a signal your site isn’t valuable.
Strong CTAs like “Book a Free Consultation,” “Call Now,” or “Get Your Quote” keep users engaged—and longer engagement improves dwell time, which boosts SEO.
Every page should give the visitor a clear next step. Don’t leave them guessing.
You Haven’t Built Any Links (But Your Competitors Have)
If content is king, links are the royal court. Google treats links from other sites as votes of confidence. The more high-quality websites linking to yours, the more Google trusts your content—and the higher it ranks your pages.
You don’t need 10,000 backlinks. But you do need a few:
Directory listings
Guest blog mentions
Local partnerships
Testimonials on other business sites
Start small. Reach out to partners or vendors and ask them to link to you. Every little bit helps.
You’re Not Tracking Anything, So You Don’t Know What’s Working
If you don’t have Google Analytics and Google Search Console set up, you’re flying blind. You have no idea where traffic is coming from, what pages are performing, or what keywords are actually driving clicks.
Tracking lets you double down on what’s working—and fix what’s not. It also helps you spot when Google changes affect your traffic. These tools are free, and setting them up takes less than an hour. You’ve got no excuse not to.
Ready to Show Up on Google? Here’s Your Action Plan
Improving your Google search ranking isn’t about hacks or secrets—it’s about doing the basics consistently well.
✅ Add clear, keyword-rich content to your homepage
✅ Create service pages and blog posts that match real search queries
✅ Fix technical issues and improve your site speed
✅ Optimize your site for mobile
✅ Use local SEO tactics to dominate your area
✅ Add strong CTAs and track user behavior
✅ Build real backlinks and monitor your progress
Want help with any of that? That’s what I do. Let’s make sure your website doesn’t just exist—it shows up, gets clicked, and drives business.
