if you run a small business — dental practice, accounting firm, physio clinic, real estate agency — and you're not showing up on google when people search for your services, there are probably a few specific technical issues on your website causing it.
i scanned over 1,000 small business websites across australia and found the same problems over and over.
the top 5 issues killing your google ranking
1. missing meta descriptions
what it is: the 160-character summary that appears under your title in google search results.
how common: 67% of small business sites i scanned were missing meta descriptions on at least one page.
the fix: add a unique, keyword-rich meta description to every page. for a dentist: "Affordable family dental care in Geelong. Emergency appointments, cosmetic dentistry, and preventive checkups. Book online today."
2. images without alt text
what it is: descriptive text that tells google what your images show.
how common: 73% of sites had images missing alt text.
the fix: add descriptive alt text to every image. not "IMG_2847.jpg" but "dental clinic reception area in ballarat."
3. no heading structure
what it is: your page should have one H1 tag (main title) and organized H2/H3 subheadings.
how common: 45% of sites had broken heading hierarchy — multiple H1 tags or skipped heading levels.
the fix: one H1 per page with your main keyword. use H2 for sections, H3 for subsections.
4. missing SSL certificate
what it is: the padlock icon and https:// in your URL. google penalizes sites without it.
how common: 12% of sites still running on http.
the fix: install an SSL certificate. most hosting providers offer free ones through Let's Encrypt.
5. no schema markup
what it is: structured data that helps google understand your business — name, address, phone, hours, reviews.
how common: 81% of small business sites had no schema markup.
the fix: add LocalBusiness schema to your homepage. google's structured data markup helper makes this easy.
scan your own site
i built a free chrome extension that checks all 10 of these factors in 10 seconds:
free SEO scanner chrome extension
click the icon on any page, get instant results. the free version shows your score. the pro version ($9) gives detailed fix recommendations.
want us to fix it for you?
if you'd rather have someone handle the technical SEO:
- free website audit — we'll scan your site and send you the report
- managed SEO service — ongoing optimization
most of these fixes take under an hour and can dramatically improve where you show up in local google searches.
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