Running a small business often means juggling a million things at once. Marketing, operations, sales, it’s a lot. So, when it comes to SEO, it’s understandable that some corners get cut or mistakes creep in. But the trouble is, Google doesn’t hand out free passes. One wrong move could mean your site ends up on page five instead of page one.
At Total SEO, we’ve worked with thousands of UK businesses across all industries. We’ve seen the same five mistakes come up time and time again. The good news? They’re all fixable. Here’s what to watch out for and what to do instead.
- Ignoring Keyword Research
You might know your business inside out, but that doesn’t mean you know what your potential customers are searching for. There’s often a gap between how business owners describe their services and how people look for them online.
The mistake: Writing website content or blog posts based purely on instinct or personal preferences, without checking what real people are typing into Google.
Why it matters: If your wording doesn’t match search intent, you won’t rank, even if your content is good. For example, someone searching for “emergency plumber in Leeds” won’t find your site if you’re only using phrases like “local drainage specialist.”
The fix: Use proper keyword research tools to find out what your audience is searching for. Tools like Google Keyword Planner are a good start. Better yet, let an SEO agency such as ourselves do the heavy lifting. Once you know the right keywords, build your pages around them naturally and clearly.
- Having a Slow Website
In a world where people expect everything now, a slow website is a dealbreaker. It affects not only your user experience but also your search rankings.
The mistake: Large images, bloated plugins, clunky themes or cheap hosting dragging your site’s speed down.
Why it matters: A site that takes more than a couple of seconds to load will lose visitors. Google also uses page speed as a ranking factor, especially on mobile.
The fix: Compress your images, reduce the number of plugins, and avoid overly complicated design elements. Make sure your site is hosted on a fast, secure server. Google’s PageSpeed Insights is a great tool to test your site’s current speed and see where it can be improved. At Total SEO, we run full technical audits that uncover hidden speed problems and fix them fast.
- Missing or Duplicate Meta Titles and Descriptions
Every page on your site needs a purpose, and that purpose should be clearly communicated to both Google and your visitors. Your meta title and description are the first thing people see in search results, so treat them like a shopfront.
The mistake: Leaving meta titles blank, copying the same one across multiple pages, or stuffing them with keywords.
Why it matters: If Google can’t tell what a page is about, it won’t know when to show it. If users see a vague or unappealing title in search results, they won’t click.
The fix: Write a unique title and description for each page, focusing on the main keyword and a clear benefit. For example, instead of “Home – Smith Heating,” go with “Reliable Heating Engineers in Brighton – Smith Heating.” This tells both Google and your customers exactly what you offer and where.
- Forgetting About Mobile Users
More than half of all online browsing in the UK now happens on mobile devices. If your website doesn’t work properly on a phone, you’re not just frustrating users, you’re telling Google your site isn’t up to scratch.
The mistake: Designing your site only for desktop, or not checking how it looks and functions on different screen sizes.
Why it matters: Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means it looks at your mobile site to decide how to rank your content. If your menus are hard to tap, your text is too small or your layout breaks on phones, your rankings could suffer.
The fix: Make sure your website is fully responsive. That means it adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes. Test your site on phones, tablets and different browsers. If anything looks off or loads slowly, get it sorted. We can run a mobile usability audit and help fix layout and functionality issues behind the scenes.
- Publishing Content Without a Strategy
Posting the occasional blog post or service update is better than nothing, but without a plan, you’re missing huge opportunities to bring in targeted traffic.
The mistake: Creating content with no real goal, direction or consistency.
Why it matters: Content that’s not tied to your SEO goals won’t help your visibility. For example, writing a blog called “Top 10 Tools We Like” might be fun, but if no one is searching for it, it won’t get traffic.
The fix: Create a proper content plan that focuses on keywords, customer questions and search trends. Aim to answer specific problems your audience has. For example, “How to Fix a Leaky Tap Without Calling a Plumber” is far more useful and more likely to rank than a generic post about your company’s history.
Want to Rank Higher Without the Guesswork?
SEO doesn’t need to be confusing or overwhelming, not when you’ve got the right help. At Total SEO, we work closely with small businesses across the UK to clean up technical errors, boost rankings and bring in more traffic that actually converts.
If any of these mistakes sound familiar, don’t worry. We’ve seen it all before, and we know how to fix it. Get in touch today and let’s take a proper look at your website. One quick chat could be the start of better rankings, more enquiries and a lot less SEO stress.
