Practical advice for UK small businesses
SEO audit: find what is stopping your business being found
An SEO audit checks whether search engines can find your pages, understand what they offer and show them for relevant searches. Start by separating an indexing problem from a content or competition problem; each needs a different fix.
By GrowthCheck · Updated 12 September 2026
Why isn’t my website ranking on Google?
A page may be missing from the index, answering the wrong question or competing with more useful pages. A low position alone does not identify the cause. Search for the service you actually sell and compare the type of results: local listings, product pages and advice articles serve different needs.
For example, a decorator’s homepage saying only “quality solutions” gives a visitor less useful information than a service page explaining interior painting, preparation, service area and how to request a quote. Improve the explanation before repeating the same keyword throughout the page.
How do I know if my website has SEO problems?
- Check indexing first. Use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection on an important service page. Check the reported canonical and indexing status before changing copy.
- Read the title and main heading. They should identify the service and, when relevant, the genuine area you cover. Give different services distinct titles.
- Follow your own links. Can a visitor reach that service from the homepage through ordinary links? Repair broken destinations and link relevant advice back to the service.
- Answer the buying questions. Explain who the service suits, what is included, what happens next and any real limitations. Do not publish a new page for every keyword variation.
- Review results over time. Compare impressions, clicks and relevant enquiries after changes. Rankings vary; a single search on your own phone is not a reliable trend.
What should a small business SEO audit include?
Review crawl access, status codes, canonical URLs, titles, headings, internal links and content usefulness. Check mobile usability and performance alongside these foundations. For local businesses, review whether service areas and contact details agree with the business’s real operations.
Keep a short record: affected page, evidence, suggested fix and how you will verify it. “Change the plumbing page title to describe the service” is actionable; “improve SEO” is not. See the local SEO guide for location-specific checks and the performance guide for speed evidence.
Can I get a free SEO audit from GrowthCheck?
The free check assesses visible signals on your submitted homepage, including SEO basics. It returns an automated first-pass report with category scores, issues, positives and a priority action. It does not crawl every page, inspect your Search Console account, measure rankings or analyse backlinks.
A useful next step is to run the homepage check, then apply the checklist above to one important service page. The £99 GrowthCheck Full Website Audit covers broader website issues; it is not available to buy yet. No audit can promise a particular Google position.
What should I fix first?
Start with an important page that cannot be reached or indexed when it should be public. Next clarify the service and next step, then improve supporting content and links. After each change, check the live page and record the date so you can compare meaningful periods in Search Console.
If visits are arriving but enquiries are not, use the enquiry troubleshooting guide; extra traffic may not solve a broken contact journey.
Further guidance: Google’s SEO Starter Guide.
Turn the first check into a useful next step
Run the free automated homepage check, read the limitations alongside the findings and choose one priority to investigate. See the fictional sample report or the £99 full audit for the wider direction.