Want to Fix Your Website SEO? Give Google What It Wants

In this session of Let’s Fix Your Website, in partnership with the San Francisco Small Business Development Center and San Francisco Public Library, we went through multiple audits of local businesses. I want you to understand how Google views your site so you can give it what it wants. The beauty of SEO is that once something is working, you can keep getting more out of it.

Let’s get started!

Convection Kitchen

The website https://www.convectionkitchen.com/, centered around teaching users how to effectively use convection ovens, is currently in its early stages of growth. It has gradually gained traction, but it still faces challenges in driving significant traffic.

The website is built on Wix, which, while user-friendly, is not ideal for SEO. Wix’s limitations in terms of customization and optimization are holding back the website’s potential for growth.

According to recent data, the website averages around 300 visitors per month—about 10 visitors daily, with occasional spikes of 15 or more. Despite the steady rise in traffic, the site has not yet reached its desired goals in terms of user engagement or conversion. 

The website also faces competition in the convection oven space. While the content offers a good starting point, it struggles to stand out in a saturated market, especially when compared to larger, more established websites that rank higher on search engines.

Currently, the website ranks in 13th position for the keyword “convection oven steak,” placing it on the second page of Google search results. This indicates a need for more targeted strategies to boost visibility and traffic.

They have considered several methods to generate revenue, although the business model is still evolving. One approach involves leveraging a YouTube channel to drive traffic and build a following.

However, despite these efforts, there is still uncertainty about how to effectively monetize the site, as traffic remains low and the necessary infrastructure for conversion (such as a payment gateway) is not yet in place.

One of the key challenges is the website’s low domain rating (DR), which currently sits at 2. Websites with higher DRs have more backlinks and rank more easily on search engines, driving more organic traffic. This website has just 86 backlinks, many of which are nofollow links, meaning they don’t pass authority to the site. This lack of “link juice” significantly hampers the site’s SEO performance.

Recommendations

One of the most immediate changes Larissa should consider is migrating the site from Wix to WordPress. 

Larissa, being the expert in convection ovens, has significant potential to drive traffic through her personal branding. Leveraging her expertise and personality, particularly through video content, could help create a more relatable and authoritative presence on the website.

Larissa already has a YouTube channel with several videos on convection cooking. One video, “Introduction to Convection Cooking,” has garnered 45,000 views, showing that there is interest in the topic. She should focus on creating more content based on popular videos that have already attracted traffic. 

To improve search engine rankings, Larissa should focus on building a stronger backlink profile. This can be done by reaching out to other relevant websites, offering guest posts, and collaborating with industry influencers. 

Google’s “People Also Ask” feature suggests several related questions that could be addressed through new content. Larissa should create articles or short one-minute videos answering these queries, such as “Can you cook meat in a convection oven?” or “How do I sear a steak in a convection oven?” 

While the website is still in the early stages, implementing Google AdSense or other advertising networks could be a way to start generating revenue.

 Additionally, offering premium content through paid subscriptions, such as exclusive cooking classes or tips on convection oven usage, can help monetize the site further.

Larissa currently uses basic Google Analytics, but there are more advanced tools available that can provide deeper insights into user behavior and website performance. Implementing retargeting ads through platforms like Facebook or Google Ads can help recapture visitors who did not convert the first time they visited the website.

Uptown Dry Cleaners

Currently, the website Uptown Dry Cleaners seems to be underperforming or even non-functional, and it appears there are multiple websites created for the business, making it difficult to identify a clear, active online presence. Miga D., the owner mentioned that one of the websites—Uptown Cleaners SF—is not performing well, and there are multiple versions of the site that might be causing confusion.

The website lacks clarity in content and functionality. Despite the business’s A+ rating, this reputation isn’t reflected online due to the website’s issues. Multiple versions of the site are live, causing a fragmented online presence.

Confusion over billing, hosting, and website ownership has contributed to these problems. There are fundamental issues that need to be addressed for the website to support business growth. The current approach of having multiple non-functional websites should be simplified.

Recommendations

Consolidate efforts into a single, well-maintained website. Choose the most promising existing site and remove the other versions to avoid confusion.

Create powerful short videos about services, garment care tips, and customer stories to build trust.

Write articles or blogs on dry cleaning issues and garment care to attract customers

Showcase positive customer experiences to build credibility.

Use a clean, simple design with easy navigation, making it easy for customers to find services, pricing, and contact information.

Optimize for local SEO by using relevant keywords, updating Google My Business, and listing on local directories.

Ensure a reliable hosting platform for uptime and fast loading speeds, which improves user experience and SEO.

Make sure the website is mobile-friendly, with a responsive design that adjusts to different devices for seamless browsing.

Glite Glow

Julie Batumein, the owner of the beauty products website https://gliteglow.com/, plans to launch it on Shopify. Currently, the site is unpublished. The website offers a standard e-commerce experience, featuring a banner with a coupon at the top. However, it faces the challenge of competing against major platforms like Amazon, where numerous options for beauty products already exist. This makes it crucial to create a unique brand identity to stand out and draw customers.

Recommendations

To differentiate the website from competitors, the owner should build a personal brand by sharing her story. Customers need a reason to choose her products over others, so sharing insights into the inspiration behind her business, her experience with beauty products, or any unique benefits her products offer will help establish credibility and trust.

An effective way to approach this could be to emphasize why its products are ideal for specific skin types, sensitivities, or preferences, drawing on her personal experiences or expertise.

Create powerful short videos sharing beauty tips or highlight product features in a selfie format. These videos can focus on skin care routines, makeup tips, or the benefits of her products. 

Leveraging platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which favor quick, engaging video content, will help her reach a broader audience. She should post regularly, and then boost top-performing posts using ads to drive traffic to her website.

Involve friends, customers, or community influencers in creating similar short videos with beauty tips, makeup tutorials, or testimonials. 

Share her videos across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The aim is to maximize exposure and maintain a consistent brand message across these channels.

To streamline the purchasing process, consider activating Instagram Shopping or TikTok Shopping. This will allow users to explore and buy products directly from the posts, creating a smoother, more immediate shopping experience.

By using TikTok ads, extend the content’s reach and engage potential customers who are interested in beauty tips. Running ads that feel like natural content, such as tutorials or skincare advice, is likely to appeal more to users than traditional ads.

1st Class Signature Service & Mobile Fingerprinting

Lisa Duffy’s website get1stclassservice.com, relatively new at a few months old, starts with an instant popup as visitors arrive. It prominently advertises “first-class service” and mobile notary and fingerprinting services in Elk Grove. 

Lisa’s business operates without a physical office location, making her Google My Business (GMB) profile crucial for local SEO. Her GMB profile, currently with four reviews, is partially optimized, but she’s facing issues with maintaining a professional profile photo. This photo periodically reverts to an undesired image, impacting the profile’s credibility.

The website, built on GoDaddy’s website builder, may face some limitations in flexibility but serves as a stable platform for now as Lisa prepares to launch her fingerprinting services. 

Recommendations

Fix the GMB profile photo to ensure a professional and consistent image that strengthens her brand credibility. 

Additionally, gathering high-quality reviews will help her stand out in a competitive landscape where many mobile notary services have few reviews.

Replace stock images on the website with actual photos or videos that showcase Lisa’s work with real clients. This could include moments like arriving at an appointment or reflecting on recent client interactions (with permission). 

Add content related to fingerprinting services, including legal guidelines, compliance requirements, and addressing common client questions. 

Develop short one-minute video content that showcases day-to-day activities, like client interactions or milestone moments, and share these on Google My Business, YouTube, and other social media platforms. 

List her business on local directories where her competitors are already visible, such as Yellow Pages and Blogspot, to improve her online authority. Establish connections with local businesses, especially mortgage brokers who regularly require notary and fingerprinting services, to generate high-quality referrals for her brand.

Around the Block Moto Adventures

The website aroundtheblockmotoadventures.com has been around since 2013 without a significant update, making it feel outdated. The lack of a favicon and non-secure status further detract from its professionalism. 

The website uses an outdated hosting provider (One and One, now known as Ionos). It also lacks a sitewide SSL certificate, resulting in a “Not Secure” warning for visitors. This affects user trust and search engine performance, as SSL is now a standard for all websites, even those without direct sales.

The website’s SEO performance shows some positive keyword rankings in motorcycle tours and rentals, like “top Iquitos motorcycle tours” and “Yamaha Tenere 250.” However, the site has low authority, with a Domain Rating of 3 and a URL Rating of 17, likely due to a lack of high-quality backlinks.

It has 386 backlinks from 66 domains but still gets only 88 visits from organic searches across 202 keywords. Content is extensive and in a long format on a single page rather than being split into separate, relevant sections. 

The website does have video content, but it lacks a central, comprehensive video that explains the adventure process compellingly and cohesively.

Recommendations

Consider updating the website design to reflect a more modern, user-friendly layout. Incorporate a favicon and fix the SSL issue to improve site security and user trust.

Focus on building better backlinks. Target keywords related to motorcycle tours in Peru and South America. Update page titles, and meta descriptions, and add relevant keywords to increase the site’s visibility in search results, attracting new clients beyond referrals.

Obtain a sitewide SSL certificate, which can be done at no cost through providers like Let’s Encrypt or Ionos. This ensures all pages are secure and improves Google rankings and user trust.

Break down the extensive content into dedicated pages for specific topics (e.g., Trip Planning, Safety Guidelines, Pricing, Testimonials). Use headers, subheadings, and bullet points to make the information easier to navigate.

Create short videos that highlight the entire adventure process, including customization options, length variations, and safety tips. 

Compile frequently shared information (e.g., border crossing protocols, safety guidelines) into a downloadable guide. 

Add a “Read and Sign” agreement option where customers acknowledge they have reviewed the materials to reduce liability and streamline onboarding.

Introduce a lightweight CRM (like HubSpot or Keap) to help with client management, especially for document signing, agreement confirmations, and follow-up reminders.

El Hornito Pan Pizza

The website https://elhornitopizza.com/ is built on Wix, which creates mobile usability issues. Users on mobile devices (e.g., iPhone 12) have to pinch and scroll to read text, creating a poor user experience.

While the website has links to Instagram and Facebook, social media posting is infrequent. Lack of regular activity limits engagement and reduces opportunities to drive more traffic through platforms like Yelp and Google Reviews.

The restaurant has some positive reviews, but the most recent one is outdated. This gap in review frequency could impact customer trust and search engine visibility.

There is limited cross-posting of customer feedback across different platforms, which could help reinforce the brand across channels.

Currently, the site has only one video from over a year ago. Core details like Maps, Directions, Menu, and Hours are present but not highlighted. Important information like address and phone number is not prominently displayed, which makes navigation harder for users.

Recommendations

Increase the frequency of posts on Instagram, Facebook, and other social channels. Regular posting will enhance engagement and drive more traffic to platforms like Yelp and Google Reviews.

Actively prompt customers to leave reviews and share these across social platforms, including Google My Business, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Post more videos showcasing the restaurant, menu items, and customer stories. 

Highlight essential information—maps, directions, menu, and hours—more prominently on the homepage. Increase the visibility of the address and phone number for easy access, especially on mobile devices.

Consider moving to a platform with better mobile optimization. 

Set up a “customer wall” to encourage the sharing of experiences and stories, enhancing community engagement. Avoid incentivized reviews to remain compliant with platform guidelines.

Valentino Tours

The website https://valentinotours.com/ is on WordPress but lacks substantial content, which affects search ranking. Currently, it doesn’t rank for any keywords or appear in search results.

The homepage lacks clarity on the services offered by Valentino Tours. While images are present, there’s little context, leaving visitors unsure of what the company offers (e.g., tours, transportation, or general sightseeing).

The website has an option to enter an email, but there’s no incentive or reason given for why users should sign up. Without a compelling offer, users are unlikely to provide their contact information.

The site primarily links to Facebook but does not explain why users should follow or interact with Valentino Tours on social media.

Valentino Tours has a minimal presence on Google My Business and lacks social proof, such as reviews or testimonials. This is crucial for local businesses aiming to stand out in competitive markets like San Francisco tourism.

Recommendations

Add clear descriptions and images of tour services offered by Valentino Tours. Include information on different tour packages, unique selling points, and types of transportation (e.g., SUVs, luxury vans).

Create a blog or content section targeting specific interests, such as “10 Hidden Gems in San Francisco” or “Top Spots for Golden Gate Bridge Photos.” This can attract organic traffic by appealing to tourists looking for local insights.

Offer a lead magnet, like “The Top 10 Spots in San Francisco Most Tourists Miss,” to encourage email sign-ups. This can turn casual site visitors into potential customers by providing them with something valuable.

Instead of just linking to Facebook, integrate social proof by embedding Facebook or Instagram posts featuring past customers’ testimonials and trip highlights.

Run targeted social media ads aimed at tourists or locals in San Francisco looking for unique tour experiences.

Optimize the Google My Business listing by adding photos, services, and recent reviews. Encourage happy clients to leave reviews, emphasizing customer experiences to build credibility and attract more leads.

Frequently update Google My Business with posts or promotions, like “5% off your first tour,” to boost engagement and visibility on local searches.

Include high-quality images of the vehicle fleet used for tours, emphasizing comfort, safety, and luxury to appeal to high-end clients.

Add a section introducing the team, especially the tour guides and drivers, to personalize the business and build trust. For example, include a short bio for Alex, detailing his years of experience and passion for showing the best of San Francisco to visitors.

Encourage returning participants to share Google Analytics data and review Google My Business performance to identify areas for improvement.

Publish guest blog posts or summaries of key webinar takeaways, which can help the site rank better on Google for relevant SEO topics.

By implementing these strategies, these websites can enhance their online presence, build trust with potential customers, and drive more organic traffic.

Ready to take your website to the next level? Join Office Hours now for expert insights and actionable tips. 

Stay tuned—I’m always sharing more valuable insights to help you attract more customers.