SEO basics
Why Google cannot tell what your business actually sells
2026-09-15
We reviewed a tradesperson’s site that opened with “Quality you can trust.” The photograph was neat. The phone number was there. But in the first few seconds, we could not tell whether he laid floors, repaired roofs, or sold materials. A person has to guess. Search has less to work with too.
This is not an invitation to stuff a page with keywords. Google recommends putting important information in text, not only in graphics. The aim is simpler: a visitor should understand the service, the place and the next step.
Google cannot read the intention behind a slogan
A search engine works from the page text, links and other signals. It cannot ask what you meant by a broad promise. When the only explanation sits inside a photograph, animation or vague line, it is harder to connect the page to a real question.
The visitor has the same problem. They did not arrive to judge the typeface. They arrived with a job to get done. The earlier they recognise their situation, the less likely they are to leave for the next result.
One service page cannot speak for every job
Many older sites have one page called Services. Seven different jobs sit on it beside one contact button. It is tidy for the business, but not for the person looking for one specific job.
A separate service page is not merely an SEO exercise. It gives you room to explain who it is for, how the work happens, what people ask and how to get in touch. If you have only two generic sentences, do not make a page yet. If you have real experience, put it into words.
A fifteen-minute check
Open your homepage in a private browser window. Ignore the logo and menu. Read the first heading and paragraph, then answer: what do we do, for whom, where, and what can this person do next?
If an answer depends on “it should be obvious from the photos”, begin with the words. Write one plain sentence in your own language. Not “end-to-end solutions”. Name the work you actually do.