A PLAIN GUIDE
First, next, and later
What a mountain business website audit usually finds
A website review looks for what is getting in a customer’s way, then puts the fixes in order.
Mark commonly sees a site that does not say what the business does, a finished site left untouched, old details, broad keywords, no Google Search Console, and a next step that is hard to find on a phone. The review turns what it finds on your site into a first, next, and later list. Verifying Search Console does not, by itself, improve rankings. Call (909) 443-2260.
- Start with the live site: when it was last updated, whether the facts are current, and whether they still match the owner’s goals.
- Check whether someone on a phone can find the service and call, visit, book, or ask.
- Look at whether important pages can be reached, whether titles say what the page is, and whether links work.
- Use Google Search Console when the owner already has it. Verifying the site does not, by itself, raise rankings.
- Write the fixes as first, next, and later, each with a purpose, then check again after the first round.
The ordered review of the site you already have is the website and technical SEO review.
The longer list of common mistakes, without repeating it here, is website mistakes small mountain businesses make.
What he commonly sees
One of the biggest mistakes is making visitors work too hard to understand what the business does. Someone arrives and sees a name, a design, or a large picture, and the service is still unclear. He wants people to recognize quickly that they are in the right place.
Another is treating a finished website as finished marketing. Search engines are on-ramps. The website is the destination. Hours, services, and seasonal details change, and the pages need to change with them.
He also sees broad keywords chosen without a clear customer, and marketing that the owner cannot follow. An owner should know which pages were created, what was updated, which problems were addressed, and why those tasks mattered.
Slow loading, confusing menus, outdated information, and difficult forms get in the way of the next step. He checks whether someone can find the service, read the information, and contact the business from a phone.
What the review looks at
The review starts with the public website you already have. Mark looks at when it was last updated, whether the information is accurate, whether it matches your goals, and whether it is easy to call, visit, book, or ask for information. He also looks at how people search for the business.
Real quick. You need a live URL. If you already use Google Search Console, access to that property helps investigate how Google is finding the site. Setting it up is useful. Verifying a site there does not, by itself, raise rankings. A sitemap helps Google find important pages. It does not replace useful content or a working site.
The technical checks cover a usable phone experience, whether important pages can be crawled, page titles, working links, and speed. Being reachable, being indexed, and being selected for an AI answer are different things. The job is to remove avoidable barriers.
When the main problem is a slow site, the guide is fixing a slow website.
First, next, and later
Findings are ordered by how much they get in a customer’s way, not by a promised Google position. Problems that hide the phone number, block a page, or send someone to a dead link come before tidy-up work. Each item should have a purpose.
A finished report is not finished marketing. After the first fixes, the same checks are repeated. Search Console and the sitemap help monitor how pages are handled. Changing a page is not a promise of more traffic. The owner should see what was found, what was fixed, and what comes next.
A new website is not the automatic answer. Many problems can be fixed on the site you have. If a rebuild makes sense, the pages that already work get kept. The public site is enough to start. You do not need to hand over the whole hosting account for a first review.
The service page, including a sample of how the fix list is written, is the website and technical SEO review.
Related
- Website and technical SEO review
- Website mistakes small mountain businesses make
- Fixing a slow website
- Web development
- How to tell which marketing is working
- Contact Mark Kendrick
Questions
What does a website audit usually find?
The issues Mark commonly sees are an unclear offer, a finished site left untouched, old details, broad keywords, no Google Search Console, and a next step that is hard to find on a phone. The review then lists what applies to your site, in the order to fix it.
Will Google Search Console raise my rankings by itself?
No. Verifying the site does not, by itself, improve rankings. It gives information to investigate problems, understand search activity, and guide improvements.
Do I need a new website if the audit finds problems?
Not always. The review comes first. Many problems can be fixed on the site you have. If a rebuild makes sense, pages that already work are kept.
What do you need from me to start?
Your website address. If you already use Google Search Console, access to it helps. You do not need to hand over the whole hosting account for a first review.
Is the fix list a ranking guarantee?
No. First, next, and later is the order of repairs, not a ranking promise. A sitemap helps Google find important pages. It does not replace useful content.
Want a first, next, and later list?
Tell Mark the website address and what you want more of. He can review the live site and say what to fix first.