5 Website Mistakes That Make It Hard for Google to Find You

When business slows down in Charleston, it’s tempting to blame the season, tourism waves, or the idea that “Google just isn’t showing my site.” But more often, the real issue is much simpler: Google can’t tell what you offer, who you serve, or where your business is located.

If Google can’t understand you, it won’t show your website to the locals who genuinely need what you do — whether you’re a Charleston artist, maker, stylist, designer, creative studio, or small business owner.

Here are five common website mistakes that quietly drag down your visibility, plus how to fix each one.

1. Your Homepage Doesn’t Clearly Say What You Do or Where You Are

A beautiful homepage is great, but clarity always wins. If your site opens with something poetic like “Capturing your essence” but never states something simple and specific like:

“Random Portrait Studio is a Fine Art photography studio located in Imagineville, NC,”

Google can’t match you to local search terms.

Why this matters:

Google doesn’t make assumptions. If your homepage never says you’re a “Charleston branding designer” or “Mount Pleasant ceramic artist” or “Lowcountry creative studio,” Google won’t put you in front of people searching for those things.

What to do:

Add a clear, straightforward sentence at the top of your homepage that explains your service and location. It doesn’t have to be fancy — just helpful and direct.

2. Missing or Weak Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

If you don’t write these yourself, Google grabs random text from your page. And random text rarely encourages someone to click.

Why this matters:

Your page title and meta description are the first impression people see on Google. When Charleston locals search for things like “creative branding help,” “custom artwork Charleston,” or “Lowcountry portrait artist,” your title and description can determine whether they click your link or someone else’s.

What to do:

Give each page a descriptive title and a short, clear meta description that explains what the page is about and who it’s for. Make them specific and useful.

3. Your Pages Have Gorgeous Photos… but Almost No Text

Charleston creatives love a beautiful website — but Google doesn’t rank beauty alone. If your site is all images and almost no written content, Google has nothing to read and nothing to index.

Why this matters:

Google can’t see your photos. It reads your text to figure out if you're a Charleston calligrapher, muralist, photographer, designer, jewelry maker, or any other creative service provider.

What to do:

Add one short paragraph to each page answering:

• What service is this?

• Who is it for?

• Where do you offer it?

• Why is it valuable?

Short, clear copy builds trust with visitors and gives Google the information it needs to rank you.

4. Your Website Loads Too Slowly

Slow websites hurt your SEO and your user experience. A lot of Charleston small businesses unknowingly upload huge image files straight from their camera or phone, which can drag a site down.

Why this matters:

People don’t wait. If your page takes too long to load, they click away — and Google tracks that behavior.

What to do:

• Compress photos to around 250–350 KB

• Convert images to WebP when possible

• Avoid auto-play video backgrounds and oversized slideshows, especially on mobile

Your site will feel lighter, faster, and more welcoming.

5. Your Pages Don’t Link to Each Other

Internal linking is one of the easiest ways to improve your SEO, yet most local creatives overlook it.

Why this matters:

Google crawls your site through links. If nothing connects, Google can’t see the full picture — and visitors can’t navigate easily either.

What to do:

Add simple, helpful links such as:

• Service pages → Portfolio or Gallery

• Gallery → Contact or Booking

• Blog posts → Relevant services

• FAQ page → Pricing or Contact

These links help both your audience and Google understand your website flow.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need complicated SEO tricks or expensive tools to be more visible online. You just need clarity, consistency, and a website that communicates—clearly—what you offer to the Charleston community.

Once Google understands who you serve and what your business does, it can finally send the right people your way.