SEO That Sells: 3 simple ways to make Google love your site
A beautiful website is one thing, but one that ensures you get seen in Google searches is what REALLY makes the difference. Marketers and designers will often talk about the "look and feel" of a website, but there’s no point in having a beautiful digital “home” for your business if nobody can find the proverbial front door…
Which is where SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) comes in.
While the backend of SEO can get technical - and a little scary if you’re not digitally-inclined - there are three high-impact areas that you can focus on that can have an immediate effect on your website’s visibility.
Here is how to get the basics right so your brand can start "shouting" louder in the search results.
ONE. MASTER THE HIERARCHY: H1s and H2s
Think of your website headings like the headlines in a newspaper. They aren’t just there to look pretty; they tell Google exactly what your page is about.
The H1 (Your Headline): Every page should have one H1 tag. This is your primary title. It should be clear, contain your main keyword, and tell the reader exactly what to expect. It should also contain the keywords that your target audience would use in a Google search to find businesses just like yours. For example, if you’re a florist in Auckland specialising in weddings, your H1 shouldn't just be "Welcome" (i.e. generic and nondescript), it should be "Wedding Floral Design in Auckland” (for example).
The H2s (Your Subheadings): Use H2 tags to break your content into logical sections. These act as signposts for readers who skim (which is most of us!) and help search engines understand the depth of your topic. Keeping with the florist example, your H2s could look like “Bespoke Bridal Bouquets & Venue Installations” and “Custom Wedding Floral Styling in Auckland”. There is no hard limit to the number of H2s you can have on a page (Google won't penalise you for having "too many,") but there is a sweet spot for both user experience and SEO. Think of H2s like chapters in a book: if a book has 2 chapters or 20 chapters, it’s fine as long as they make sense. However, if every single sentence was its own chapter, the book would be impossible to read.
TWO: ALT-TAGS
Look, no one knows better than us that high-quality imagery is the soul of a brand, but Google can’t "see" an image, it can only "read" it. So any image that features on your website needs to be paired with a hard-working alt-text to allow the Google bots to “see” your image as it were.
Alt-tags are short descriptions attached to your images. They serve two vital purposes: accessibility (facilitating screen readers to describe the image to visually impaired users) and SEO (ensuring your images show up in Google image searches).
For example, don’t leave your image file named “IMG_5421.jpg”, rather update the alt-tag to something descriptive like “wedding flowers north shore”. It’s a small tweak that makes a massive difference in how your site is indexed.
THREE: MAKE IT MEATY
We’ve covered off headlines and images, but what about the copy on your website? How much should you actually write?
While "short and sweet" is great for Instagram captions, Google prefers a bit more meat on the bone…
Pages with very thin content (under 300 words) often struggle to rank because search engines view them as less "authoritative." For a standard blog post or service page, aim for 500 to 800 words: this gives you enough space to naturally include your keywords and provide genuine value to your audience.
But beware of "fluff." Don't just write to hit a word count - quality is still king at the end of the day, Google bots or not. If you can provide a comprehensive answer to a customer’s problem in 600 words, you’re in the "Goldilocks zone" - just right.
SEO isn't about "gaming the system"; it’s about making your content easy to find and easy to consume. By structuring your headings, tagging your beautiful visuals, and giving your copy some room to breathe, you’re building a foundation for long-term digital growth.
Need a hand making your website as functional as it is beautiful? Book your FREE discovery call today and let’s get your website the attention it deserves.
