On-Site SEO: 10 Things Every NZ Business Website Is Getting Wrong

Most NZ business websites make the same mistakes. Not because the owners don't care about SEO — but because no one told them what to look for.

These aren't obscure technical issues. They're the basics, done wrong. And fixing them is often the fastest way to see movement in your rankings.

Here are the 10 most common on-site SEO problems — and how to fix each one.

1. Title Tags That Waste the Space

Your title tag is the blue headline Google shows in search results. It's the single most important on-page SEO element, and most NZ business sites either leave it as the CMS default, stuff it with keywords, or write it like a business card.

What it looks like wrong: "Home | Acme Plumbing" or "Acme Plumbing Auckland | Emergency Plumber | Commercial Plumber | Hot Water"

What it should look like: "Emergency Plumber Auckland — Fast Response, 24/7 | Acme Plumbing"

The rule: One primary keyword, a compelling reason to click, brand name at the end. Max 60 characters — anything longer gets cut off.

2. Meta Descriptions Left to the CMS

The meta description is the 2-line snippet under your title in Google results. Most sites leave it blank or let WordPress/Squarespace auto-generate it from the first paragraph of the page. Google then picks whatever it thinks is relevant — which is often the navigation menu or a partial sentence.

Write every meta description yourself. Include your target keyword, your key value proposition, and a soft call to action. Max 155 characters.

3. One Page Trying to Rank for Everything

A common mistake: one homepage crammed with every service, every keyword, every location. "Plumber, electrician, builder — serving Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga."

Google can't rank a page for everything. Each page should target one primary keyword (and related secondary terms). If you offer plumbing and electrical services, those should be separate pages — each optimised for their own keyword set.

4. Missing H1 Tags (or Multiple H1s)

Every page should have exactly one H1 tag — the main heading that tells Google what the page is about. It should include your primary keyword.

Common mistakes:

• No H1 — the page title is styled with CSS but not tagged as H1
• Multiple H1s — several sections all tagged H1, diluting the signal
• H1 that doesn't include the keyword — "Welcome to our website" tells Google nothing

Check every page. Right-click → Inspect → search for <h1>.

5. Ignoring Internal Links

Internal links — links from one page on your site to another — tell Google which pages are important and how they relate to each other. Most NZ business sites have almost no internal links: standalone pages with no connections between them.

What to do: When you publish a new blog post, link from it to your relevant service pages. When you add a new service page, link to it from related blog posts. Build a web, not a collection of islands.

A page with no internal links pointing to it is effectively invisible to Google.

6. Images With No Alt Text

Alt text is the description of an image that search engines read (and that screen readers use for accessibility). Most NZ business sites either leave alt text blank or fill it with keyword-stuffed descriptions.

What wrong looks like: alt="" or alt="plumber auckland plumbing services emergency plumber"

What right looks like: alt="Emergency plumber repairing burst pipe in Auckland kitchen"

Descriptive, accurate, naturally keyword-relevant where appropriate.

7. Thin Service Pages

A service page with 80 words of copy is not going to rank for competitive keywords. Google rewards pages that comprehensively answer what a searcher is looking for — which usually means 400–800 words minimum for a service page, with specifics about what the service includes, who it's for, and what the process looks like.

If your service pages read like a classified ad, they need more content.

8. No Location Signals on Local Pages

If you're a local business, Google needs signals that confirm your location relevance. This goes beyond having your address in the footer.

What to include on location-specific pages:

• City name in the H1 ("Plumber in Wellington")
• City name in the meta title and description
• Local landmarks or area references in the body copy where natural
• Google Business Profile linked and up to date
• NAP consistency: Name, Address, Phone exactly the same across your website, Google Business Profile, and any directory listings

9. Slow Page Speed

Google uses page speed as a ranking factor. A site that takes 6+ seconds to load on mobile is at a disadvantage. This is especially relevant for NZ businesses using page builders that load excessive scripts and plugins.

Quick checks:

• Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights (free)
• Compress images before uploading — a 4MB JPEG has no place on a web page
• Limit third-party scripts (chat widgets, tracking pixels, social embeds all add load time)

Getting from a PageSpeed score of 40 to 70 on mobile is often achievable with image compression and plugin cleanup alone.

10. No Blog or Content Strategy

This is the biggest one. A static website — a homepage, a few service pages, a contact page — has a hard ceiling on how many keywords it can rank for. There are only so many pages, and each page targets a limited set of terms.

A blog is how you expand that ceiling. Each post targets a new keyword, answers a question your customers are searching, and adds to the topical authority of your site. Businesses with an active blog consistently outrank businesses without one — not because Google rewards effort, but because more quality content means more indexable pages targeting more keywords.

Key Takeaways

• Title tags and meta descriptions need to be written deliberately for every page — not auto-generated
• Each page should target one primary keyword — don't try to rank for everything on one page
• Every page needs exactly one H1 containing the primary keyword
• Internal linking builds structure and signals importance to Google
• Image alt text should be descriptive and naturally relevant — not keyword-stuffed
• Service pages need real content — 80 words won't rank for competitive terms
• Local businesses need location signals throughout their pages, not just in the footer
• Page speed is a ranking factor — compress images and reduce unnecessary scripts
• A blog is the most powerful way to expand your keyword footprint over time

Most of these fixes are achievable without a developer. Start with the ones you can action today.