“We’re number one on Google.”
We hear this a lot from new clients, and it’s usually true, as far as it goes. Type the business name into Google, and there it is, right at the top.
The problem is that the people searching your business name already know you exist. They’re existing customers, referrals, people who saw your sign or your van. Ranking for your own name is like being able to find your own house. Useful, but it doesn’t bring new people to the door.
The searches that grow a business are the ones where the customer doesn’t know you yet: “dentist in Somerset West”, “family lawyer Johannesburg”, “buy swimwear online South Africa”, “day tours from Cape Town”. If you’re not showing up for those, you’re invisible to most of your potential market.
Branded vs non-branded search, in plain English
- Branded searches include your business name. “Online Growth SEO”, “Mountain View Guesthouse”, “Dr Naidoo Umhlanga”.
- Non-branded searches describe what you do, without naming anyone. “SEO agency Cape Town”, “guesthouse Knysna”, “GP Umhlanga”.
Branded searches tell you how well-known you are. Non-branded searches are where new customers come from. A healthy website gets steady traffic from both.
If your Google Search Console shows that almost all your clicks come from people typing your name, you have a visibility problem, even if you “rank number one”.
Why this happens
In our experience, it usually comes down to one or more of these:
1. Your website doesn’t say what you do, clearly enough. It sounds obvious, but many websites are written like a brochure: “Excellence in care since 1998” or “Your journey starts here”. Lovely, but Google needs to understand that you’re a physiotherapy practice in Bellville that treats sports injuries. If those words aren’t on the page, you won’t rank for them.
2. Everything is on one page. If all your services are listed on a single “Services” page, that one page has to compete for dozens of different searches, and usually loses all of them. A separate page for each main service gives Google, and customers, a clear match.
3. You’re not telling Google where you are. For local businesses, location matters. If your suburb, city and the areas you serve aren’t mentioned naturally on your site and in your Google Business Profile, you’ll struggle to appear in local results.
4. Your competitors have simply done more. SEO is relative. If three competitors have detailed service pages, dozens of reviews and useful articles, and you have a five-page site built in 2019, they’ll outrank you. Not because Google dislikes you, but because they’ve given it more reasons to trust them.
5. Technical issues are holding you back. Slow loading, pages that don’t work well on mobile, broken links, or pages accidentally blocked from Google can all drag rankings down. Most South Africans browse on their phones, often on mobile data, so speed and mobile usability matter more here than in many markets.
6. You’re targeting the wrong words. Sometimes businesses optimise for the words they use internally, not the words customers search. A practice might describe itself as offering “musculoskeletal rehabilitation”, while patients search “back pain physio”. Keyword research closes that gap.
How to check where you stand
You don’t need to be an SEO expert to get a rough picture:
- Open an incognito browser window (so your own search history doesn’t skew results) and search for five things a new customer might type. Include your area.
- Note where you appear, if at all. Page two might as well be page ten. Very few people click through.
- Check Google Search Console if you have it set up. Under “Performance”, look at the queries bringing clicks. How many include your business name?
- Look at who’s beating you. Visit the sites ranking above you. What do they have that you don’t? More pages, more detail, more reviews?
Or skip the manual work and use our free keyword ranking scan. We’ll show you which keywords your site currently ranks for and where you’re missing out.
How to fix it
Start with the money keywords. List the three to five services that bring in the most revenue, and the searches customers use to find them. These are your priorities.
Create a proper page for each one. Each page should clearly explain the service, who it’s for, where you offer it, what it costs (or how pricing works), and answer common questions. Aim to be the most useful page on the internet for that search in your area.
Get your Google Business Profile right. For local searches, your Google profile often appears before any website. Complete every section, choose accurate categories, add real photos, and keep it updated.
Build reviews steadily. Reviews influence both where you rank locally and whether people choose you. Make asking for honest reviews part of how you finish every job.
Publish content that answers real questions. Articles that answer what your customers genuinely ask (“How long does recovery take after…?”, “What’s included in a…?”) help you rank for a wider range of searches and show you know your field.
Fix the technical basics. Make sure your site loads quickly on mobile, uses secure HTTPS, and has nothing blocking Google from reading it.
A word on patience
SEO compounds. Unlike ads, which stop the moment you stop paying, the work you put into your website keeps paying off. But it’s not overnight. For most businesses, meaningful movement on competitive keywords takes a few months of consistent work. Anyone promising page-one rankings in two weeks is either targeting searches nobody makes or taking shortcuts that can get you penalised.
Find out what you’re missing
Ranking for your name is a start. Ranking for what you do is where growth comes from. Run our free keyword ranking scan and we’ll show you exactly where you stand, and where the opportunities are.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my website show up when I search my name but not my service? Because Google can easily match your name to your site, but hasn’t been given enough clear, relevant content to rank you above competitors for service-related searches.
What’s the difference between branded and non-branded keywords? Branded keywords include your business name. Non-branded keywords describe the product or service without naming a business. Non-branded searches bring new customers.
How long does it take to rank for non-branded keywords? It depends on competition and your starting point. Less competitive local searches can move within weeks. Competitive national terms can take many months.
Is it worth running Google Ads while SEO builds up? Often, yes. Ads can bring in leads immediately while your organic rankings grow, and the data from ads shows which keywords actually convert.