Your Web Designer Probably Didn’t Do Any SEO

(Here's How to Check in 5 Minutes)

A beautiful website is not the same as a search-friendly website.

In fact, one of the most common things I see when I review small business websites is this:

No meta titles.
No meta descriptions.
No image alt text.

Just a pretty site… floating around the internet like a billboard in the middle of a remote forest.

[Not sure what meta thingies or image alt text are? Or why the hell you should care? Read on, all shall be explained!]

And the worst part?

Most business owners have no idea this is happening. They assume the person who built their website handled it. Half the time they don't even know it's a thing to BE handled. But it is and most web designers don't touch it.

Web Design, Conversion Copy, and SEO Are Three Different Jobs (and Skillsets)

And a website really needs them all. Here's how they work and complement one another.

Web Design

This is the visual and structural side of a website. Web designers focus on things like:

• layout

• color palettes

• typography

• mobile responsiveness

• visual branding

• page structure

• user experience

These are all important things related to the public-facing aspects of the site because they make it look good and function properly. But design alone doesn't help people find you or buy from you.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is about helping search engines understand what your website is about, so they can show it to the right humans. SEO specialists focus on things like:

• page titles (meta titles)

• meta descriptions

• image alt tags

• structured headlines

• HTML hierarchy

• keyword targeting and digital signals

This is what helps search engines like Google decide where and when to show your site in search results. It's also increasingly what helps Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity recommend businesses too. Without this layer, your site may look great but be pretty much invisible.

Conversion Copywriting

This is the piece that almost everyone forgets, neglects, or shrugs off. But it's JUST as crucial as the design and SEO.

Why?

Because conversion copy turns those visitors into paying customers and loyal fans. It includes things like:

• clear value propositions

• messaging that speaks directly to the potential buyer's problem

• logical page flow

• brand storytelling

• persuasive headlines

• strategic calls to action

All of this is what turns traffic into inquiries, bookings, and sales.

And just like you don't ever want your designer writing SEO, you don't ever want your SEO specialist writing your sales copy.

Unless they are trained and experienced in all three. (Rare, but not unheard of.)

Where SEO focuses on keywords and speaking to the machines, conversion copy focuses on human decision-making. The goal isn't just ranking higher on Google. It's to inspire someone to take action once they land on your page.

Most Small Business Websites Are Missing At Least One of These Three Things

What I see most often in my website audits is this:

• beautiful design

• basic copy

• little to no SEO structure or elements

Or sometimes:

• strong SEO

• robotic, keyword-heavy copy

• no clear conversion path

Both lead to the same result: a website that exists but doesn't work all that well for the business. It's pointless ranking if people bounce right away because your site is ugly or they can't figure out what the hell you're selling. And it's just as pointless having a gorgeous website with compelling copy if nobody knows it exists. Hence that whole billboard in the woods analogy.

If You’re Running Ads Without Basic SEO or Compelling Copy, You’re Lighting Money on Fire

Ads can absolutely work.

But running ads when your website is missing basic SEO signals is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.

You pay for traffic.

People click.

Then your site struggles to either build any long-term visibility (because the foundation isn’t there) or to convert interested visitors into paying customers (because the words aren't doing you any favors).

Basic SEO fixes can improve:

• click-through rates

• organic search visibility

• image search visibility

• accessibility compliance

• AI search discoverability

And they don’t require a giant marketing budget, just someone who knows what they're doing.

Compelling conversion copy improves:

• visitor understanding (people immediately “get” what you do)

• time on page (people actually keep reading)

• trust and credibility

• inquiry and booking rates

• email opt-ins and lead generation

• sales conversions

• the quality of leads you attract

• word-of-mouth referrals (because the message is clear and memorable)

Three Quick SEO Elements You Can Check on Your Own

If you're curious whether your site has SEO basics in place, here are three easy checks.

1. Google Your Business

Search your business name and see what appears.

Does your page have a clean, intentional description? Or does Google show a weird sentence pulled from the middle of your homepage? That’s usually a sign the meta description is missing.

2. Hover Over Your Browser Tab

Open one of your pages. Look at (or hover over) the text in the browser tab. Does it say something clear like:

“Vermont Wedding Photographer | Jane Smith Photography”

Or does it say something like:

“Home”
“Untitled Page”
or just your business name?

That’s your meta title. (Or lack thereof.)

3. Right Click an Image

What pops up when you do that? If the image alt tag is missing it just says something like:

“IMG_4837.jpg”

That's a clear sign you’re missing an opportunity for both SEO and accessibility.

Testing for Compelling Copy is a Little Harder — and More Uncomfortable

The "Friend Test"

Send your homepage to a friend who's not in your industry.

Ask them to spend just 10–15 seconds looking at it and then answer three questions:

1. What do you think this business does?

2. Who do you think it’s for?

3. What do you think they want you to do next?

If they hesitate, guess wrong, or give a fuzzy answer…

Your messaging needs work.

And don’t worry — this happens a lot.

Business owners are so close to their work that their websites often end up filled with:

• industry jargon
• vague aspirational language
• too much about themselves
• clever phrases that sound nice but don’t actually explain anything

Your website shouldn’t make people decode what you do.

It should make them feel like they’ve landed in exactly the right place.

What I Look For in a Website Audit

When I review a website, I’m looking at three layers most business owners never see:

1. Design — is the site structured well?

2. SEO signals — can search engines find and understand it?

3. Conversion copy — does it clearly guide visitors toward action?

Because when those three pieces work together, your website stops being a brochure…and starts behaving like the marketing engine you paid for.

If you suspect your website might be missing some of these basics, request one of my Website & Funnel Audits where I investigate things like:

• missing meta titles and descriptions
• image alt text gaps
• weak or unclear page messaging
• funnel breaks between pages and elements
• missed SEO opportunities

You’ll walk away with a clear list of fixes and priorities so you know exactly what to update.

Your website shouldn't be sabotaging your marketing, or burning a hole in your wallet. Let's fix it.

👉 Request your audit today!