July marks the halfway point of the year. It is the perfect time to pause, look at your website’s performance, and make sure your SEO strategy is actually working.
Many small business owners treat SEO as a “set it and forget it” task. They optimise their website once when it is built, and then never look at it again. But Google’s algorithm changes constantly, and your competitors are always trying to outrank you.
If you want to finish the year strong, you need to do a mid-year SEO audit. Here are three simple things you can check this July without needing any technical expertise.
1. Check Your “Title Tags”
The Title Tag is the blue, clickable link that appears in Google search results. It is one of the most important signals you can send to Google about what your page is about.
Go to Google and search for your own business name. Look at the blue links for your homepage and your main service pages.
•Bad Title Tag: “Home” or “Welcome to Smith & Sons”
•Good Title Tag: “Emergency Plumber in Manchester | Smith & Sons”
If your title tags just say “Home” or “Services,” you are missing a massive opportunity. Update them to include your main keyword and your location. Keep them under 60 characters so they do not get cut off in the search results.
2. Find and Fix Broken Links
Over the last six months, you might have deleted an old blog post, changed the URL of a service page, or linked to an external website that no longer exists. This creates “broken links” (often called 404 errors).
Google hates broken links because they provide a terrible experience for users. If your website is full of them, Google will stop sending traffic your way.
You do not need to click every link on your website manually. Use a free tool like BrokenLinkCheck.com. Just type in your website address, and it will scan your entire site and give you a list of any broken links. Spend an hour fixing or removing them.
3. Review Your Google Business Profile Insights
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the engine of your local SEO. In July, log into your profile and look at the “Performance” or “Insights” tab.
This data tells you exactly how people are finding you.
•Are they searching for your business name directly, or are they searching for a service you offer?
•What search terms are triggering your profile to appear?
•Are people clicking to call you, or clicking to visit your website?
If you notice that a specific service is getting a lot of searches, but you do not have much information about it on your website, that is a clear signal. Write a new blog post or expand your service page about that specific topic to capture even more of that local traffic.
A mid-year SEO audit does not have to be complicated. By checking your title tags, fixing broken links, and reviewing your local data, you can make small adjustments in July that will drive more traffic to your business all the way through to December.
About Dead On Digital
Dead On Digital supports UK small businesses with practical websites, digital marketing and smart automation that help improve and strengthen their online presence. Everything we do is focused on keeping things clear, simple and aligned with how real businesses actually operate day to day.
We believe your website and online presence should keep working for you as your business grows, not be built once and forgotten. If you are reviewing where you are now or thinking about ways to improve things online, we are always happy to offer friendly, honest advice.