Websites
What should be on a homepage so Google and customers get it
Published by Zubair Afzal, responsible editor
First published Updated 9 min read
The checklist
Six things every small-business homepage needs
- A page title that says what you do and where, such as “Plumber in Hamilton | Your Business Name”.
- A first line, in the main heading, that a stranger understands in five seconds. Plain words, no slogan on its own.
- Links to one page for each main service.
- Your phone number and the areas you serve, easy to find and tap on a phone.
- The same business name, address and phone number as your Google Business Profile.
- Real proof: reviews, photos of your own work, years in business or memberships. Only what is true.
An example
A vague homepage opening and a clear one
| Dimension | Vague | Clear |
|---|---|---|
| Page title | Home | Plumber in Hamilton | 24-Hour Callouts | Your Business Name |
| First line (H1) | Quality you can trust | Emergency plumbing and boiler repair in Hamilton |
| Second line | Welcome to our website | Licensed plumbers covering Hamilton, Stoney Creek and Ancaster, seven days a week |
| Main button | Learn more | Call now or book a visit |
| Proof | A stock photo of a smiling family | Your own van, your team, and your latest reviews |
Top to bottom
A simple homepage layout that works
First screen
Your main heading (what you do and where), one supporting line, a call or booking button, and your phone number. On a phone, all of it should be visible without scrolling.
Services
A short card for each main service, each linking to its own page. Use the names customers search for, not internal product names.
Proof
Genuine reviews, photos of real work, memberships, licences or guarantees you actually offer. Never invent or borrow any of it.
Areas you serve
The towns or neighbourhoods you cover, with a link to a page for each if you serve them differently.
How it works or why you
Two or three short points on what happens when someone gets in touch, or what makes you different.
Contact
Name, address (if customers visit), phone, opening hours and a short form, matching your Business Profile exactly.
Why it matters
Why plain beats clever on a homepage
Google reads your page title and headings to work out what the page is about, and its own guidance says the title you set is the main source for the title it shows in results. A slogan tells it nothing. A plain description of your service and area tells it exactly which searches you are a good answer for.
Customers are the same. Someone who lands on your homepage from a search wants to know, quickly, whether you do what they need where they are. If they have to scroll to find out, many will go back and pick the next result.
AI answers work the same way. A homepage that states plainly what you do, where and for whom is far easier for Google’s AI features and other assistants to describe correctly.
Speed and phones
Technical basics for your homepage
Google indexes the phone version of your site and uses page experience among its signals. You do not need to be technical to check these:
- Open the homepage on your own phone over mobile data. If it takes more than a few seconds to show the first screen, it is too slow.
- Images are sized for the web, not straight off a camera.
- Nothing jumps around as the page loads, and buttons are big enough to tap.
- Your phone number is a tap-to-call link.
- The page uses https (a padlock in the browser) and shows no security warnings.
- Google’s Core Web Vitals report in Search Console shows no “Poor” pages for phones. The three measures are loading (LCP), responsiveness (INP, which replaced FID in March 2024) and visual stability (CLS).
Common mistakes
Homepage mistakes that cost enquiries
- Everything is on the homepage
- Trying to rank one page for every service and every town usually means it ranks well for none. Give each main service its own page and link to it.
- The contact details differ from the profile
- An old phone number or a different business name on the site makes Google and customers less sure which is right. Match the Business Profile exactly.
- The proof cannot be checked
- Unnamed testimonials, stock photos and logos of companies you have not worked with cost trust when people notice, and they do. Show only what is real.
Questions
Questions about what goes on a homepage
Should my homepage mention my town?
Yes, if you serve customers in a particular area. Say it in the first line and in the page title, the way a customer would, such as “Electrician in Kitchener and Waterloo”. If you serve many towns, name the main one and list the rest on a service-area page.
How long should a homepage be?
Long enough to say what you do, where, for whom, how to get in touch and why to trust you. For most small businesses that fits in a few short sections. Detail about each service belongs on that service’s own page.
How long should the page title be?
Google sets no fixed limit, but it cuts long titles to fit the results page, so put the important words first. A title of around 50 to 60 characters usually shows in full on most screens. Avoid repeating the same word several times.
Does the meta description help rankings?
Not directly. It is the short summary Google may show under your title, and Google often writes its own from the page instead. A clear one can still persuade more people to click, so write one for the homepage and each main page.
Should my homepage have a slider or video at the top?
Usually not. Sliders and large videos tend to slow the page and push your first line and phone number down the screen. One real photo and a plain sentence do the job better on a phone.
References
Sources for what should be on a homepage
The official documents and research this page is based on. Platform rules change, so check the source before you act on a detail.
Related
Keep reading on what should be on a homepage
Start here
You’ve finished the Academy basics
The free checkup checks your own homepage and website against the basics from these six lessons, and shows what to fix first.