Why Your Website Is Like a Physical Shop (And Why Most Are Messy)
Imagine you walk into a massive hardware store in Chermside. You’re there because your kitchen tap is leaking and you need a specific washer. But when you walk in, there are no signs. The aisles aren't numbered. The plumbing gear is mixed in with the garden hoses, and the checkout is hidden behind a stack of timber in the back corner.
You’d walk out, wouldn’t you? You’d head straight to the Bunnings down the road because you can actually find what you need there.
Most Brisbane business owners have websites that look exactly like that messy shop. You have a page for 'Plumbing,' a page for 'Blocked Drains,' and maybe a blog post about 'How to fix a tap.' But they aren't connected. They sit there like isolated islands.
When your website pages don't talk to each other, two bad things happen: 1. Customers get lost: They read a helpful tip but don't see an easy way to book the job. 2. Google gets confused: If Google can't see how your pages relate to each other, it assumes they aren't important.
In the marketing world, people call this "internal linking architecture." I call it "Building a path to the cash." It’s about making sure that every person who lands on your site is gently nudged toward the service that makes you the most money.
The Real-World Impact: A Tale of Two Electricians
I want to share a story about a client we worked with in Coorparoo. Let's call him Mick. Mick is a top-tier electrician. His website looked great—nice photos, professional logo, and a list of all his services.
He had a page for "Air Conditioning Installation" and a page for "Switchboard Upgrades." He also had about 20 great articles he’d written over the years about safety and energy saving.
But here was the problem: Mick was getting plenty of visitors to his blog posts, but almost nobody was calling him for the big $5,000 switchboard jobs. People would read his advice on answering customer questions, say "thanks for the info," and leave.
We looked under the hood and saw that his "Switchboard Upgrade" page was buried. Nothing linked to it. Google thought it was a minor detail, not his bread and butter.
We spent a few days connecting the dots. Every time he mentioned power surges or old wiring in his blog posts, we put a clear, bold link saying: "Need a safety inspection? Check out our Switchboard Upgrade services here."
Within three months, his switchboard enquiries tripled. We didn't add new pages. We didn't spend a cent on ads. We just fixed the paths inside his site.
How Google Sees Your Website
You don't need to know how the "algorithm" works, but you do need to understand one thing: Google is lazy. It uses "spiders" to crawl through the web. These spiders follow links like a map.
If your homepage is the front door, your links are the hallways. If you have a room in your house with no door, no one—including Google—is ever going to find it.
When you link from a popular page (like your homepage) to a specific service page (like "Emergency Roof Repairs"), you are telling Google: "Hey, this page is important! Pay attention to it!"
This is a core part of any introduction to SEO because if Google can't find your pages easily, you won't show up when someone in Brisbane searches for your services.
The "Profit First" Strategy: Where to Link
Most people make the mistake of linking to their "About Us" page or their "Contact" page constantly. While those are important, they aren't usually what makes you money.
Here is the hierarchy of how you should link your site:
1. The Money Pages (Your Services)
These are the pages that describe exactly what you do. If you’re a landscaper, these are "Retaining Walls," "Turf Laying," and "Decking."Every single blog post or "helpful tip" page you have should link back to one of these. If you write a post about "How to keep your grass green in a Queensland summer," you must link to your "Turf Laying" service. It seems obvious, but 90% of small business sites miss this.
2. The Trust Builders (Reviews and Case Studies)
If you have a page showing off a big renovation you did in Ascot, link to it from your main service page. When a customer is reading about your bathroom renovations, they want to see the proof. A link that says "See our recent Ascot bathroom transformation" is worth its weight in gold.3. The "Next Step" (Contact/Booking)
Every page needs a way out. Don't make people scroll back to the top to find your phone number. Link to your contact page or a booking form at the bottom of every single piece of content.Common Mistakes That Are Costing You Enquiries
I see the same three mistakes on almost every Brisbane small business site I audit.
Mistake #1: Using "Click Here"
Google reads the text you use for your links to understand what the next page is about. If you use "Click here" or "Read more," you’re wasting an opportunity.Instead of: "To see our plumbing services, [click here]." Use: "We offer professional [plumbing services in Brisbane] for all residential needs."
See the difference? In the second one, you’ve told Google exactly what is on the other side of that door.
Mistake #2: The "Dead End" Page
This is a page that has no links on it at all. The user reads it, gets to the bottom, and... nothing. They hit the back button. In the digital world, the back button is the enemy. You want them to keep moving forward into your business.Mistake #3: Over-linking
Don't turn your website into a Wikipedia page where every second word is a blue link. It looks messy and desperate. Stick to 2-4 high-quality, relevant links per page. You want to guide the customer, not overwhelm them.A Simple 3-Step Plan to Fix Your Site This Weekend
You don't need a degree in IT to do this. You just need a couple of hours and a bit of common sense.
Step 1: Identify Your Top 3 Money-Makers
What are the three jobs you want to do more of? Maybe it's the high-margin ones, or the ones that are easiest for your team. Write them down.Step 2: Find Your Most Popular Pages
Look at your website. Which pages get the most visitors? Usually, it’s your homepage and maybe a couple of helpful articles you wrote months ago.Step 3: Connect the Two
Go to those popular pages and find a natural way to link to your "Money-Makers."For example, if you’re a lawyer and your most popular page is "What to do after a car accident," make sure there is a clear link to your "Personal Injury Claims" service page.
This simple move ensures you get more jobs all year instead of waiting for people to stumble across your contact page by accident.
How Long Until You See Results?
This isn't an overnight fix. Google needs time to "re-map" your site. Usually, you’ll start to see your service pages climbing higher in search results within 4 to 8 weeks.
More importantly, you’ll see an immediate change in how people use your site. They’ll stay longer, look at more pages, and—most importantly—call you more often.
Is This Worth Your Time?
Look, I get it. You're busy. You’ve got a business to run, staff to manage, and a life to live. You might be thinking, "Does it really matter if my 'Blocked Drains' page links to my 'Hydro-jetting' page?"
Here’s the blunt truth: Your competitors who are winning the best jobs in Brisbane are doing this. They are making it easy for Google to reward them and easy for customers to hire them.
If your website is just a digital brochure that sits there doing nothing, it's a wasted asset. By fixing your internal links, you turn that brochure into a high-performing salesperson who works 24/7.
Summary of the "Path to Cash" Strategy
Think like a customer: Is it easy to find the next step? Prioritise your services: Link from your general info to your specific, high-profit services. Use descriptive words: Tell Google what the page is about using the link text. No dead ends: Every page should lead somewhere else.
If you find this all a bit overwhelming, or you'd rather spend your weekend at the Gabba than messing around with website links, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in making websites actually work for Brisbane business owners.
We don't care about fancy buzzwords; we care about your phone ringing.
Ready to get your website working harder? Contact us at Local Marketing Group and let’s get your business the attention it deserves.