Why the Way Your Website is Built Matters for Your Wallet
I’ve sat down with hundreds of business owners from Chermside to Coolangatta, and most of them have the same frustration: "I paid for a website, I put up pages for all my services, but the only thing that shows up on Google is my homepage."
If you’re a plumber in Coorparoo and your 'Hot Water Repairs' page is invisible, you’re losing money every single day.
Most people think Google just magically knows what’s important on your site. It doesn’t. Google is like a courier driver trying to find an address in a new housing estate with no street signs. If you don't provide the signs, the driver gives up. In the world of websites, those street signs are the links between your own pages.
In this guide, I’m going to break down the different ways you can connect your pages. We aren't going to talk about code. We are going to talk about how to structure your site so that your most profitable services get the most attention from Google, leading to more phone calls and more bookings.
The Three Ways to Organise Your Site (And Which One Wins)
There are generally three ways I see Brisbane business owners set up their websites. Two of them are a waste of time, and one of them is the gold standard for getting customers.
1. The "Flat" Approach (The Junk Drawer)
This is what happens when you use a cheap DIY website builder and just keep adding pages. Every page is linked from the main menu, and nothing is linked to anything else.The Result: Google thinks every page is equally important. Since your homepage usually has the most 'power,' your specific service pages (the ones that actually make you money) never get enough juice to rank high. The Money Reality: You’ll likely only show up for your business name, not for what you actually do.
2. The "Linear" Approach (The Boredom Trail)
This is where you link Page A to Page B, and Page B to Page C. It’s like a book.The Result: If a customer lands on Page C, they have no easy way to see your other relevant services. Google also struggles to see the relationship between your services. The Money Reality: High 'exit rates.' People find one thing, don't see what else you offer, and leave to find a competitor who looks more like a one-stop shop.
3. The "Hub and Spoke" Approach (The Authority Builder)
This is what we recommend at Local Marketing Group. You have one 'Hub' page (e.g., 'Electrical Services') and several 'Spoke' pages (e.g., 'Switchboard Upgrades,' 'LED Lighting,' 'Solar Maintenance').All the spokes link back to the hub, and the hub links to all the spokes. This tells Google: "This business is an expert in Electrical Services because look at all this detailed information they have."
The Result: You start to be seen as the local expert Google recommends because your site is organised logically. The Money Reality: This is how you dominate local search. When someone searches for a specific problem, Google sends them to your specific solution page, which then leads them to your main service page. It builds trust and gets the phone ringing.
Data Comparison: Which Method Gets More Calls?
We looked at the data from 50 of our clients over a 12-month period. We compared those who had a messy 'junk drawer' site structure against those we moved to a 'Hub and Spoke' model.
| Feature | Junk Drawer (Flat) | Hub and Spoke (Organised) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to rank on Page 1 | 9-14 months | 3-6 months |
| Pages appearing in search | Usually just 1 or 2 | 10+ specific service pages |
| Phone calls per month | Low (mostly referrals) | High (new customers) |
| Cost to maintain | Cheap, but brings no ROI | Investment pays for itself |
The "So What?" – Why Should a Busy Owner Care?
I know you’ve got a business to run. You don't care about the 'architecture' of a website. You care about your bank balance. Here is why this matters to your bottom line:
1. It saves you money on ads
If your website is organised properly, you’ll start showing up in the 'free' section of Google (the organic results). Every click you get for free is a click you don't have to pay Google Ads $15 for. I've seen businesses save $2,000 a month just by fixing their internal links.2. It makes your website easier to use
Think about your customer. If they are looking for 'emergency roof repairs' in the middle of a Brisbane storm, they don't want to hunt through your 'About Us' and 'Gallery' pages. They want a clear path. A well-linked site guides them from their problem to your phone number.3. It tells Google which pages are your 'Money Pages'
Not all pages are created equal. Your 'Privacy Policy' doesn't make you money. Your 'Blocked Drains' page does. By linking to your 'Blocked Drains' page more often from other relevant parts of your site, you are telling Google: "Hey, pay attention to this one!"How to Do This Yourself (Step-by-Step)
You don't need to be a tech wizard to start fixing this. Here is a simple plan you can follow this weekend:
Step 1: Map out your services
Grab a piece of paper. Put your main service in the middle (e.g., Landscaping). Around it, write down all the specific things you do (Retaining walls, Paving, Turf laying, Irrigation). These are your spokes.Step 2: Check for missing links
Go to your 'Retaining Walls' page. Does it link back to your main 'Landscaping' page? It should. Does it link to 'Paving'? It should, because people getting a wall often want a path too.Step 3: Use plain English for your links
Don't use "Click Here" or "Read More." That tells Google nothing. Instead, use words that describe the destination. If you want to link to your contact page, use "get a free quote" or "book an inspection." This is much more effective for getting more customers because it tells both the user and Google exactly what to expect.Common Mistakes That Kill Your Rankings
I see these three mistakes almost every week when I audit Brisbane business websites:
1. Too many links in the menu: If your top menu has 20 items, it’s overwhelming. Keep the menu for the big stuff, and use the text on your pages to link to the specifics. 2. Broken links: If you click a link and it goes to a '404 Page Not Found,' Google hates it. It makes your business look unprofessional and lazy. 3. Linking to the same page 50 times: You don't need to link to your homepage in every single sentence. It looks like spam and it annoys your visitors.
Real World Example: The Morningside Plumber
We worked with a local plumber who had a great website, but he was only getting calls for 'general plumbing.' He wanted the big-ticket jobs: hot water system installs.
We noticed he had a page for hot water, but it was buried. Nothing else on his site linked to it. We spent one afternoon adding links from his 'Services' overview, his 'Emergency Repairs' page, and three blog posts about energy-saving tips, all pointing to that 'Hot Water' page.
Within two months, his hot water page moved from page 8 of Google to the top of page 1. He went from zero enquiries for hot water to three a week. That’s the power of a few simple links.
How Long Until You See Results?
This isn't an overnight fix. Google needs to 'crawl' (visit) your site and see the changes. For a typical Brisbane small business, you’ll usually see a shift in where you appear in search results within 4 to 8 weeks.
Is it worth the wait? Absolutely. Unlike ads, which stop the moment you stop paying, a well-structured website keeps working for you while you sleep.
What Should You Do First?
If this feels like too much, start small. Pick your most profitable service. Find three other pages on your site where it makes sense to mention that service, and add a link.
If you want it done right the first time without spending your weekends staring at a computer screen, that’s where we come in. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in making websites that don't just look pretty, but actually work as a sales tool for your business.
We know the Brisbane market, we know what local customers are looking for, and we know how to make Google happy without the technical jargon.
Ready to get more phone calls? Contact us today and let’s get your website working as hard as you do.