Your Phone Stopped Ringing: What Happened?
It’s a nightmare scenario for any Brisbane business owner. You’ve been getting a steady stream of enquiries from Google for months, and then suddenly, the tap turns off. You check your website, and you’re nowhere to be found. Your competitors—some of whom don't even have a physical shop in Chermside or Indooroopilly—are suddenly sitting at the top of the pile.
When Google changes the way it ranks websites, it can feel like they’ve moved the goalposts in the middle of a grand final. Most marketing people call this an "algorithm update." In plain English, it just means Google changed its mind about what a "good" website looks like.
At Local Marketing Group, we’ve seen this happen to dozens of local businesses. We’ve worked with a landscaper in Carindale who lost 60% of his leads overnight because his website was seen as "thin." We’ve also seen a law firm in the CBD get crushed because they were trying to trick the system.
If you've lost your rankings, you have three real choices. I’m going to break them down based on what they cost, how long they take, and whether they actually put money back in your pocket.
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Strategy 1: The "Wait and See" Approach (The Most Expensive Mistake)
Many business owners are told by their current "web guy" to just wait it out. The logic is that Google might change its mind again and your rankings will magically return.
The Reality: I’ll be blunt: this is rubbish advice. In the last three years, we have tracked data across hundreds of Australian industries. When Google drops a site significantly, it’s usually for a reason. Waiting for it to fix itself is like waiting for a leak in your roof to stop by itself. It won’t; it’ll just rot the ceiling.
Cost: The cost of lost sales. If your website usually brings in $10,000 of work a month and you wait three months, that’s $30,000 gone. Timeline: Infinite. Usually, nothing happens. Verdict: A complete waste of time. If you aren't showing up for customers ready to buy, your competitors are eating your lunch.
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Strategy 2: The "Quick Fix" (Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain)
You’ll find plenty of people online promising to get you back to page one in 48 hours for $500. They usually do this by buying thousands of dodgy links or using software to generate fake traffic to your site.
The Reality: Google is smarter than a $500 software package. These "black hat" tactics might give you a tiny bump for a week, but then Google will find out and potentially ban your website from search results entirely. We once spoke to a mechanic in Moorooka who tried this; his domain was so badly flagged by Google that he had to buy a brand-new web address and start his entire online reputation from scratch. It cost him years of progress.
Cost: Low upfront ($500–$1,000), but potentially catastrophic for your brand. Timeline: 1–2 weeks of results, followed by a permanent crash. Verdict: Don't do it. It’s gambling with your livelihood.
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Strategy 3: The "Quality Overhaul" (The Only Way That Works)
This is the analytical approach. If Google dropped your rankings, it’s because they decided your website isn't as helpful to users as it used to be. To fix it, you need to look at the data and see where you’re failing. Usually, it comes down to three things: speed, trust, and helpfulness.
1. Make Your Site Helpful
Often, businesses lose rankings because their pages are too short and don't actually answer the customer's questions. If you have ten pages that only have two paragraphs of text each, Google sees that as "low value." We’ve found that short blog posts often do more harm than good. You need to provide real, detailed information that proves you are the expert in your field.2. Prove You Are Real and Local
Google loves local businesses that have a real presence. If your website doesn't clearly show your Brisbane address, your local phone number, and real photos of your team, Google might lose trust in you. This is where a solid introduction to SEO becomes vital. It’s not about tricks; it’s about making sure Google can verify you are who you say you are.3. Fix the Technical "Gunk"
Does your website work on phones? Does it load in under three seconds? If a customer in a North Lakes shopping centre tries to open your site and it takes ten seconds to load, they’ll leave. Google knows this, and they will penalise you for it.Cost: Moderate to High ($2,000–$5,000+ depending on the damage). You are paying for an expert's time to find the errors and fix them. Timeline: 3 to 6 months. Google is slow to forgive, but once you prove you’ve fixed the issues, the traffic comes back—and it’s usually more profitable than before. Verdict: This is the only way to build a business that lasts.
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Comparison Table: Which Path Should You Take?
| Feature | Wait and See | The Quick Fix | Quality Overhaul |
|---|---|---|---|
| Likelihood of Success | Near Zero | Very Low (Temporary) | High |
| Risk Level | High (Lost Revenue) | Extreme (Site Ban) | Low |
| Business Value | None | Negative | Increases Asset Value |
| Best For | No one | Scammers | Serious Business Owners |
What Should You Do First?
If you’ve noticed your enquiries have dried up, don't panic, but don't ignore it either. Here is the exact checklist I’d give a mate if their business was in this spot:
1. Check your Google Business Profile: Is your phone number correct? Are you still showing up on the map? Sometimes the issue is just your map listing, not your whole website. 2. Look at your competitors: Search for your main service (e.g., "Plumber Brisbane"). Who is at the top? Look at their website. Is it faster than yours? Does it have more information? If their site looks more professional and helpful, that’s why they are winning. 3. Audit your content: Do you actually have pages that explain every service you offer in detail? Or do you just have one "Services" page with a bulleted list? Google can't rank a list; it ranks helpful information. 4. Check your site on your phone: Open your website on your mobile while you're out and about. If it’s slow, clunky, or hard to read, that’s your first fix.
The Reality of Google in 2024
Most of what you read online about "beating the algorithm" is total nonsense. Google has one goal: to show the best possible business to the person searching. If you want to be at the top, you have to be* the best business in your niche—at least in Google's eyes.
This isn't about technical jargon or "meta tags." It’s about building a digital version of your business that is just as professional and reliable as you are in person. Recovering from a drop in rankings isn't about finding a loophole; it's about cleaning up your act and proving to Google that you deserve those customers.
It takes time and it takes an investment, but compared to the cost of a phone that never rings, it’s the cheapest marketing you’ll ever do.
Ready to get your rankings back? At Local Marketing Group, we don't do "quick fixes." We help Brisbane businesses build solid foundations that Google loves. If you’re tired of guessing why your traffic disappeared, let’s have a straight-talk conversation about how to fix it.