You have a website, but is it actually doing anything?
If you’re like many small businesses or budget-strapped organizations, odds are that you inherited your website, built it because you “were supposed to,” or let it gather dust for years. It’s there—but is it doing anything for you?
The good news: You don’t need a marketing department or large budget to find out. You can simply perform some simple (and free) tests to check whether your site is driving your visibility or just sitting in digital limbo.
Step 1: The “Google Yourself” Test
Let’s start with the simple one.
Action: Open up an Incognito or Private browser window (this ensures unbiased results).
Search for your exact business name.
- Check: Do you show up first? Is your Google Business Profile (that little info box on the right) there and current?
- Why this matters: This is your default brand visibility. If people can’t find you by name, that’s a problem.
Now try this:
Put in your service + your city (e.g., “housing Burnaby” or “volunteer Vancouver”).
- Check: Are you showing up in the map section (local pack) or on the front few pages?
- Why it matters: This shows whether newly arriving people seeking your local offerings can even discover you.
Step 2: Google Search Console – Your Free SEO Report Card
Google offers you a method for tracking your SEO—and it’s free.
Where to go: search.google.com/search-console
- Check: Do you have access? Can you view data under “Performance” (clicks, impressions)?
- Red Flag: Without data or access, no one’s tracking your Google search visibility. That’s like flying a plane blindfolded.
- Why this matters: This tool tells you how Google views your site—and whether it even can find your content.
Step 3: Google Analytics – What Are Visitors Doing?
Google search visibility is great, but what are people actually doing when they land on your site?
Where to go: analytics.google.com
- Check: Are you seeing active data? Check under Acquisition > Organic Search—are visitors coming in from Google?
- Why this matters: If your visitors aren’t staying around, clicking on anything, or converting, your site might not be doing its job towards your goals.
No data at all? That’s a missing opportunity for insight.
Step 4: Take a Quick Website Health Scan
Need a 5-minute check-up on your site’s health? Use these free tools:
- Check: How fast is your site on desktop and mobile?
- Why it matters: Slow sites frustrate visitors and hurt your Google rankings.
- Check: Is your site easy to use on a phone?
- Why it matters: Users primarily browse on mobile. If it’s hard to use, they’ll leave you.
- Check: Get a quick overview of your SEO basics—title tags, descriptions, headings, etc.
- Why it matters: They’re vital on-page signals Google depends on to understand and rank your site.
So… Is Your Website Getting Anything Done?
If you ran these tests and came back with:
• Missing data,
• Bad rankings
• Slow load speeds
• Or no SEO insights at all…
Then your website is not doing its job. It might be gorgeous-looking, but if no one can locate it, it’s like having a billboard in the woods.
The good news?
You don’t need to be an internet whiz to start fixing it. All the tools mentioned above are free and beginner-friendly.
Want to Learn More? Here are some helpful reads:
SEO for Non-Profits, Simplify the Donation Process
If you feel like you need more help finding out how your website is performing and how to improve it, schedule a free 1 hour strategy session with us. Let us help you get the good work you do out into the world.
