Your homepage has one job – tell people what you do and who you do it for within 5 seconds.
If it can’t tell your potential clients that, then it’s not going to tell Google that either. And if Google can’t quickly figure out what your business does and who you serve, you’re not ranking for anything useful.
Most B2B homepages fail this test spectacularly. Yours probably does too, and it’s most likely losing you enquiries every single day.
Free on-page SEO healthcheck
The BRUTAL 5-second homepage test
Show your homepage to someone who’s never seen your business before. Give them exactly 5 seconds to look at it, then ask two questions:
- What does this company do?
- Who do they do it for?
If they can’t answer both clearly, your homepage is has a problem.
I’ve run this test with hundreds of B2B websites. The failure rate is embarrassing.
(Don’t know who to ask to do this test? Send me an email and I’ll take a 5 second look.)
Why B2B homepages fail the 5-second test
There are many reasons your homepage could fail the 5 second test, but in the interests of keeping this short, here are just a few:
Vague Mission Statements
“We’re a forward-thinking consultancy providing innovative solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.”
Awesome! Are you management consultants? IT support? Marketing? Business coaches? Nobody has a clue. Vague mission statements that could describe any business in any industry tell visitors absolutely bugger all.
Ego boosting nonsense
“Welcome to ABC Consulting Ltd – Established 1998”
Zzzzz… Nobody cares about your company name or when you started. They want to know if you can solve their problem. Leading with your company credentials instead of what you do for clients is backwards.
Artistic hero image
Lovely photo of your team looking professional with zero context about what you do or where you operate won’t help anyone decide if you’re right for them. Beautiful hero images that say nothing useful are just expensive wallpaper.
Jargon-itis
“Empowering organisational growth via seamless integration of next-generation business intelligence platforms.”
Huh?
You do… something? Maybe? Business jargon that sounds impressive but means nothing will send visitors straight to your competitors who can explain themselves clearly.
What Google sees when humans can’t understand your homepage
If a person can’t figure out what you do in 5 seconds, Google’s having the same bloody problem.
Google needs clear signals about your primary service, who you help, what problems you solve, and where you operate. When your homepage says “innovative digital transformation partner delivering next-generation solutions,” Google doesn’t know whether to rank you for IT services, business consulting, software development, marketing, or something else entirely.
Which means you rank for nothing useful. Or worse, you don’t rank at all.
B2B homepages that pass the 5-second test
Let me show you what does work:
IT Support Company
Homepage H1: “IT Support for Small Businesses”
First paragraph: “We provide computer repair, network management, and cybersecurity services for businesses with 10-50 employees across the UK.”
Within 5 seconds, you know everything – this company offers IT support for small businesses and has UK-wide coverage.
Marketing Consultant
Homepage H1: “Marketing Strategy for B2B SaaS Companies”
First paragraph: “I help B2B software companies generate qualified leads and build predictable revenue through strategic marketing and demand generation.”
Crystal clear. Marketing consultant for B2B SaaS. Focuses on lead generation and revenue.
Law firms
Homepage H1: “Employment Law for Employees”
First paragraph: “We represent employees in unfair dismissal, discrimination, and employment tribunal cases. If your employer has treated you unfairly, we fight for your rights.”
Immediately obvious. Employment lawyers representing employees. Specific case types listed.
How to optimise your homepage for search engines AND visitors
Your homepage needs these elements visible immediately:
H1 heading that includes your service and audience:
- “IT Support for Small Businesses”
- “Marketing Strategy for B2B SaaS Companies”
- “Business Coaching for Service-Based Entrepreneurs”
- “Employment Law for Employees”
First paragraph explaining what you do and problems you solve
- “We help growing tech startups build scalable sales processes, train effective sales teams, and hit ambitious revenue targets.”
Location information if it matters
- If you serve specific areas, mention them. If you work nationally or internationally, say that. Google wants to know where you’re based and who you serve geographically.
Clear next step
- A prominent contact button, phone number, or booking link.
Make it simple. Make it direct. Make it impossible to misunderstand.
Why your “creative” homepage isn’t ranking
I know what you’re thinking. “But that’s so boring! What about standing out? What about brand personality?”
The fundamental fact is that If people can’t figure out what you do, your brand personality is irrelevant. They’re already gone.
You can have personality in the rest of your content, your about page, your blog. But the top of your homepage needs to be super clear about the basics first.
Think of it like a shop front. Before you care about the fancy interior design, you need to know whether it’s a café? A bookshop? A dry cleaners?
Your homepage is your shop front. Make it obvious what you’re selling.
Test your homepage right now
Let’s go back to the beginning of this article – the brutal 5 second test.
Find someone who doesn’t know your business. Show them your homepage for exactly 5 seconds (use a timer). Then ask:
- “What does this company do?”
- “Who do they do it for?”
If they hesitate, get it wrong, or give vague answers, you’ve found your problem. And it’s costing you rankings, traffic, and customers.
What to do if your homepage fails
Fixing a failing homepage isn’t complicated.
- Rewrite your H1 to include your main service and who you serve.
- Rewrite your first paragraph to clearly explain what you do and the specific problems you solve.
- Make sure your target audience is crystal clear. Add location information if it’s relevant to your business.
- Add a clear call-to-action.
Most of these changes take 30 minutes to implement. But the impact on your search rankings can be dramatic.
The 5-second test is just one part of effective homepage SEO. My mahoosive (technical term) B2B Website On-Page SEO Health Check covers homepage clarity, title tags that get clicks, content structure that ranks, and a whole load of other things holding back your search rankings.
Download your free SEO health check by clicking below and I’ll also send you 10 days of practical non-wanky email tips showing you how to fix each area.
