Guides
Plain answers about your website
Check and look after your own website. No report needed. Written by Sitecomb, for anyone who owns a website.
Found on Google
Why isn't my business showing up on Google?
Often Google hasn't added your site yet, or something on it keeps Google out. You can see which in Google Search Console. A new site can take a few days to a few weeks to be crawled. A noindex tag keeps a page out of Google. A robots.txt block stops Google reading it.
Why isn't my business showing on Google Maps?
Your business appears on Google Maps through a Google Business Profile, which is free. If it's missing, the profile may not exist yet, may still need verifying, or may not match the search. Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence. Nobody can pay Google for a better position.
Works on phones
We checked 34 small-business websites. Most make phone customers wait.
In late September we ran 34 small-business websites through the Sitecomb checker. On a phone test, only one of the 25 we could time showed its main content inside Google's 2.5-second target.
Your website is a first-impression machine
A visitor decides whether to trust your site in about five seconds. Your website makes that decision for you, whether you've thought about it or not.
Safe and secure
How do I check if my website is secure?
Check for the padlock and https:// in the address bar, on your phone as well. Then run your address through SSL Labs' free Server Test to check the certificate. Keep your website software and plugins updated, and turn on two-step sign-in. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC too, so nobody can easily send email as you.
Something broke: your first 30 minutes
Your website has a problem. Before you panic, work through this calmly, in order. Most fixes are simpler than they feel in the first few minutes.
Is your WordPress site affected by the Bricksforge flaw? What to do today
A serious flaw in Bricksforge, an add-on (called a plugin) for WordPress websites, is being used in real attacks. It can let a stranger take over your site, with no password needed. Security firms report attacks since 7 October 2026.
What to keep an eye on every month
Most website problems don't happen suddenly. They creep in. A certificate quietly nears expiry. A plugin drifts out of date. A form fails silently for weeks, and nobody notices.
More guides
A website audit checklist you can do yourself
You don't need to be technical to check your own website. You need fifteen minutes, your phone and this list.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT and other AI assistants?
AI assistants recommend businesses they can find on the web and understand. Let their search crawlers read your website, and say plainly on it what you do and where you do it. Keep your Google Business Profile up to date as well. Google says its AI answers rest on ordinary search ranking, so good SEO still counts.
What does a website audit check, and is it worth paying for?
An audit checks your website the way customers and search engines meet it. It covers security, speed, phones, search basics, legal notices and how customers reach you. Free tools each cover a part. A paid audit is worth it when it puts everything in one report, with a fix for each problem. It helps only if you act on it.
Free website audit tools: which one should I use?
Yes. Google's free PageSpeed Insights tests speed and runs Lighthouse, which also scores accessibility and search basics. Google Search Console shows whether your pages are indexed. SSL Labs tests your security certificate, and WAVE flags accessibility problems. Each covers one part of your site. Google retired its old Mobile-Friendly Test in 2023.
Is there an all-in-one website checker?
Yes. Sitecomb covers security, privacy and legal, page health, phones, contact details and found online, starting with a free quality score.
Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights alternative for website owners
If speed is your only worry, stay with PageSpeed Insights, an excellent free speed test. For the whole site in plain words, use Sitecomb.
GTmetrix alternative that checks the whole website
GTmetrix is a respected speed test, and speed is its main job. If you want the rest of your site checked too, use Sitecomb.
Semrush and Ahrefs Site Audit alternative for website owners
Semrush and Ahrefs Site Audit are thorough tools for search. If you just want to know what's wrong with your own site, use Sitecomb.
Securityheaders.com and Mozilla Observatory alternative
Securityheaders.com and Mozilla Observatory grade your security headers for free. Sitecomb checks headers and the rest of your site's security too.
Google Mobile-Friendly Test replacement: what to use now
Google retired the Mobile-Friendly Test on 1 December 2023. Use Lighthouse, Google's own route now, or Sitecomb's free quality score instead.
SSL Labs alternative for website owners
SSL Labs is a widely used free tool for one job: a deep test of your certificate and connection. Sitecomb checks certificates too, then the whole site.
How do I get my business on ChatGPT?
To get your business on ChatGPT, you claim a free business profile, but only some businesses can yet. If you sell online from your website, you can claim today. Most shops, restaurants and service businesses have to wait. Every business can do one thing now: make sure ChatGPT can read its website.
How do I get my business on AI search?
To get your business on AI search, do two things. Set up the free business profile each company gives you (a listing with your name, address, hours and website), and make sure the assistants can read your website. There's no single sign-up for "AI". Siri, Gemini, Copilot and ChatGPT each take business details from a different place.
Our research: We checked Ireland: how small-business websites compare