Swiss SEO: 7 Mistakes blocking your business on Google (and how to fix them)

Hi! I'm Aleksei Torrieri, and I help businesses and professionals grow through digital marketing.

Do you have a fantastic business in Switzerland, offering quality products or services, but you're haunted by one question: "Why can't customers find me on Google?" Maybe you've tried searching for your profession followed by your city's name, but your site is nowhere to be seen, while your competitors are right there on the first page.

Don't panic. It's a much more common problem than you think, and the good news is that it can be fixed. Often, the cause is a few small mistakes that, once you spot them, you can easily correct.

Are you ready? In this simple and practical guide, I'll show you the 7 most common mistakes I see businesses make in the Swiss market. More importantly, I'll explain step-by-step how to fix them to finally start getting found by your potential customers. No complicated jargon, I promise!

Table of contents

• Mistake 1: Your Google Business Profile is... abandoned
• Mistake 2: You're speaking to everyone, so you're speaking to no one (Keywords)
• Mistake 3: Your website is painfully slow
• Mistake 4: You're using automatic translators for other national languages
• Mistake 5: No one in the Swiss web is "talking" about you (Backlinks)
• Mistake 6: You forgot about people on their smartphones
• Mistake 7: You're not creating useful content for locals
• Conclusion and your next step

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Mistake 1: Your Google Business Profile is... abandoned

You know that box with the map that appears on Google when you search for a local business? That's your Google Business Profile listing (it used to be called Google My Business). It is the most powerful FREE tool for local SEO. The biggest mistake is creating it and then forgetting about it.

Why is it a mistake? An incomplete or outdated profile tells Google, "This business might not be relevant anymore." As a result, it will show your more "active" competitors instead.

How to fix it (in 5 minutes):

• Claim your profile: If you haven't already, claim your listing. Google will send you a postcard or a code to confirm that the address is yours.
• Complete EVERY field: Enter your opening hours, phone number, website, and service categories. Be precise!
• Add quality photos: Show your shop, your products, your team. Photos attract customers.
• Ask for reviews: Invite your happy customers to leave you a 5-star review. Reviews are gold for local SEO! Always reply to them, even the negative ones.

Mistake 2: You're speaking to everyone, so you're speaking to no one (Keywords)

Many business owners think, "My service is for everyone!" So, on their website, they use generic terms like "business consulting" or "clothing store."

Why is it a mistake? You're competing with thousands of businesses across Switzerland (and beyond!). A user doesn't search for "restaurant"; they search for "restaurant with grotto in Lugano".

How to fix it:

• Think like your customer: what exact words would they use to find you?
• Add the location to your main keywords.
  • Not "emergency plumber," but "emergency plumber Mendrisio".
  • Not "dental office," but "pediatric dental office Chiasso".
• Use these keywords in your page titles, descriptions, and texts on your website.

Mistake 3: Your website is painfully slow

A user clicks on your site and has to wait more than 3-4 seconds for it to load. What do they do? They close the tab and move on to your competitor. It's that simple.

Why is it a mistake? Speed is a critical factor for both user experience and Google rankings. A slow site gets penalized.

How to fix it:

• Compress your images: Photos are often very heavy and slow everything down. Use free online tools like TinyPNG to make them "lighter" before uploading them to your site.
• Check your speed: Use Google's free tool, PageSpeed Insights. Just enter your website's link, and it will tell you how fast it is and where you need to improve.

Mistake 4: You're using automatic translators for other national languages

Having a website in Italian, German, and French is an excellent idea for the Swiss market. Using Google Translate to do it is a terrible idea.

Why is it a mistake? Automatic translations are often clumsy, inaccurate, and sound unprofessional. A potential customer from Zurich or Geneva will notice immediately, and you will lose their trust.

How to fix it:

• Invest in professional translations. Consider it an investment to reach a much larger market. It's better to have one well-done Italian site than three poorly translated versions.
• Use "hreflang" tags: This is a small piece of code that tells Google, "Hey, this page is the German version of that Italian page." It helps the search engine show the right language to the right user. If you're not familiar with this, ask the person who built your website.

Mistake 5: No one in the Swiss web is "talking" about you (Backlinks)

A "backlink" is simply a link to your site from another website. For Google, every backlink is like a recommendation.

Why is it a mistake? If no quality Swiss websites link to yours, Google sees you as having little authority. It’s like being an excellent professional with no one to vouch for you.

How to fix it:

• Get listed in local directories: Register your business on reputable Swiss directories (e.g., local.ch).
• Collaborate with other local businesses: Do you run a B&B? Ask a nearby restaurant to add a link to your site on theirs (and offer to do the same).
• Contact a local blog: If you're a sporting goods store, propose writing an article together with a Ticino hiking blog.

Mistake 6: You forgot about people on their smartphones

Most local searches happen on a mobile phone, perhaps while someone is out and about. If your website is hard to read on a small screen, you've lost a customer.

Why is it a mistake? Google prioritizes "mobile-friendly" sites. If yours isn't, you'll be pushed to the bottom of the search results when a user searches from their smartphone.

How to fix it:

• Do a simple test: Grab your smartphone and browse your own website. Is the text easy to read without zooming in? Are the buttons easy to tap with a finger? Does the menu open correctly? If the answer is no, you need to take action.

Mistake 7: You're not creating useful content for locals

You have a blog on your site, but you only talk about your products. That's a missed opportunity.

Why is it a mistake? People don't just search for products; they search for solutions to problems or useful information. If you become a trusted resource for them, they will remember you when they are ready to buy.

How to fix it:

• Create content that answers the questions of your local audience.
  • If you sell hiking gear, write an article on "The 5 best hiking trails in the Capriasca region".
  • If you run a cleaning company, write a guide on "How to prepare your home for winter in Locarno".
  • Become the go-to expert in your industry... in your local area!

Are you ready to get found?

As you can see, SEO for the Swiss market isn't black magic, but it does require attention to details that are specific to our region. Correcting just two or three of these mistakes can make a huge difference in your online visibility.

Start with one point, whichever seems easiest to you, and you'll see that the first results won't be long in coming.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed or want an expert opinion on where to start?

No problem, that's my job. If you'd like, I'm offering you a free, preliminary SEO analysis of your website. I'll review your situation and give you a couple of practical, personalized tips to start improving right away.

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Write me an e-mail on consulting@alekseitorrieri.ch

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I hope you found this guide helpful!

Best, Aleksei Torrieri

2025©