The Grow Leads blog
More clients,
without the hype.
Straight-talking notes from Blair Cartwright on websites for local businesses, local SEO, online reviews and getting found, no jargon, no hard sell.
The free half of your Google listing that most businesses never fill in
Your Google Business Profile has a lot more to it than a name, a number and some opening hours. Most of it is free, most businesses leave it blank, and it's the thing customers actually read before choosing you.
Read itHow much should a small business website cost in 2026?
Somewhere between £240 and £10,000, which is a useless answer. Here's what's actually behind the spread, what each option really gets you, and the question worth asking before the price.
Read itDo you actually need a website if you've got a Facebook page?
A lot of local businesses run everything through Facebook or Instagram, and honestly it works. But there are three jobs a social page can't do, and one of them is the reason people can't find you.
Read itWord of mouth is brilliant. It's also quietly costing you the best work.
Nearly every small business owner I speak to says they don't need a website because all their work comes through word of mouth. They're half right. Here's the half that's costing them money.
Read itWill AI search actually send you customers?
People are starting to ask ChatGPT and Gemini for recommendations instead of Googling. Here's the honest picture of what that means for a local business, minus the scare tactics.
Read itHow to get more Google reviews (and why they matter more than your website)
Reviews are usually the first thing a new customer reads about you, and often the thing that decides it. Here's how to get more of them, without being awkward or breaking Google's rules.
Read itThe 5 things every local business website actually needs
Forget the fancy extras. These are the five things that actually decide whether your website wins you the customer, plus a few things you can happily ignore.
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