7 Common SEO Mistakes Saskatoon Businesses Make — and How to Fix Them

Last month I was grabbing coffee with a client at Broadway Roastery (their dark roast is still the best in the city, fight me) when he asked why his competitor shows up first on Google despite having “a website that looks like it was built in 2002.” Good question!

After helping dozens of small businesses boost their Saskatoon Google rankings – from that little bakery by the Farmer’s Market to those guys who just moved into the old Army & Navy building – I’ve seen the same mistakes killing local search visibility over and over. Here’s what’s hurting most Saskatoon businesses online:

1. Forgetting You’re IN Saskatoon

Had a client on Central Ave who couldn’t figure out why people kept calling asking if they delivered to Regina. Turns out nowhere on their site did it actually say “Saskatoon”! Google had no clue where they were located, destroying their local search visibility. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is a direct ranking factor for local map results.

Fix it yourself:

• Grab your Google Business listing NOW. Add your actual address, photos of your storefront (winter AND summer pics are best), and update your hours religiously. When you’re closed on Canada Day, update it!
• Mention neighborhoods in your content. Not “serving the local area” – say “serving Hampton Village, Willowgrove and Brighton homes since 2015” instead.
• Name-drop landmarks. “Just 3 blocks from Midtown” or “across from the Forestry Farm” helps both Google and confused customers find you in Saskatoon searches.

2. Using Fancy Words Nobody Searches For

Met with a contractor last month who kept talking about his “residential exterior renovation services.” Asked how many people search for that exact phrase each month. He had no idea. The answer? Basically zero. Meanwhile, hundreds search for “siding repair Saskatoon” every month.

Fix this mess:

• Use words actual humans type into Google. Nobody in Saskatoon searches for “precipitation removal services” – they search for “snow clearing near me” or “best snow removal Saskatoon.”
• Steal from customers! What words do they use in emails or when they call? Those search terms are gold for small business SEO.
• Get specific about areas – “basement waterproofing Montgomery Place” will bring in better Saskatoon customers than just “waterproofing services.”

3. Your Website Is Phone-Hostile

Holy moly, the number of business owners who’ve never looked at their own site on a phone… Had a client on 8th Street whose “Book Now” button completely disappeared on mobile screens. They were losing hundreds of appointments and tanking their Saskatoon search rankings! Over 60% of Saskatoon search traffic is mobile.

Sort this out:

• RIGHT NOW: Pull up your site on your actual phone. Not a test, not a simulator. Can you easily call, find hours, or contact your business?
• Try completing your contact form with your thumbs while standing up. Impossible? Fix it! Mobile usability directly impacts how high you rank in local searches.
• Is your phone number clickable? It better be – nobody’s memorizing numbers anymore.
• Got a map? Make sure it opens in Google Maps when tapped, not some weird custom map thing that hurts your Saskatoon visibility.

4. Content That Could Be Anywhere, Canada

A law firm on 22nd literally had the sentence “Our tropical location makes us experts in hurricane preparedness” on their website. They’d bought content from some cheap service that clearly reused Florida content for Saskatchewan! Google rewards local relevance for Saskatoon businesses.

Make it local:

• Mention actual Saskatoon problems – like “basement shifting from our gumbo soil” or “protecting vehicles from our brutal -40 cold snaps.”
• Talk about recent local stuff – construction on College Drive affecting your delivery times? Say so! This signals to Google you’re a relevant Saskatoon search result.
• Skip the corporate robot-speak. Write like you talk to customers at the Exhibition.
• Tell stories about real local clients (changing details for privacy, obviously) to boost your Saskatoon SEO credibility.

5. No Local Connections

Had a new client wonder why their competitor ranked better despite a terrible site. Checked their backlinks and found the competitor sponsored every community event in Sutherland while my client’s only online mentions were from random directories. Local links are critical for Saskatoon small business visibility.

Easy wins:

• Join the Chamber already! And Tourism Saskatoon if you serve out-of-towners. These quality backlinks boost how high you rank in Saskatoon searches.
• Sponsor a kid’s sports team or community event. Little Aspen Park community cleanup? Perfect!
• Partner with complementary businesses – like how Night Oven Bakery and Venn Coffee support each other.
• Do cross-promos with other local businesses and mention each other online to strengthen your Saskatoon SEO network.

6. Flying Completely Blind

Asked a client on 2nd Ave how many people visited his site last month. His answer? “Lots, I think.” That’s like trying to drive through Stonebridge construction with your eyes closed! You can’t improve your Saskatoon search rankings if you don’t track what’s working.

Get a clue:

• Set up Google Analytics. It’s free and takes like 15 minutes. This shows exactly how people find you in Saskatoon Google searches.
• Check which pages people actually visit. You might discover your “About” page gets more traffic than anything else.
• Notice weird stuff – like when we found out a Broadway shop got tons of traffic from a random mention in a Toronto blog.
• See which pages make people leave immediately. Something’s broken there that’s hurting your Saskatoon visibility!

7. Slooooooow Website

Tested a site for a shop in Lawson Heights that took 27 seconds to load. No joke. I timed it while drinking an entire coffee. Their hosting was some cheap overseas thing that was slower than dial-up internet at Emma Lake. Page speed directly affects how high you rank in Saskatoon Google searches.

Speed it up:

• Test your site speed with Google PageSpeed. Anything over 3 seconds is losing you customers and killing your small business visibility.
• Those gigantic pictures your nephew took? Resize them before uploading!
• Ask your web person about “caching” and “image optimization” – if they look confused, find someone else who understands Saskatoon SEO tips.
• Consider local hosting. Sometimes those big American hosts route everything through the States, adding precious milliseconds that hurt your Saskatoon search rankings.

Want Some Free Saskatoon SEO  Tips?

We know  you’re busy running your business, not obsessing over Google’s latest algorithm change. That’s our job (sad, I know).
If you’d like, I’m happy to take a quick look at your website and identify areas that need improvement to help you rank higher in Saskatoon Google searches. There’s no sales pitch—just a straightforward review. Feel free to reach out to us.

Get a free, no-obligation SEO audit from our Saskatoon team and see exactly what’s holding your rankings back.
Call us at (306) 500-9081 or book online now.