How do I set up a Google-friendly homepage in WordPress?

Make a real page called "Home," set it as your homepage under Settings > Reading, and write it so it says plainly what you do, where you do it, and how to contact you. Give it one clear main heading, a unique SEO title and description, fast-loading images, and a clickable phone number. Google rewards pages that answer a searcher's question clearly, so write for your customer first.

Step 1: Make a static homepage

By default, some WordPress themes show your latest blog posts on the front page. A business site usually works better with a fixed page.

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Pages > Add New Page.
2. Title it "Home" and publish it (you can fill it in later).
3. Create another page called "Blog" or "News" if you plan to post updates.
4. Go to Settings > Reading.
5. Under Your homepage displays, choose A static page.
6. Set Homepage to "Home" and Posts page to "Blog."
7. Click Save Changes.

Step 2: Write the top of the page

The first screen is what a visitor sees before deciding to stay. Include:

• A main heading (H1) that names your service and area, such as "Plumbing Repair in Bend and Redmond, Oregon." Use only one H1 on the page.
• One or two sentences on who you help and why to call you.
• A phone number that is a link, so it can be tapped on a phone. In the block editor, select the number, click the link button, and type tel: followed by the number, for example tel:+15415550100.
• A button to your contact page or form.

Step 3: Add the sections that answer common questions

Below the top, add short sections with H2 headings:

1. Services: a short list with links to each service page.
2. Service area: the towns you cover.
3. Why us: licenses, years in business, guarantees. Only real facts.
4. Proof: photos of real work and short customer quotes you have permission to use.
5. Contact: phone, email, hours, and a short form.

Step 4: Set the SEO title and description

WordPress uses your page title and site name for the browser title by default. An SEO plugin (such as Yoast SEO, Rank Math or All in One SEO) lets you set a custom title and description per page.

• Title: about 50 to 60 characters, for example "Plumber in Bend, OR | Smith Plumbing."
• Description: one or two plain sentences that would make you click.

Also check Settings > General so your Site Title is your business name.

Step 5: Make sure search engines can see the site

Go to Settings > Reading and make sure Discourage search engines from indexing this site is not checked. This box is sometimes left on after a site is built.

Step 6: Keep it quick and phone-friendly

• Resize big photos before uploading (around 2000 pixels wide is plenty for a banner).
• Avoid sliders with many large images.
• Preview the page on your phone. Can you see what you do and tap to call without scrolling far?

Our guide on WordPress speed basics covers more.

Step 7: Connect it to Google

1. Add your site to Google Search Console and submit your sitemap. WordPress creates one at /wp-sitemap.xml, and many SEO plugins create their own.
2. Put your homepage address on your Google Business Profile, and make sure your business name, phone and town match on both.

What not to do

• Do not stuff the town name into every sentence.
• Do not copy text from a competitor or a template.
• Do not hide text or links. It can hurt you.

Need help?

ParsonsHosting WordPress hosting includes offsite backups three times a week (Monday, Tuesday and Friday). If your site is somewhere else, most moves are free regardless of size; we only quote in advance if your site needs custom server setup. Open a support ticket, which is the best way to reach us, or email support@parsonshosting.com or call 530-710-8726, and see the FAQ.

Written by Chris Parsons, ParsonsHosting. Last updated: October 2026.