Being found on google - help please?

[Baldieheid]

Looking for advice please.

I have a WordPress based website now for my business. Previous website used my host's own site software and my Google ranking was pretty good. However, UK2 stopped their own site building software for dummies, which was pretty easy to use, and I now have to use WordPress.

WordPress is great, except I've completely disappeared from Google searches. I'm a custom designer so I'd expect to appear in searches for designers in my area. I dont. But I used to.

Apparently it's a known issue and there are solutions but I'm struggling to understand what all the "easy fix" blog posts say to do, as it's all so out of my depth. It's about adding lines of code into the operating level of my site, but I'm stumped as to where to place the line, exactly.

I don't want to knacker the whole thing by getting it horribly wrong .

Could anyone please suggest a source of idiot-proof instructions, something pitched at an individual who knows totally nothing about building websites?

Or should I pay someone to do it? In which case, who am I looking for? Is it a website designer? I don't want much done, just to appear on Google.

And, of course, money is tight AF.

I have no helpful suggestions except to say I'm struggling with google too !!

I've always paid to appear in my local area via AdWords but I seem to be spending a fortune for little return after having a new website designed which is frustrating

The web designer keeps encouraging me to increase my budget but I suspect he has no clue what he's doing re AdWords

If you find anywhere that can help I'll be following along !

Silly as this sounds, I'm kind of relieved it's not just me. I'm being left behind by tech now.....

Add your business to Google Maps. Get yourself a Google My Business account and follow the instructions.

Also it's probably worth getting someone to look at your SEO if you can afford it.

Can you check your site is indexed on Google search console and see if that flags any errors?

Have you go Google Business profile set too?

For the ad words poster - what do you sell? Where do you rank for your organic keywords? How competitive is it? I rarely recommend ad words for small businesses. (Marketing agency owner)

It is someone who specialises in search engine optimisation you need (SEO) not a web designer.
Hope that helps.

Thank you, now I know who to look for. Much appreciated!