Is your business invisible online?

Last month I was scrolling through my phone, hoping to see a comment or a DM about the new line of scented candles I’d just launched. Nothing. Not a single ping. I even Googled my own shop name and the first page was a blank canvas of unrelated ads. It hit me like a cold splash: my business was basically invisible online, even though I’d poured my heart into every product.

Why I realized my brand was a ghost online

It wasn’t a technical glitch or a bad internet connection. The problem was deeper – my website barely loaded in a few seconds, my Instagram account had three posts from last year, and I didn’t even have a Google My Business profile. In other words, I was showing up nowhere anyone was looking. That realization felt like discovering I’d been shouting into an empty room.

Three wake‑up signs that scream invisibility

• Zero traffic from search engines after weeks of publishing new blog posts.
• Friends asking if you even have a website because they can’t find you online.
• Social media accounts that look like a dusty attic—no likes, no comments, no followers.

What I tried to pull myself out of the shadows

I started with a quick SEO audit using a free tool. Turns out my primary keyword – “hand‑poured soy candles” – never showed up in my meta tags. I rewrote the titles, added alt text to every product photo, and sprinkled the phrase naturally throughout the descriptions. Then I gave my Instagram a makeover: a consistent color palette, daily stories showing the candle‑making process, and a few reels that actually got shared. Finally, I claimed my Google My Business listing, encouraged happy customers to leave a review, and responded to each one with a personal thank‑you.

“Visibility isn’t magic; it’s a habit of showing up where your audience hangs out.”

A quick checklist to stop being invisible

• Optimize every page title and meta description with a clear, searchable phrase.
• Post at least three times a week on the platform where your ideal customer spends time.
• Gather at least five genuine reviews on Google and respond to each within 24 hours.
• Make sure your website loads under three seconds and looks great on a phone.
• Set up Google Analytics, check the dashboard weekly, and tweak one thing based on the data.

Since I started ticking those boxes, I’ve seen my site climb from page five to page one for “soy candles near me,” my Instagram followers jumped from three to over a hundred, and I actually got a message from a boutique wanting to stock my candles. The feeling of finally being seen? Absolutely priceless.