When Bryon McCartney of Archmark joined me on the podcast this week, we dug into a subject that impacts every small firm: your website. If you think of your website as an online brochure or a digital portfolio, you’re already behind. In 2025, your site is your single most important business development tool. And if it’s not showing up in search, it may as well not exist at all.
The problem is that search engines are always changing. What worked in 2019 may not work today. In fact, what worked a year ago may already be outdated. The fundamentals of SEO haven’t changed—clear titles, strong descriptions, content-rich pages—but the way search engines measure and rank your site evolves constantly. That’s why it’s critical for architects to review and confirm their websites are optimized for today’s technology.
This conversation with Bryon revealed some sobering statistics, but also offered practical, easy-to-implement steps that every architect can use to improve their website. Here are my top takeaways.
Visibility is Everything
Your website can be beautiful, filled with award-winning projects and elegant layouts. But if it can’t be found, it’s invisible. Bryon shared research showing that 84% of people researching AEC services check a firm’s website before reaching out. Even if you rely on referrals, potential clients are still going to your site to confirm the referral was valid.
And here’s the kicker: 83% said they have eliminated a firm from consideration based on their website. Not because of bad design, but because the site didn’t answer their questions, didn’t communicate clearly, or simply didn’t inspire confidence.
Visibility means more than having a site online. It means showing up in search results when someone types “residential architect near me” or “modern home architect in (your city).” If you don’t appear in those results, you’re missing out on work.
SEO Has Changed (and Keeps Changing)
Ten years ago, SEO was a checklist of keywords and links. Today it’s much more complex. Google uses hundreds of signals—page speed, accessibility, content depth, usability on mobile, and more.
In 2019, Bryon’s team audited around 300 firm websites. In their latest report, they expanded to over 2,300. The results? Only 1.8% of sites scored above 70 out of 100. That means nearly every architect’s website is underperforming in search.
And remember, that was 2024 data. The landscape has already shifted again in 2025. If you last touched your site’s SEO a few years ago, it’s time to revisit it.
The Basics Still Matter
You don’t need to be an SEO guru to get the basics right. But the basics must be in place. According to Bryon’s report:
- Only 12% of architecture firm websites had proper title tags.
- Only 25% had meta descriptions.
- Only 33% had H1 tags that were correctly set up.
- Only 26% had image alt text (critical for accessibility and search).
These aren’t advanced strategies. They’re the minimum requirements for showing up in search results. If your site is missing these, you’re not even in the game.
Content is Currency
Perhaps the most surprising finding was content. Only 14% of firms had a minimum of 250 words on their homepage. Many had fewer than 50 words.
Search engines rank your site based on words. If your site doesn’t clearly explain who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and why you’re different—in actual text, not just images—you’re invisible.
Think of it this way: your homepage, About page, and Services pages should each have at least 500 words of useful, client-focused content. That doesn’t mean filler text or jargon. It means writing in plain language, directly to your ideal client, explaining how you can help them.
Accessibility is Non-Negotiable
As architects, we are legally and ethically committed to accessibility in the built environment. Yet many of our websites fail at basic accessibility standards. Missing alt text for images not only hurts SEO but also prevents people with vision impairments from understanding your content.
Accessibility isn’t optional. It’s part of good practice, and in 2025, it’s also part of SEO.
Your Website is a Business Tool, Not a Portfolio
This may be the hardest lesson for architects. We love to showcase our work. But potential clients aren’t hiring you because you can replicate a specific project. They want to know whether you understand their needs, whether you’ve solved problems like theirs, and whether you’re a good fit.
Your website should guide visitors through the decision-making funnel:
- Top of funnel: Help them find you (SEO, blogs, resources).
- Middle of funnel: Show them who you are, how you work, and what makes you different.
- Bottom of funnel: Offer clear calls to action so they can contact you.
Your portfolio still matters, but it’s not the first stop. Clients will look at your work after they’ve decided you’re worth considering.
Local SEO: Claim Your Google Business Profile
If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile, do it today. This is the number one way to appear in local search results—the “snack pack” of three firms that appear at the top of Google Maps when someone searches “architect near me.”
Yet in Bryon’s study, only 43% of firms had both their phone number and address on their website—basic information Google needs to verify your business. Shockingly, a third of firms had neither. Without this, you’re essentially invisible in local search.
The Payoff of Good SEO
Here’s the difference good SEO makes: firms in the bottom quartile of scores (42 or below) averaged 74 visits per month. Firms in the top quartile (58–81) averaged 335 visits per month. That’s 4.5 times more traffic.
More traffic means more visibility, more leads, and ultimately, more projects.
A Roadmap to Get Started
So what should you do in 2025 to ensure your site is working for you?
- Audit your website. Use a tool to check your title tags, meta descriptions, page speed, and accessibility.
- Add content. Write 500 words for your homepage, About page, and Services pages. Make sure it’s client-focused.
- Fix your basics. Update your title tags, descriptions, H1s, and alt text.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across your site and Google.
- Think beyond design. Your site should be a business development tool, not just a gallery.
- Update regularly. SEO changes constantly. Review your site at least once a year to confirm it’s still optimized.
The Future of SEO for Architects
We are well into the 21st century. Clients are no longer thumbing through printed portfolios. They’re searching online. And search engines keep changing the rules.
As Bryon said, you don’t need to copy what Gensler does. You need to create a client-focused, authentic website that speaks directly to the people you want to work with. Do that, and you’ll rise above the noise, even as SEO evolves.
If your website hasn’t been updated in years—or even if you optimized it once but never checked again—2025 is the year to get serious. Your future clients are already searching. Make sure they can find you.
Listen to the full episode with Bryon McCartney at https://entrearchitect.com/624.
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