Is your website not ranking as high as you’d like on Google? It’s a common frustration for website owners. There are many reasons why your website is not ranking, and statistically, more than one likely applies to yours. If you’re here, you’re probably looking to diagnose the issues and rectify them so you can reap the benefits of SEO growth. The good news is that most ranking issues have identifiable causes and actionable solutions. If the DIY approach feels overwhelming, Solve Graphics can provide expert help.
Why Isn’t My Website Ranking on Google?
Many factors influence a website’s ranking on Google. The search engine uses over 200 ranking factors. New websites take time to build authority and earn visibility, especially in competitive industries. Technical issues can prevent your pages from being indexed, which means they won’t appear in search results at all. Remember, SEO is a process, not a quick fix. Set realistic expectations and focus on long-term improvement. If there are issues, you can start to improve your content and identify some of the problem areas.
Understanding Google’s Ranking Factors
Google’s complex algorithm considers various ranking factors when determining where your website appears in search results. Things like site speed, backlink quality, and even user experience all contribute to how well your content performs in search results. Optimizing your website for these ranking factors is essential to rank higher and improve your website’s ranking. The importance of user experience is constantly increasing.
The Importance of Website Authority
Technical Issues Affecting Visibility
Technical SEO plays a crucial role in your website’s ranking. An audit assesses the health, performance and speed of a website in great detail, giving insight into technical issues that could be damaging your site’s organic visibility. Use the outcome of your audit as the roadmap for SEO improvements before you start to look at optimising content or creating more. Technical foundations must be stable to rank; think of it as the runway before your content takes off. Technical issues could prevent it from appearing in the search results completely. You could have conflicting plugins causing problems, and we’ve also seen some themes that prevent Google from indexing your site. Local search visibility
9 Reasons Your Website Isn’t Ranking
Your Website Is Too New
If your website isn’t ranking as quickly as you hoped, one common reason might be its age. If you’ve only just started out, it’s unrealistic to expect the same results as competitors who’ve been in your industry for years or even decades. SEO (search engine optimisation) takes time! Once you launch your website, it’ll genuinely take a few months or even a year before it starts gaining traction and for search engines to actually trust it, even if you’ve optimised everything correctly. SOLUTION: be patient, and start fixing the other reasons why your website isn’t ranking. If you check and find your site is not on Google yet, you can install Yoast SEO and submit the generated XML sitemap to Google Search Console to help Google discover your website. If your site or page is new, it might simply be a matter of chilling out and checking back in a little while. Sometimes, it takes days or maybe even weeks for Google to finish its discovery process.
Your Site Isn’t Indexed
Indexation is one of the most common reasons a website doesn’t rank in search results. If you want to appear in search results, you have to enter a search engine’s index. If you need help determining whether your site is on Google, you can use the site: search operator in Google. A quick test for index issues is a site search in your Internet browser, like site:example.com. Your results will show which pages Google has in its index. To identify the issue, you must examine the Index Coverage report in Google Search Console.
Poor Keyword Targeting
If your website struggles to rank, you could be targeting keywords that are out of your depth and impossible to rank for. Your website’s content strategy needs to focus on relevant but realistic terms, especially if you have a particularly new or low-authority website. Instead, go after low competition keywords. If you optimize your content for competitive keywords and keyphrases, such as [cat behavior], [robot vacuum cleaner], or [real estate agent], chances are high that you won’t rank for that term. Probably, your site doesn’t have the authority that these other sites have (yet). To rank for highly competitive terms, try a long-tail keyword strategy.
Thin or Low-Quality Content
Another common reason why your website isn’t ranking well on Google relates to your content. Low-quality content or content that doesn’t match search intent is another reason your website isn’t ranking. Use a site crawl with Screaming Frog, which is free for up to 500 URLs, to generate a thin and duplicate content report. If you have thin content, look for ways to make your content more helpful and improve the user experience.
Technical SEO Issues
If your content is optimised but not ranking, or Google is ranking the wrong pages from your site, it could be because you need to improve your site structure or fix your orphaned content. A lack of speed can affect your website’s ranking. Use free speed tests like Pingdom to see if website speed is the issue. If your business website takes longer than 3 seconds to load, over half of its visitors will bounce away. Run a mobile-friendly test, and implement those changes.
No Backlinks or Poor Link Profile
One of the common reasons why your website isn’t ranking on Google is probably that you haven’t got many backlinks. Backlinks are a key ranking factor, and your backlink profile can affect your website’s ability to rank in search results. Creating high-quality content is a good strategy to get links to your pages, and you can reach out to other websites to get more backlinks. A free backlink checker can also help you analyze your profile.
Poor On-Page SEO
Poor On-Page SEO can prevent your website from ranking. If none of the above reasons fit your page, check its on-page optimisation for unoptimized title tags, meta descriptions, and headings. Poor formatting with long paragraphs and grammar errors, and keyword stuffing can all prevent your website’s ranking. If you optimise your content for competitive keywords and keyphrases, chances are high that you won’t rank for that term.
Your Competitors Are Stronger
If your competitors are stronger, this can prevent your website ranking well. Check the search results pages for your target keyword to determine if this is the problem. Do high authority sites like Wikipedia or Amazon dominate the first page? Do you see many sites already firmly established in this niche? Probably, your site doesn’t have the authority that these other sites have (yet). So you can optimize all you want, but unfortunately, that’s not enough to rank high in the search results if your niche is too competitive.
Google Algorithm Updates
In some cases, search engine algorithm updates can also be responsible for your website not ranking. Tools like Rank Ranger, Semrush Sensor, and CognitiveSEO can help you monitor the impact of an algorithm update. If you’re practicing white-hat SEO and taking a user-first approach to search engine optimization, it’s unlikely you’ll see a dramatic impact from an algorithm update.
Manual Penalty
A website penalty from Google can also remove your site from search results. Log in to Google Search Console to see if you have a penalty. If you do, Google will provide instructions on what to do next. If Google catches you using shady SEO techniques that it doesn’t allow — e.g., sneaky tactics like buying links or stuffing keywords into hidden text — your page or site can be penalized. You can check whether Google has flagged your page for these problems in the Manual Actions tab in Google Search Console (GSC).
How to Diagnose Your Ranking Problems
Before you panic and take impulsive actions, it’s important to use SEO tools to identify any potential issues. A systematic approach is essential to understand why your website isn’t ranking and to implement effective improvement strategies. Start with the basics and then dive deeper into more advanced analysis.
Check Indexing Status
Head to Google Search Console (GSC) to check the page’s indexing status, crawl errors, and any manual actions. If your page isn’t indexed, you can opt to submit it for crawling via the URL Inspection Tool. Use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console to determine how specific pages are doing. This tool also provides insights into how Google perceives your page. It tells you exactly how Google crawls and views your site and how it can get your website ranking well. Make use of Google’s services.
Review Errors in Google Search Console
Examine the Index Coverage report in Google Search Console. If you notice many pages falling under “Error” or “Excluded,” it’s time to investigate further. One of the most common errors is ‘Crawled – currently not indexed’ in Search Console. Addressing these errors can improve your website’s visibility and boost its ranking potential. The Index Coverage report can help you identify and fix indexing problems.
Conduct a Technical SEO Audit
If you’ve noticed that your entire website is struggling to rank for keywords, it’s also worth running a site audit. A comprehensive analysis of the website’s technical aspects can reveal underlying issues that are impacting its overall performance. These technical issues can reduce your page speed. Technical SEO can identify errors or problems, and help get your website ranking higher.
How to Fix a Website That’s Not Ranking
Address Technical Issues First
First, fix the underlying technical issues affecting your website. Resolve crawl errors and indexing problems identified in Google Search Console to ensure your website pages can be properly accessed and understood by search engines. Improve site speed and mobile friendliness to enhance user experience, as these are significant ranking factors. Submit an updated sitemap to help Google recognise changes and get your website ranking well.
Enhance Your Content Quality
Next, improve your content by targeting realistic keywords and addressing poor quality. Create deeper, more valuable content that aligns with search intent to ensure user engagement and relevance. High quality content isn’t just about length; it’s about providing genuine value to the user and fulfilling their search query comprehensively. Focus on creating unique, valuable content that provides genuine user engagement to boost your website’s ranking.
Build Quality Backlinks
Next, build quality backlinks to strengthen your website’s authority. Earn links from reputable local and industry sources to signal trust and relevance to search engines. Remove or disavow toxic links to protect your website’s ranking. Creating incredible high-quality content is a good reason to get your website more links to your page. You can also reach out to other websites to get your website more backlinks.
Strengthen On-Page SEO
Strengthen your On-Page SEO to improve your website’s ranking. Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, and headings with relevant keywords to tell search engines what your page is about. Add internal links between related pages to improve site navigation and distribute link equity. Based on your on-page SEO audit, you can make any necessary improvements and re-submit your URL.
Patience and Consistency in SEO
SEO takes time, so be patient and consistent in your efforts to improve your website’s ranking. Track progress monthly, not daily, to assess the effectiveness of your SEO strategy and make necessary adjustments. Don’t get discouraged by short-term fluctuations; focus on long-term growth and sustainable ranking improvements. Give yourself time, but, in the meantime, set yourself up for success by ensuring that you’re not making any other of the reasons why your website isn’t ranking.
When to Call in SEO Experts
Indicators of Needing Professional Help
You may need professional SEO help if you’ve tried fixes, but nothing’s working, you don’t have time to manage SEO yourself, or your competitors are pulling further ahead. If you’ve been hit by a penalty or algorithm update, or you need faster, more reliable search results, it’s time to consider SEO experts. The importance of these issues should not be understated.
When DIY Isn’t Enough
DIY SEO is limited and may not be sufficient for complex technical issues or highly competitive keywords. Professional SEO services can provide in-depth analysis, customised strategies, and proven tactics to get your website ranking. While DIY SEO can be a good starting point, there comes a time when professional expertise is necessary to achieve significant and sustainable ranking improvements. If your website content isn’t ranking and you are struggling to get it to, professional help is a great solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for a new website to rank?
It’s a common question: how long until your new website achieves a high ranking? Typically, content may take a few weeks to a few months to rank (and rank well) in search results. The time it takes for a new website to rank on Google can vary widely, depending on the competitor landscape and your SEO strategy. Building authority and demonstrating content freshness take time.
Why did my website ranking drop suddenly?
There are many reasons why your website’s ranking might suddenly drop. These can limit your website’s visibility. A common cause is a Google search engine algorithm update, which can significantly impact search results. Other reasons include technical issues, a poor link profile, or competitors implementing stronger SEO strategies. Regular monitoring of your website’s performance is crucial to quickly identify and address the underlying problem.
Can I rank without backlinks?
While it’s technically possible to rank for very low-competition keywords without backlinks, it’s highly unlikely for most search terms. Backlinks remain a critical ranking factor, acting as votes of confidence from other websites. A strong backlink profile signals to search engines that your website’s content is trustworthy and valuable. Without them, your competitors with better link profiles will likely outrank you, diminishing your website’s visibility.
Is my website penalised by Google?
A manual penalty from Google can severely limit your website’s ranking. Check Google Search Console for any manual actions or notifications indicating a penalty. Penalties are typically issued for violating Google’s webmaster guidelines, such as using black-hat SEO techniques or having poor-quality content. Addressing the issue that caused the penalty and submitting a reconsideration request is necessary to regain your website’s visibility in search results.
How do I check if my website is indexed?
A quick test for index issues is a site search in your Internet browser, like site:example.com. Your results will show which pages Google has in its index. Alternatively, you can visit Google Search Console, enter your affected URL, and view its index status. This can help you identify indexing problems. Verifying that your pages appear in search results is a crucial step in diagnosing ranking issues.
Should I pay for SEO or do it myself?
DIY SEO can be sufficient for basic fixes and improvements, but professional SEO services often deliver faster and more reliable results, especially for competitive keywords or complex technical issues. If you’re struggling to get your website’s content ranking or don’t have the time or expertise to manage SEO effectively, hiring SEO experts can be a worthwhile investment to improve your website’s ranking.
Get Your Website Ranking Again
Fixable Ranking Problems
Many ranking problems have easy fixes that can greatly enhance your website’s ranking. Improving on-page SEO, creating high-quality content, and fixing technical issues are all actionable steps you can take. A high-quality content strategy needs to focus on relevant but realistic terms, especially if you have a new website. Remember, addressing these issues can significantly boost your website’s ranking.
We offer a Free SEO Audit
If you’re not sure what’s holding your website back, we offer a free SEO audit. Our analysis will identify the reasons why your website is not ranking and provide actionable strategies for improvement. A free SEO audit is a valuable step in understanding the SEO issues that need to be addressed. We’ll show you exactly what’s wrong and how to fix it to improve your website ranking.
Call to Action for Assistance
Ready to get your website ranking well? Don’t let poor website performance hold you back. If you’re struggling to get your website ranking well and need expert assistance, we’re here to help. Contact us today for a comprehensive analysis and customised strategy to boost your website’s ranking, improve your website ranking, and achieve your online goals. A strong SEO strategy can significantly boost your website’s ranking.
