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Based on 28 years and
3,212,407 hours of expertise
6 Reasons Your Website Isn’t Ranking on Google
Why isn’t my site ranking?
- Indexing issues
- Website penalties
- Keyword competition
- Little to no backlinks
- Weak content
- Pesky Google algorithms
How To Help Your Website Rank in Google Search Results
1. Indexation
1. Indexation
Problem: To appear in search results, your site must be entered into a search engine’s index, or database. Search engines like Google use this index to populate search engine results pages (SERPs) with websites. So, if your site isn’t submitted for indexing, there’s a solid chance search engines haven’t acknowledged it in the first place, leading to no search engine visibility or rankings.
Solution: If your website isn’t ranking, start by checking your site for indexing issues. You can do this a few different ways — first, perform a site search in Google by typing in “site:example.com.” The results will show what pages Google has in its index. Or, enter your URL into Google Search Console and check your site’s index status there.
Once you check the status of your site, you may find issues like outdated noindex directives or robots.txt files. You can easily fix these issues by updating them according to your website’s setup. You can do this yourself with the help of a search engine optimization (SEO) tool, or you can enlist the help of a developer.
WebFX Approach
- We evaluate your website by conducting a technical analysis and opportunity report, which identifies any website issues and opportunities to improve your site’s functionality and ranking ability.
- We optimize the technical aspects of your website that impact ranking ability and indexability, including robots.txt files, XML sitemaps, information architecture, and more.
2. Penalties
2. Penalties
Problem: Penalties arise when Google catches a website using black-hat SEO tactics that violate search engine guidelines and policies. As a result, penalized sites are hit with lower rankings or can even be removed from search engines altogether. Some common Google penalties include:
- Keyword stuffing
- Website or content hacks
- Poor-quality content that offers no value to audiences
- Low-quality or inorganic backlinks
- And more
Solution: Google penalties are rare, but it never hurts to make sure you don’t have one plaguing your site. To see if you have any penalties, log in to Google Search Console and check your status. If you find that you have a penalty, simply follow Google’s instructions and tips to fix it. Then, submit a reconsideration request to Google.
WebFX Approach
- Our team of in-house SEO experts will provide you with actionable SEO recommendations, whether you’re facing a Google penalty or looking to boost your campaign’s performance.
- From technical optimizations to generating traction for your content off-site, our team of SEOs is equipped with the knowledge, experience, and technology to help you optimize your site for better rankings.
3. Keywords
3. Keywords
Problem: Another reason your website isn’t ranking is that you’re targeting high-competition keywords.
When people use search engines, they enter specific words or phrases to find the information they seek. Keywords that receive more searches generate more traffic and, in turn, are much harder to rank for due to competition levels.
Solution: If keyword competition is affecting your site’s ability to rank in search results, you can fix the issue by pivoting your keyword strategy to long-tail keywords with less competition.
Long-tail keywords imply a much more specific search intent than high-competition keywords, meaning you can target searchers who are actively looking for something specific. With lower competition levels, you’ll have a much easier time ranking for these keywords and can start to build a stronger search engine presence.
WebFX Approach
- We examine your business, industry, and audience to pinpoint keywords valuable to your campaign, including developing buyer personas.
- From short- to long-tail keywords, we’ll help you develop an extensive keyword list to target using our 25+ years of experience and industry-leading keyword research technology.
- We’ll help you strategically map out keyword placement across your website to draw relevant traffic and increase ranking ability.
4. Backlinks
4. Backlinks
Problem: Your backlink profile is another element that factors into your site’s ability to rank higher in search results. Backlinks act as roadways from other websites to yours, and the types of backlinks you earn reflect on you. Backlinks from spammy websites or sketchy link-building tactics, like buying links, can hurt your site’s ranking ability.
Solution: Start improving your backlink authority by using backlink tools like Ahrefs and Semrush to check your backlink profile and identify areas of opportunity.
Then, start improving your chances of earning backlinks by positioning your site as a trusted, authoritative voice in your industry. You can do this by creating original, helpful content that draws in links. Think of content like:
- Original research
- Guides and how-tos
- Infographics
- Relevant industry or business updates
WebFX Approach
- We’ll help you develop original website content, including blog posts, informational articles, infographics, and more, to attract link-building opportunities.
- Once content is live, our outreach specialists will help your content gain traction through social media sharing, ad campaigns, and more.
5. Content
5. Content
Problem: Your website’s content is what draws people to you in the first place. If your website doesn’t have good, unique content that offers value to people, it will have a hard time ranking in search results. Not only that, but people will overlook your site in favor of competitors who have valuable content to offer on their site.
Solution: Start creating original content that adds value to users’ experiences on your site.
If you aren’t sure where to start, begin by thinking about common pain points and questions your target audience has, whether they’re related to your business and offerings or your industry. Then, create a variety of content around those topics, and build your content library out from there.
Create different types of content like:
- Blog posts
- Infographics
- Videos
- And more!
WebFX Approach
- You’ll get a streamlined content creation process, starting with content ideation and a fully transparent editing and revision process.
- We’ll keep you updated on your content’s performance with comprehensive content reporting detailing what content is driving engagements for your site and what pages are ranking on search engines.
6. Algorithm updates
6. Algorithm updates
Problem: If your website isn’t ranking in Google search results, you could be experiencing the adverse effects of algorithm updates.
Google uses a highly complex algorithm to index and rank sites on SERPs, and this algorithm is constantly being fine-tuned and updated. Some algorithm updates are more significant than others, like core updates, and can greatly affect your site’s ranking ability.
Solution: Google’s algorithm and ranking criteria are always evolving, but you can minimize potential ranking drops from updates by keeping yourself up to date on the latest algorithm changes. Use tools like Semrush and Google Search Console to monitor rankings and follow Google’s numerous blogs to get updates on all the latest search engine happenings.
You can also take a proactive approach to staying on top of algorithm updates by continually practicing white-hat SEO. This means following SEO best practices and ensuring your site is always user- and search engine-friendly.
WebFX Approach
- We’ll help you create an adaptable SEO strategy that’s ready to face the hurdles Google’s ever-changing algorithm throws at your site.
- You’ll receive ethical, white-hat SEO strategies that keep your site user-friendly, including responsive design, simple navigation, and easy-to-follow content architecture.
Industries That Commonly Face This Challenge
Our Approach: How We Turn Invisible Sites Into Top Rankers
SEO has many moving parts that require special attention to be successful. So, how do we approach sites that aren’t ranking in search results? Get a peek at our SEO process!
1. We Get to Know Your Unique SEO Needs 🔎
Each of our custom SEO solutions starts with research. From who you are to whom your business serves, we take the time to get to know you and your business so we can develop an SEO strategy that best fits your needs.
We also perform an in-depth SEO audit to assess your current SEO status, assess your website’s performance, and determine what optimizations will best benefit your site’s ability to rank in search results.
2. We develop a strategy based on data-driven insights 📈
Your business and campaign data tell a unique story, and we’re here to help you translate it into actionable insights that help your business grow. We’ll help you develop a digital strategy based on trusted data from your audience and current SEO status. This way, you can rest easy knowing there’s no guesswork involved; we’re here to help you optimize your website with proven strategies.
3. We Leverage The Power of Marketing Technology 💻
In addition to WebFX’s 25+ years of experience, you’ll also have the power of our proprietary revenue marketing technology, RevenueCloudFX, by your side. Fueled by 1+ billion data points, RevenueCloudFX helps you make sense of your campaign data and prioritize optimizations that positively impact your bottom line.
4. We Review, Reoptimize, and Repeat 🔁
We’re no strangers to the fact that SEO is an ongoing process. That’s why, when you partner with us to solve the problem of your website not ranking, you’re getting ongoing expertise well after the initial optimizations are implemented.
From regular end-to-end campaign reporting to fine-tuning your campaign in the wake of algorithm changes, our team is here to help you maintain a dynamic SEO strategy that continues to thrive and drive results for your business.
Start Ranking in 2025
WebFX has helped thousands of businesses drive traffic and revenue from search engines like Google.
