You’ve done everything by the book to get your site optimized – researched and incorporated keywords, optimized your meta tags, created quality content, implemented backlinks and even conducted page speed optimization – yet your page still isn’t ranking.
What could be the issue?
Here are 16 possible reasons why your optimized page won’t rank and what you can do to improve search engine ranking:
• Indexing and Crawlability Issues
• Technical SEO Problems
• Link Building and Backlinking Issues
• Content and Keyword-Related Issues
• Google SEO Algorithm Changes and Penalties
Indexing and Crawlability Issues
Under Google Search Essentials (formerly Webmaster Guidelines), crawling and indexing are fundamental processes that make a website discoverable by search engines.
Crawling refers to how bots scour the internet for content, while indexing is the process of building and storing web pages to show in Google’s search results. Here are common issues related to indexing and crawling that can hinder page rankings:
1. Your Website/Page Is New
Slow your roll. Your page isn’t ranking yet because it’s new (especially if it was recently created). Sometimes, Google just needs a few days or weeks to crawl, index and rank content.
To check whether your site is on Google, you can use “site:yourdomain.com” on Google search (e.g., site:prowebmaster.org). If the search returns no results, your website still needs to be indexed.
The Solution
If your site isn’t indexed, submit your XML sitemap to Google Search Console (GSC) to increase your site’s discoverability. A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index them.
You can also use Search Console’s URL inspection tool to see if your page has crawl issues and fix them.
How do I create a sitemap?
You can use various sitemap generators available online to create your sitemap. Some popular ones include XML Sitemaps and Yoast SEO plugins (for WordPress users).
How do I submit my sitemap to Google?
Source: Martindale-Avvo
• Go to Google Search Console and navigate to your property (website).
• Click on “Sitemaps” under the Index menu on the left-hand side.
• Add your sitemap link (e.g., https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml) and click “Submit.”
• Once submitted, check the sitemap status to ensure there are no errors.
2. Your Content/Site Is Marked ‘noindex’
A ‘noindex’ directive is a meta tag that tells search engines not to index a webpage or its links. Developers can mistakenly add this tag, or you may have inadvertently clicked ‘noindex’ when setting up your site.
How can I check if my site has a ‘noindex’ tag?
To check if your pages are labeled noindex, inspect your website’s source code. You should find the code below before the closing </head> tag.
`<meta name=”robots” content=”noindex” />`
If you use a CMS like WordPress, navigate to “Page” in the left pane and look to the right of the page name in the main window for the page directives.
Source: Martindale-Avvo
The index status should be ‘Index, Follow, not ‘noindex.’
The Solution
If you find a ‘noindex’ tag on your page, remove it to allow search engines to index your content. Then, request that Google re-crawl and index your page using the URL inspection tool.
3. Your Site Is Blocking Google With a robot.txt File
Robots.txt is a text file on your server that tells search engines which pages/folders/files they can or cannot request from your site.
A robots.txt file is useful as it keeps sensitive or irrelevant files from showing up in search engine results pages (SERPs), but if not set up correctly, it could block Googlebot (Google’s web crawling bot) from indexing your site.
How do I check if my robots.txt file is blocking Googlebot?
1. Go to Google Search Console and navigate to your property.
2. Click on “Coverage” under the Index menu on the left-hand side.
3. Check for any URLs blocked by robots.txt.
The Solution
If you find URLs blocked by robots.txt, review your robots.txt file and remove any lines that may be blocking Google from indexing important pages. Google provides a step-by-step guide on editing a robots.txt file.
After making changes, use the robots.txt tester in the Search Console to verify if Google can now access your pages.
Technical SEO Problems
Technical SEO refers to optimizing non-content elements of a website (such as code and settings) for search engines. Here are technical SEO problems affecting your page rankings and SEO best practices to turn them around.
4. Your Page Has Long Loading Times (Page Speed)
Page loading speed is another one of the most crucial SEO ranking factors that Google considers when ranking pages. A slow webpage can result in higher bounce rates, lower dwell times and hurt your overall user experience.
How do I check my page speed?
You can use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to analyze your website’s loading time and get recommendations for page speed optimization.
The Solution
Use a content delivery network (CDN), optimize images, minimize HTTP requests and use caching to improve page speed optimization. Also, consider using accelerated mobile pages (AMP) to load your website faster on mobile devices.
5. Your Site Isn’t Mobile-Friendly
Mobile-friendliness is one of the most important SEO ranking factors that has become more critical since Google’s 2018 Mobile-First Indexing update. This means that Google now predominantly uses the mobile version of a page for indexing and ranking instead of the desktop version.
How can I check if my website is mobile-friendly?
You can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see if your website passes Google’s mobile-friendliness criteria.
The Solution
If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, consider using a responsive design or creating a separate mobile version of your website. You can also use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to identify and fix any issues affecting your site’s mobile-friendliness.
6. You’re Being Penalized Because You Went Against Webmaster Guidelines
Google has a set of guidelines for webmasters to follow, and if your website violates these guidelines, you may be penalized by Google’s algorithm.
Some common violations include keyword stuffing, buying backlinks, cloaking content or creating low-quality/spammy content.
How can I check if my site is violating webmaster guidelines?
SEO analysis tools like Semrush and Ahrefs can help you identify if your website has any issues that go against Google’s webmaster guidelines.
The Solution
Review Google’s webmaster guidelines and make necessary changes to comply with them. If you’ve received a manual penalty, follow the instructions provided by Google to request reconsideration after fixing the issue.
It is important to regularly check your website’s technical SEO elements and ensure they align with SEO best practices. Use SEO analysis tools to re-evaluate your site’s performance and check for issues affecting your organic search performance.
7. Your Website Has Security Issues
A secure website is important for your user’s safety and privacy and can also affect your SEO. Google has stated that secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) is now a ranking factor, so websites with SSL certificates will have an advantage in search engine rankings.
How do I check if my website has security issues?
Most web security issues can be detected using the many free online tools like Google’s Security Issues report in Search Console. They can be used for one-off searches or scheduled to perform regular checks.
The Solution
Implement an SSL certificate on your website and use HTTPS instead of HTTP to ensure secure connections between your site and users’ browsers. You can also use security plugins if using a CMS like WordPress or Joomla to add additional layers of security to your website.
Partnering with a web design and development company offering secure website hosting and regular security checks can also keep your site safe from potential threats.
Link Building and Backlinking Issues
Links are one of Google’s core SEO ranking factors. However, not all links are created equal, and having backlinks from low-quality or spammy websites can hurt your website’s rankings.
Here are some common link-building issues that could harm your organic search performance:
8. Your Site Has Broken or Toxic Backlinks
Broken backlinks (backlinks to pages that no longer exist) and toxic backlinks (backlinks from spammy or irrelevant sites) signal to Google that your site is not trustworthy or relevant, which could result in penalties.
How do I check if my site has broken or toxic backlinks?
You can use SEO analysis tools like Semrush, Ahrefs or Moz to identify broken or toxic backlinks pointing to your website.
The Solution
Remove or disavow (request Google to ignore) any broken or toxic backlinks. You can use the Disavow Links tool in Search Console to request that Google ignore specific links when crawling and indexing your site.
9. Your Site Is Not Getting Enough Quality Backlinks
Earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites is essential to improve search engine ranking. However, getting quality backlinks can be challenging and requires the help of a technical SEO expert.
How do I check the quality of my website’s backlinks?
You can use SEO analysis tools to evaluate the quality of your backlinks based on factors like domain authority, relevance and other metrics.
The Solution
Create high-quality, shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks from other websites. You can also contact relevant websites and ask them to link to your content. Building relationships with influencers and bloggers in your industry can also help you earn quality backlinks.
10. Your Site Has a Poor Internal Linking Structure
A well-organized internal linking system aids search engines in comprehending the hierarchy and importance of your website’s pages. For instance, pages with more internal links tend to be deemed more important and will rank higher in search results.
The Solution
Boost your website’s visibility by strategically adding internal links to your important posts and pages. Ensure that the links you include are relevant and related and provide added value to your users.
Audit your site’s internal links using SEO analysis tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb. Ensure all your pages are linked together, and use relevant anchor texts for a better user experience.
A technical SEO expert can also assist in optimizing your website’s internal linking structure to improve search engine ranking.
Content and Keyword-Related Issues
Content is the cornerstone of your website and plays a significant role in SEO ranking factors. Quality, relevance and keyword optimization are key factors Google uses to assess the value of your content.
11. Your Website Has Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your website compete for the same keyword or topic. This can confuse search engines and prevent these pages from ranking well in search results.
The Solution
Consolidate or merge pages with similar keywords or topics to focus on one primary page. You can also use canonical tags to indicate the preferred URL for a particular topic or keyword.
Ensure your content is well-organized and unique to avoid keyword cannibalization across pages.
12. Your Website’s Content Is Not Optimized for Target Keywords
Keyword optimization is essential for helping search engines understand the relevance and topic of your content. However, overstuffing your content with keywords can hurt your rankings.
Placement is also crucial, as keywords should be included in the title tag, headings, meta descriptions and throughout the body of your content for optimal results.
How do I check if my website’s content is optimized for target keywords?
You can use SEO analysis tools to evaluate your content’s keyword density and placement.
The Solution
Conduct thorough keyword research and identify relevant, high-volume and low-competition keywords to target in your content. Use these keywords naturally throughout your content without overstuffing.
Aim to include primary and secondary keywords in headings, meta descriptions and throughout the body of your content for optimal keyword optimization.
13. Your Content Is Not Providing Value to Your Users
Google prioritizes content that provides value and relevance to users. If your content is not user-focused, you may be wasting time and resources on content that will not perform well in search results.
The Solution
Create high-quality, informative and engaging content that provides value to your users. Ensure your content is relevant to your target audience and answers their queries or solves their problems.
How do I check if my content is providing value?
User engagement metrics like time on page, bounce rate and social shares can indicate the value of your content. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics (GA) to track these metrics and adjust your content strategy accordingly.
14. Your Website Has Duplicate Content Issues
Duplicate content refers to substantial blocks of content within or across domains that completely match or are appreciably similar. This can happen unintentionally due to technical issues or intentionally through practices like content scraping, where content from one website is copied and published on another without permission.
From an SEO perspective, duplicate content can be problematic as it leads to lower search rankings.
How do I check if my site has duplicate content issues?
You can use SEO analysis tools like Siteliner, Copyscape or Semrush to scan your website for duplicate content. These tools compare the content on your site to other pages on the web, helping you easily identify any instances of duplication.
The Solution
The first step to resolving duplicate content issues is identifying and removing or modifying any of the same content on your site. This could involve rewriting content, consolidating similar pages or using 301 redirects to the preferred version of the content.
In cases where duplicate content is unavoidable (such as product descriptions on eCommerce sites), you can use canonical tags.
A canonical tag indicates to search engines which URL version to display in search results, avoiding negative SEO impact from duplicate versions.
Google SEO Algorithm Changes and Penalties
Keeping up with Google’s constant SEO algorithm changes can be a pain. However, staying informed and adapting to these changes will help you stay ahead of the competition and maintain your search rankings.
15. You Are Affected by Google’s SEO Algorithm Changes
Google’s algorithms are designed to improve user experience by delivering relevant, high-quality search results. As Google updates its algorithms, it can impact how your site ranks in search results. This could mean a drop or an increase in rankings, depending on how well your site adheres to the new ranking factors.
The Solution
Stay informed about Google’s algorithm updates and adjust your SEO strategy. Google announces major updates like Panda, Penguin or Hummingbird on its official blog, while minor changes are often rolled out without much announcement.
16. You Have a Penalty From Google
If you notice a significant drop in your search rankings, it could be due to a Google penalty. This can happen for various reasons, such as using black hat SEO tactics like keyword stuffing and buying backlinks or violating Google’s webmaster guidelines.
The Solution
To avoid penalties, follow SEO best practices and stay updated on Google’s algorithm changes. Regular SEO troubleshooting and audits can help you identify and fix issues before they negatively impact your rankings.
If you have received a penalty, take immediate action to resolve the issue and request a reconsideration from Google once the problem has been fixed.
How Do You Know if Your Content/Site Is Performing Well in the First Place?
User engagement metrics indicate how well your content resonates with your target audience. For example, a high bounce rate could mean your content is not meeting users’ expectations or providing value.
Some user engagement metrics to track include:
• Time on Page: How long a user spends on your page before navigating away.
• Bounce Rate: The percentage of users who leave your site after viewing only one page.
• Social Shares: The number of times your content is shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Retention Rate: The percentage of users who return to your site after their initial visit.
How Can You Track User Engagement Metrics?
Tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar and Crazy Egg can help you track and analyze user engagement metrics for your website. Regularly reviewing these metrics provides valuable insights into how users interact with your content and where improvements can be made.
Is Your Optimized Page Still Not Ranking Well?
You’ve followed everything in our guide down to the letter, but your page is still not ranking well in search results. It’s time to have your site optimized by the pros!
Do-it-yourself SEO troubleshooting is a great way to get started and optimize your website, but there may come a point where you need the guidance of a technical SEO expert.
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, a top-rated SEO company, offers in-depth technical audits and solutions for businesses looking to improve their search rankings.
We don’t just get your site optimized; we help you achieve long-term success with a holistic local SEO strategy.
Take it from Geoforce, a leading developer of cloud-based asset-tracking platforms.
The company tapped Thrive to enhance SEO and social media performance. With a more hands-on approach, they achieved impressive results:
• 360% increase in organic traffic YoY
• 88% increase in ad clicks, a 121% increase in Instagram followers
• 352% increase in Facebook impressions
• 100% increase in LinkedIn followers
You could be our next success story. Contact Thrive Internet Marketing Agency today for a comprehensive SEO strategy to improve your site’s rankings and drive more organic traffic.
