Aysh
Sometimes we think we have done everything to optimise our webpage, still nothing seems to be working out.
We have done choosing the right keywords, added relevant content, and followed every SEO best practice we could find.
However, we might still be disappointed because our page isn’t ranking as high as we’d hoped. This can be really frustrating!
But don’t worry, you’re not the only one facing this problem.
Many website owners find themselves in the same situation. There can be various reasons why your optimised page isn’t getting the attention it deserves. It could be due to technical issues, problems with internal linking, or even challenges with user experience.
The good news is that there are solutions to these issues!
By understanding the factors affecting your rankings, you can take specific steps to improve your site’s visibility.
In the following guide I will tell you the common problems that could be holding your page back and provide practical solutions to help you climb the search rankings. With a little patience and the right approach, you can boost your website’s performance and attract more visitors.
So let’s just get it started
Google really cares a lot about how easy and pleasant it is to use your website. If your site is hard to navigate or it takes forever to load, this can definitely frustrate visitors. And so the visitors will end up leaving the site quickly.
This sends a signal to Google that your site isn’t great, which can hurt your rankings. Problems like slow load times, tricky navigation, or a website that doesn’t work well on mobile devices can all make your site perform poorly in search results.
Backlinks, links from other trusted websites pointing to your site are still one of the biggest factors for ranking high in Google search results. Even if you’ve done everything right with on-page SEO, not having enough high-quality backlinks can stop you from reaching the top of search results.
Technical SEO refers to the behind-the-scenes work that helps search engines find, understand, and rank your website. If there are technical issues, it can make it harder for Google to crawl and index your pages, which can hurt your rankings. Even if your content is great, technical problems can hold you back.
Here are some common technical SEO issues:
Slow Website Speed | A slow-loading site can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave quickly. Google takes site speed seriously, and if your site is too slow, your rankings could drop. |
Broken Links | Broken links (links that lead to a “404 Page Not Found” error) are bad for both users and SEO. They make it harder for search engines to crawl your site, and visitors may get frustrated if they can’t find the page they need. |
Duplicate Content | Duplicate content means that the same or very similar content appears on multiple pages of your site. Google may have trouble deciding which page to rank, and it could lead to lower rankings for all the pages involved. |
Missing or Incorrect Sitemaps | A sitemap helps search engines understand the structure of your site and find all your pages. If you don’t have a sitemap or it’s not set up correctly, Google might miss important pages on your site. |
Not Mobile-Friendly
| With more people using mobile devices to browse the web, Google now prioritises mobile-friendly sites. If your website isn’t optimised for mobile, you could lose out on valuable traffic. |
By addressing these technical SEO issues, your site will be easier for search engines to navigate and rank, improving your overall performance in search results.
Internal links are an important part of SEO that many people forget about. They help search engines find and understand your pages while also passing along some “link juice” (value) from one page to another. A good internal linking structure can help users navigate your site better and can improve your overall SEO performance.
For example, if you have a blog post about “healthy recipes,” you can link to related posts like “easy breakfast ideas” or “meal prep tips.” This helps search engines see the connection between these pages and allows users to find more relevant content easily.
Dwell time is how long a user stays on your page, while bounce rate measures how quickly they leave. Both are important metrics that tell Google how valuable your content is. If people click on your page but leave quickly, it signals to Google that your content may not be useful or engaging.
For instance, if visitors come to your site and only spend a few seconds before clicking away, Google may lower your rankings because it thinks your site isn’t meeting users’ needs. A low dwell time and high bounce rate can make it difficult to gain visibility in search results, which is why it’s crucial to create content that keeps users interested and engaged.
To improve these metrics, consider adding more engaging and informative content. You can also use images, videos, or infographics to make your pages more visually appealing. Additionally, organising your content into clear sections with headers, bullet points, and short paragraphs can help users find the information they need quickly and encourage them to stay longer on your site.
Google frequently updates its algorithms, meaning that the strategies that worked well yesterday might not work today. These algorithm changes can affect many factors, such as the importance of backlinks, how Google assesses user experience, and even the relevance of content. As a result, what once helped your site rank high can suddenly lose its effectiveness.
Moreover, if Google detects any black-hat SEO practices like
You could face penalties that drastically lower your ranking. This means your hard work could go to waste, and your site might disappear from search results.
Staying informed about Google’s latest algorithm updates is super important. Regularly checking industry news and resources can help you adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
Also, focus on ethical, white-hat SEO tactics to build a sustainable online presence. This includes creating high-quality content, earning backlinks naturally, and ensuring your site is user-friendly.
Another helpful tool is Google Search Console. By regularly monitoring your site’s performance, you can catch any penalties or issues early. This way, you can take action quickly to recover your rankings.
A practical solution is to conduct regular SEO audits. These audits can help identify any potential issues with your website, such as outdated practices or technical problems. By assessing your site’s performance and making necessary adjustments, you can ensure it stays compliant with Google’s latest algorithms. This proactive approach will help you adapt to changes and keep your site performing well in search results.
If search engines can’t properly crawl or index your site, your pages won’t show up in search results, even if everything else is optimised. Indexing and crawlability issues can happen for several reasons, such as blocked resources, incorrect settings in your robots.txt file, or missing sitemaps.
For example, if your robots.txt file accidentally blocks important pages, search engines won’t be able to access them, which means they won’t appear in search results. Similarly, if you don’t have a sitemap, search engines may miss some of your pages entirely.
Using tools like Google Search Console can help you monitor these issues. It allows you to check for crawl errors, see which pages are being indexed, and identify any blocked resources.
It’s crucial to ensure that search engines can easily find and access all the important content on your site. By fixing any indexing and crawlability issues, you can help improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.
As my favorite SEO expert Brian Dean said,
“Google wants you to create content that’s the best of its kind. Not just better than what’s already out there, but THE best.”
– This highlights the importance of crafting authoritative and highly useful content that stands out from the competition.
When SEO is concerned, definitely and without and doubt content is one of the most and most important factors for ranking.
However, not all content is treated equally by search engines like Google. If your content doesn’t match the intent behind what users are searching for, or if it’s stuffed with too many keywords, your page might not rank as well as you’d expect.
Google (and everyone else too) wants content that is not useless and just not just only written to rank site. Instead it wants content that is helpful, easy to read, grabs audience. It should be informative and relevant to the readers.
Over time, if your content becomes outdated or doesn’t address what users are searching for, Google may push your page down the rankings.
With my years of experience, one most common mistake I see is focusing on keywords too much and not on how well the content actually answers a user’s question. Well it’s a big no, no.
I do agree keywords are important for signaling to search engines what your page is about, but over-optimising by repeating keywords too often (keyword stuffing) can make your content look unnatural and hurt your rankings. Infact it makes content so difficult to understand as well.
Google’s algorithms are smart enough to understand context, so using keywords naturally within the content is far more effective.
Another big issue is when you don’t update your content. Search engines love fresh and current content, so keeping it up to date with the latest information, trends, and insights is crucial. If your content contains outdated facts, statistics, or examples, it may not rank as high, especially when competing with more current pages. Additionally, pages that remain static for long periods may lose relevance over time as search algorithms evolve.
Well in this modern world we have so much of tech help. We are blessed that we can use different tools that can help us generate best content. Some of these tools I find best are as belows
Semrush is a popular tool for tracking keywords and ensuring you’re not over-optimising or missing out on important long-tail keywords.
Google Keyword Planner is great for finding keywords with the right search volume and ensuring your content matches what users are searching for.
Surfer SEO offers detailed optimisation suggestions based on the top-ranking pages for a given keyword.
Google prioritises relevant and fresh content. If your page hasn’t been updated in months or years, it could be overtaken by competitors who regularly refresh their content with up-to-date information, making it more useful for users. Google loves content that’s not only relevant but also meets the exact search intent.
“If your content isn’t relevant, your rankings won’t be either.” – Neil Patel
This means it’s not enough to create content once and leave it untouched. Regular updates, adding new information, and adjusting your content to match what users are searching for now can significantly improve your rankings.
When you have multiple pages competing for the same keyword, it confuses search engines and can lead to lower rankings for all involved pages. This issue, known as content cannibalisation, can be solved by consolidating similar content or using internal links and canonical tags to direct search engines to your main, most important page.
“Don’t let your own content become your biggest competitor.” – Brian Dean
Consolidating content ensures all your SEO power goes to one page, rather than spreading it thin across multiple pages.
Make sure your content is well-structured and unique to prevent keyword overlap across different pages.
Combine or merge pages that target the same keywords or topics, so you have one main page that focuses on the topic. You can also use canonical tags to show search engines which URL is the preferred one for that topic or keyword.
Ahrefs provide insights into how pages are ranking and can help identify which pages are cannibalising each other.
Moz is an SEO tool that helps you analyse your internal links and identify cannibalisation issues by showing which pages rank for the same keywords.
To help search engines understand your content, you need to optimise it for the right keywords. It’s important to place your keywords strategically. Keywords should appear in key spots like the
Do thorough keyword research to find keywords that are relevant, high in search volume, and low in competition. Then, use those keywords naturally in your content, without overloading it.
In conclusion, if your optimised page isn’t ranking as high as you’d like, don’t lose hope!
There are many factors at play, but understanding them is the first step toward improvement. By addressing issues like poor user experience, lack of high-quality backlinks, technical SEO problems, and content relevance, you can give your page the boost it needs.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, and patience is key. Regularly auditing your site, keeping your content fresh, and staying informed about algorithm changes will put you on the right path. With the right strategies and a commitment to quality, you can enhance your site’s visibility and attract more visitors.
So roll up your sleeves, dive into these solutions, and watch your rankings climb!
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SEO Expert & Content Writer
Aysh is an SEO Expert and Content Writer who loves helping businesses grow online. She creates interesting content and makes sure it shows up on search engines so more people can find it. In her spare time, she enjoys reading books and has a great love for animals.
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