Blogs
“Why is the ranking of my website so poor?” This is one of the most common questions asked in SEO (search engine optimization). With hundreds of websites popping up every day, ranking on the SERP pages needs more than just uploading new blogs! Tiny technical details, like not compressing your images or messy slugs can be the doom for your website.
Don’t worry; we are here to help you figure out how you can improve your website’s ranking on google search. In this blog, we have discussed 25 reasons that might negatively affect your website ranking on google. Keep reading to find out what is impacting your google website ranking and what you can do to fix it!
25 Reasons that Prevent Your Website Ranking on Google
Google not indexing your site is a bigger problem that you might think! Your web page ranking can be the backbone of your organic growth and long-term visibility. But many factors can affect the ranking of your website.
Here are some factors that might be preventing your website from ranking on Google search and quick fixes for these problems:
1. Slow Websites Can Never Win the Race
A slow-loading website frustrates visitors and Google alike. If your website is slow, you might be losing a lot of opportunities. You better speed it up with compressed images and a good hosting plan.
2. Missing Keywords = Missing Visitors
If you’re not targeting the right keywords, your audience can’t find you. Poorly targeted keywords can be a major reason preventing your website from ranking. Research what your targeted audience is searching for and use those terms naturally. Use keyword research tools for your benefit.
3. Keyword Stuffing
Stuffing keywords everywhere is a big no-no. Google loves natural, helpful content, not spammy overloads. Even though it may seem old school, maintaining a 1%-3% keyword density will help you in the long run.
4. Irrelevant Content
You must have heard – Content is King. This is particularly true in the case of the Google search engine. Outdated or irrelevant content doesn’t impress Google. Keep your blogs fresh, useful, and regularly updated.
5. The “No HTTPS” Disaster
Google always gives priority to safe and secure websites. Sites without an SSL certificate (the little padlock icon) scream “unsafe” to both users and search engines. Secure your site with HTTPS.
6. Not Optimising for Mobile
Everyone, literally everyone, has a smartphone these days. From searching for a coffee shop to finding the best car to buy– people search for everything on their mobiles. If your site looks terrible on a phone, you’re in trouble.
Go for responsive designs that look great on any screen. Optimise your website for mobile and make sure the text is readable on small screens.
7. Bad Linking Habits
Linking to shady websites or broken links is like hanging out with the wrong crowd. Clean up your links and aim for quality over quantity. This will make your website look genuine, reliable, and trustworthy to Google.
8. Ignoring Metadata – Rookie Mistake
Skipping meta titles and descriptions is like writing a book without a cover. These are your first impressions on Google! Never miss out on an opportunity to make a good first impression.
9. Messy URL Slugs
Long, confusing URLs can be a bad sign for both users and search engines. Keep them short, clean, and keyword-rich.
10. Non-Existent Backlinks
Backlinks from other sites (good ones) boost your credibility. No backlinks? You’re missing out on trust and ranking points.
11. Too Many Pop-Ups
Too many pop-ups can annoy visitors and hurt your ranking. Use them sparingly and strategically.
12. Ignoring Alt Text for Images
Google can’t see your images, but it can read descriptions for the images! Use alt text to tell search engines what your visuals are about. This can really improve your ranking on Google search.
13. Content That Doesn’t Deliver
Your Google website ranking can be negatively affected by clickbait content. Clickbait titles that lead to poor content hurt your credibility. Write for humans first, search engines second.
Here’s a guide on writing content that leaves an impact: SEO Content Strategy: How To Create User-First Content?
14. Skipping Internal Links
Internal links help Google navigate your site. Don’t forget to link related pages or blog posts together.
15. Poorly Written Content/ Intent Mis-Match
Grammatical errors and sloppy writing can drive people away. In fact, AI-written content can also be bad for your Google website ranking. If the Content doesn’t match the intent, it can also be a negative factor for your ranking.
Here’s why AI-written content cannot grow your business: 5 Reasons Your Business Cannot Rely Solely on ChatGPT
16. No Social Media Signals
A zero presence on social media can limit your visibility. Share your content and encourage engagement on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Target social media platforms that your audience loves to interact with!
17. Ignoring Voice Search Trends
From Siri to Alexa, talking to devices is the new norm. While talking, people do not search for exact keywords, but they mostly ask conversational questions or long-tail keywords. Optimise for natural, conversational phrases to capture voice search queries.
18. Not Optimizing for Local SEO
If you’re a local business, ignoring Google My Business or location keywords is a big miss. Claim your local presence by getting local SEO done for your website.
19. Not Tracking Your Analytics
If you’re not tracking your performance, how will you know what’s working for your website? Do not waste your energy and resources without reviewing them. Use Google Analytics to stay on top of your game.
20. Poor Navigation = Lost Visitors
When a tourist is not given the map of the city, he will only visit a few places and might miss some hidden gems! In the same way, if your site’s navigation is confusing, people won’t stick around. They will explore the home page and leave without giving a second look to your products and collection pages. Make navigation simple and easy for improved website ranking on Google.
21. Ignoring Structured Data
As a reader, would you rather prefer to read a single, long blob of content or nicely structured, bulleted, and clearly segregated content? Structure not only improves the readability of your content, but the schema markup also helps Google understand your content better.
Think of it as giving your site a cheat sheet for rankings.
Also Read: SEO 2025 Predictions: What Will Be The Future Of SEO?
22. Duplicate Content Drama
Copy-pasting content is a major red flag. Always create unique, original posts for better ranking potential. If you have thin or duplicate content, redirect the duplicated pages or create original content for the duplicate page.
23. Lack of User Engagement
If people don’t stay on your site or click around, Google notices. Make your content engaging and easy for your users to explore. The longer your user spends on your website, the more Google will promote your website.
24. Poor Image Optimisation
Oversized images slow down your site. Compress and optimise them for faster loading and better Google website rankings.
25. Not Giving Regular Updates
Websites, like anything else, need regular care and maintenance to stay in top shape. If you don’t update your plugins or software, your site can become slow, glitchy, or even vulnerable to hackers. Outdated plugins, neglected updates, or broken pages can sink your rankings fast.
Conclusion
Now that you know the reasons preventing your website from ranking on google search, you can swiftly tackle them and get the best results for your website. SEO can give you organic and long-term results, with not just increasing your traffic, but also giving you ROI. However, SEO requires expert research, on-page SEO, off-page optimisation, and constant maintenance.
If you want SEO experts to manage your website and grow your business, trust Digi Acai. Digi Acai is an award-winning e-commerce SEO agency in India, making it the perfect choice for your business needs. With 10,000+ keywords ranked for our clients, we are the perfect solution for your website. We offer e-commerce SEO services, content marketing, Influencer marketing and much more.
FAQ’s on Google Website Ranking
1. Why is my website not ranking well on Google?
If you feel that your Google website ranking isn’t good enough despite your constant and active efforts, there might be some underlying problem. Issues like intent mis-match, keyword stuffing, duplicate content, and large image size might be affecting your website rankings negatively.
2. What factors affect website ranking?
People often ask- Why isn’t my website ranking, but they do not focus on optimising their website for current SEO trends. You need to maintain your website, update plugins, and ensure your website loads quickly.
3. Why is my website ranking going down?
If your website’s ranking is going down, it might be because google is not indexing your website. This can happen due to many reasons like keyword stuffing, mis-match in intent, poor loading speed, irrelevant or duplicate content, etc.
4. How can I improve the ranking of my website?
To improve the Google search ranking of your website, add relevant keywords and content, ensure that the content is useful for your users, and make your website secure. You should also add descriptions for images, compress all the images, and use meta-description for better rankings.
