By wiggnalyeagermuffin

Why Your Website Isn’t Ranking on Google (Top Reasons + Fixes)

You’ve built a great website, written content, and maybe even invested in some ads—but when you search for your business on Google, your site is nowhere to be found.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many business owners face the same challenge: a website that simply doesn’t rank. The good news? There’s always a reason behind it—and most importantly, a solution.

This guide breaks down the most common reasons your website isn’t ranking on Google and provides actionable fixes to turn things around.

Uncover the top reasons your website might be struggling to rank on Google, from indexing issues to targeting the wrong keywords. This episode dives into the most common SEO pitfalls and offers actionable insights to help you diagnose and fix problems, boosting your site’s visibility in search results.

1. Your Website Isn’t Indexed

If your site isn’t in Google’s index, it cannot appear in search results—period.

How to check if your site is indexed:

  • Type site:yourdomain.com into Google.

  • If no results appear, your site isn’t indexed.

Fix:

  • Set up Google Search Console.

  • Submit your XML sitemap.

  • Ensure you haven’t accidentally used noindex tags or blocked Googlebot in robots.txt.

👉 Related: How Search Engines Work: Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking Explained

2. You’re Targeting the Wrong Keywords

One of the biggest SEO mistakes beginners make is optimizing for keywords that are too broad, too competitive, or irrelevant.

For example:

  • Targeting “shoes” instead of “best running shoes for women in Austin.”

Fix:

  • Use keyword research tools (Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs).

  • Target long-tail keywords with lower competition.

  • Match your content to search intent (informational, transactional, navigational).

👉 Related: How to Do Keyword Research in 2025 (Step by Step)

3. Your Content is Thin or Low-Quality

Google prioritizes helpful, comprehensive content that answers users’ questions better than competitors.

If your site only has short posts or duplicated manufacturer descriptions, Google won’t rank it highly.

Fix:

  • Create in-depth, original content.

  • Cover topics holistically (use subheadings, FAQs, examples).

  • Regularly update old content.

👉 Related: What is SEO? A Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization

4. Your Website is Too New

New websites often take weeks (or months) before ranking. Google needs time to:

  • Crawl and index your site.

  • Evaluate trust signals (backlinks, content, UX).

Fix:

  • Be patient.

  • Focus on creating consistent content.

  • Build high-quality backlinks to accelerate trust.

5. Weak or No Backlinks

Backlinks are one of Google’s top ranking factors. Without them, your site has little authority.

Fix:

  • Guest post on relevant blogs.

  • Create shareable resources (guides, infographics, tools).

  • Use local citations if you run a local business.

👉 Related: What is Link Building? Proven Strategies for 2025

6. Your Site Has Technical SEO Issues

Even if your content is strong, technical SEO issues can prevent ranking.

Common issues include:

  • Slow site speed

  • Mobile-unfriendly design

  • Broken links

  • Improper redirects

  • Duplicate content

Fix:

  • Perform a technical SEO audit.

  • Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console.

  • Prioritize fixing crawlability, speed, and mobile performance.

👉 Related: Technical SEO Audit Guide for Beginners

7. Your Competitors Are Outranking You

Sometimes, it’s not what you’re doing wrong—but what others are doing better.

Fix:

  • Analyze competitors using SEMRush or Ahrefs.

  • Study their top pages, keywords, and backlinks.

  • Identify content gaps and create superior versions.

8. You’re Ignoring On-Page SEO Basics

Even great content can fail if you skip basic optimizations.

Checklist:

  • Unique title tag (with target keyword)

  • Compelling meta description

  • H1 tag with keyword

  • Proper subheadings (H2, H3)

  • Internal linking

  • Image alt text

👉 Related: On-Page SEO Checklist: 25 Steps to Rank Higher

9. Poor User Experience (UX)

Google measures how users interact with your site. If visitors leave quickly, rankings suffer.

Fix:

  • Improve page speed.

  • Use clear navigation.

  • Reduce intrusive popups.

  • Design for mobile-first indexing.

10. You’re Not Leveraging Local SEO

If you’re a local business but don’t optimize for local search, you’re missing out.

Fix:

  • Create/optimize your Google Business Profile.

  • Add local schema markup.

  • Collect reviews from customers.

  • Target location-specific keywords (e.g., “Austin web design company”).

👉 Related: SEO vs Google Ads: Which is Better for Your Business?

11. Your Website Has a Penalty

Google can penalize sites for spammy practices.

Types of penalties:

  • Manual penalties (unnatural links, keyword stuffing, cloaking)

  • Algorithmic penalties (from updates like Panda, Penguin, Helpful Content Update)

Fix:

  • Check Google Search Console → Manual Actions.

  • Disavow bad backlinks.

  • Remove thin or spammy content.

12. You Haven’t Built an Internal Linking Structure

Internal links distribute authority and help search engines understand your site hierarchy.

Fix:

  • Link related blog posts together.

  • Use keyword-rich anchor text naturally.

  • Create pillar pages with supporting clusters.

👉 Related: Content Marketing vs SEO: What’s the Difference?

Internal Linking Strategy & Anchor Texts

This blog post is a supporting pillar in the SEO hub.

Parent Pillar:

Related Supporting Pillars:

Recommended Anchor Texts:

  • “why your website isn’t ranking on Google” → this post

  • “technical SEO audit” → link to audit guide

  • “how search engines work” → link to search engine explainer

  • “on-page SEO checklist” → link to checklist pillar

  • “link building strategies” → link to link building guide

This structure ensures strong topical relevance and interlinking.

Austin Code Monkey’s SEO Services

At Austin Code Monkey, we specialize in helping businesses that struggle with visibility.

If your website isn’t ranking, our team will:

  • Perform a comprehensive SEO audit

  • Fix crawl, indexing, and speed issues

  • Optimize your content for keywords and intent

  • Build authority with high-quality backlinks

  • Implement local SEO strategies for businesses in Austin and beyond

Don’t let your website stay invisible. Get expert help from the pros who know how to rank.

👉 Visit Austin Code Monkey’s SEO Services today and start climbing Google rankings.

👉 Related reading: How to Local SEO in 2025? A Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization

Conclusion

If your website isn’t ranking on Google, it’s not because Google is “against” you—it’s because something is blocking your site from showing up.

From technical issues to weak content and missing backlinks, every problem has a fix.

The key is diagnosing the issue, applying SEO best practices, and building a sustainable strategy.

Need help? Let Austin Code Monkey handle your SEO, so you can focus on running your business while we get you to the top of Google.

Austin Code Monkey Austin Logo

Austin Code Monkey Delivers SEO Services in Austin, TX

Austin Code Monkey offers tailored SEO services for businesses in Austin, Texas, specializing in On-Page, Off-Page, and Technical SEO to boost online visibility. Their expert team focuses on ethical White Hat strategies, including keyword research, content optimization, and link building, to drive sustainable growth. Visit austincodemonkey.com to discover how their customized solutions can elevate your business in search engine rankings and attract more traffic.

Contact Austin Code Monkey For
Local and Nationwide On-Page SEO Services at 737-932-7532