Why Is My Website Not Ranking? 15 Reasons and How to Fix Them

You have built a website, created content, maybe even done some SEO work-yet your pages are nowhere to be found in Google search results. The frustration is real. You know people are searching for what you offer, but they are finding your competitors instead of you.

The good news is that ranking problems almost always have identifiable causes with specific fixes. Your site is not cursed or blacklisted or ignored by Google for mysterious reasons. Something specific is preventing your pages from ranking, and once you identify and fix that something, visibility can improve dramatically.

This guide covers the 15 most common reasons websites fail to rank and provides actionable solutions for each. We start with the most fundamental issues that completely prevent ranking and progress to optimization problems that limit how well you rank.

Fundamental Problems That Prevent Ranking Entirely

These issues completely block your site from appearing in search results. Fix these first before worrying about anything else.

1. Your Site Is Not Indexed

Google cannot rank pages it does not know exist. If your site is not indexed, it literally cannot appear in search results regardless of how good your content is.

How to check: Search site:yourdomain.com in Google. If no results appear, your site is not indexed. Check Google Search Console for indexing status and errors.

Common causes:

• Noindex tags accidentally blocking pages
• Robots.txt blocking crawlers from accessing pages
• Brand new site that Google has not discovered yet
• Technical errors preventing crawling
• Manual penalty removing site from index

How to fix: Remove noindex tags from pages you want ranked. Update robots.txt to allow crawling. Submit your sitemap through Google Search Console. For new sites, request indexing of important pages directly through Search Console.

2. Robots.txt Is Blocking Crawlers

Your robots.txt file tells search engines what they can and cannot access. Misconfigured robots.txt can block Google from crawling your entire site or important sections.

How to check: Visit yourdomain.com/robots.txt and review the directives. Use Google Search Console robots.txt tester to verify.

Common problems:

• Disallow: / blocking everything
• Blocking CSS or JavaScript files needed to render pages
• Accidentally blocking important directories
• Development environment settings carried to production

How to fix: Update robots.txt to allow crawling of pages you want indexed. Remove overly broad disallow rules. Ensure CSS and JavaScript files are accessible for proper rendering.

3. Noindex Tags on Important Pages

Noindex meta tags or headers tell Google not to include specific pages in search results. These are useful for private pages but devastating if applied incorrectly to content you want ranking.

How to check: View page source and search for noindex. Check HTTP headers using developer tools. Use Search Console to identify noindexed pages.

Common causes:

• CMS settings accidentally applying noindex
• Development settings not updated for production
• SEO plugins misconfigured
• Theme or template defaults

How to fix: Remove noindex from pages you want ranked. Check CMS settings and SEO plugin configurations. Verify changes are applied correctly.

4. Your Site Is Too New

Brand new websites take time to get indexed and even longer to rank well. Google needs to discover your site, crawl it, assess its quality, and build trust before ranking it for competitive terms.

Reality check: New sites typically need 3-6 months minimum before seeing meaningful organic traffic, often longer for competitive niches. Expecting immediate rankings is unrealistic.

How to accelerate:

• Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
• Request indexing for important pages
• Build some initial backlinks from relevant sites
• Create consistent, quality content
• Ensure technical foundation is solid

Patience required: Even with perfect execution, new sites need time to establish authority. Focus on building a strong foundation rather than expecting instant results.

Technical Problems Hurting Your Rankings

Once indexing fundamentals are covered, technical issues can still significantly limit your ranking potential.

5. Slow Page Speed

Page speed is a confirmed Google ranking factor, and slow sites also hurt user experience metrics that influence rankings indirectly. If your pages take more than 3 seconds to load, speed is likely hurting your rankings.

How to check: Use Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Core Web Vitals data in Search Console.

Common causes:

• Oversized images not optimized for web
• Too many plugins or scripts
• Poor hosting performance
• Render-blocking resources
• No caching implementation

How to fix: Compress and resize images. Minimize plugins and scripts. Upgrade hosting if needed. Implement caching. Defer non-critical JavaScript. Consider a CDN for global audiences.

6. Poor Mobile Experience

Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning the mobile version of your site determines rankings. If your site does not work well on phones, rankings suffer regardless of how good the desktop version looks.

How to check: Use Google Mobile-Friendly Test. Check Search Console for mobile usability issues. Actually use your site on a phone.

Common problems:

• Not responsive to different screen sizes
• Text too small to read without zooming
• Buttons and links too close together
• Content wider than screen
• Intrusive interstitials blocking content

How to fix: Implement responsive design. Ensure readable text sizes. Space interactive elements appropriately. Remove or reduce popups on mobile. Test across multiple devices.

7. Broken Internal Links and 404 Errors

Broken links waste crawl budget, frustrate users, and signal neglect to search engines. Too many 404 errors can hurt site-wide quality perception.

How to check: Use site audit tools to crawl for broken links. Check Search Console for crawl errors.

How to fix: Fix or remove broken internal links. Set up 301 redirects for moved pages. Create helpful 404 pages. Regularly audit for new broken links as content changes.

8. Duplicate Content Issues

When the same content appears on multiple URLs, Google must choose which version to rank-often not the one you prefer. Duplicate content dilutes ranking signals and creates confusion.

Common causes:

• WWW and non-WWW versions both accessible
• HTTP and HTTPS versions both accessible
• URL parameters creating duplicate pages
• Printer-friendly page versions
• Pagination without proper handling
• Content scraped or syndicated elsewhere

How to fix: Implement canonical tags pointing to preferred versions. Set up 301 redirects for duplicate URLs. Use parameter handling in Search Console. Consolidate similar thin pages.

Content Problems Limiting Your Rankings

Even technically sound sites fail to rank if content does not meet Google quality standards or user expectations.

9. Targeting Keywords That Are Too Competitive

New or small sites cannot compete for highly competitive keywords dominated by major authority sites. Targeting terms beyond your realistic capability wastes resources and produces no results.

Signs you are targeting wrong keywords:

• Top results are all major brands or authority sites
• Keyword difficulty scores are very high
• You have been creating content without ranking improvement
• Competitors have thousands more backlinks than you

How to fix: Research keyword difficulty before targeting terms. Start with lower competition long-tail keywords you can realistically rank for. Build authority gradually before pursuing competitive terms. Focus on being the best answer for achievable queries rather than a distant competitor for popular ones.

10. Thin or Low-Quality Content

Content that does not thoroughly answer user questions or provide genuine value will not rank well. Google rewards comprehensive, expert content that satisfies search intent better than alternatives.

Signs of thin content:

• Pages with only a few hundred words on substantial topics
• Content that does not answer the implied question
• Generic information available everywhere else
• No unique insights, data, or perspective
• Obvious keyword stuffing without real value

How to fix: Create comprehensive content that thoroughly covers topics. Add unique insights from experience or expertise. Include helpful examples, data, and specifics. Answer related questions users might have. Aim to be genuinely more helpful than what currently ranks.

11. Content Does Not Match Search Intent

If users searching a keyword want information but you provide a sales page, or they want comparisons but you provide a single product, your content does not match their intent-and Google will not rank it.

How to check: Search your target keywords and analyze what currently ranks. Are results informational articles, product pages, comparison guides, or something else? Your content should match the dominant intent.

How to fix: Create content matching what searchers actually want. If informational content dominates, write informational content. If product pages rank, optimize product pages. Do not fight against clear intent signals.

12. Missing or Poor On-Page Optimization

Basic on-page SEO signals help Google understand what your pages are about. Missing or poorly optimized elements make ranking harder than necessary.

Key on-page elements:

• Title tags: Include target keyword, compelling for clicks
• Meta descriptions: Compelling summary encouraging clicks
• H1 headings: Clear topic indication with keywords
• Header structure: Logical hierarchy organizing content
• Image alt text: Descriptive text for images
• Internal links: Connect related content
• URL structure: Clean, readable URLs with keywords

How to fix: Audit and optimize on-page elements for important pages. Include target keywords naturally without stuffing. Create compelling titles and descriptions that earn clicks.

Authority and Trust Problems

Google prefers ranking sites it trusts. New sites, sites without quality backlinks, and sites without clear expertise signals struggle against established competitors.

13. No Backlinks or Poor Quality Links

Backlinks from other websites remain one of the strongest ranking factors. Sites without backlinks-or with only spammy, irrelevant links-struggle to rank for anything competitive.

How to check: Use backlink analysis tools to see your link profile. Compare against competitors ranking for your target keywords.

How to fix:

• Create genuinely valuable content others want to reference
• Build relationships in your industry
• Guest post on relevant sites
• Get listed in relevant directories
• Create linkable assets (research, tools, comprehensive guides)
• Promote content to people who might link to it

14. Weak E-E-A-T Signals

Google evaluates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) especially for topics affecting health, finances, and safety. Weak signals hurt rankings particularly in competitive niches.

How to strengthen E-E-A-T:

• Include author bios with relevant credentials
• Link to authoritative sources supporting claims
• Display trust signals (reviews, certifications, awards)
• Ensure accurate, up-to-date information
• Include real contact information and about pages
• Build reputation through mentions and links from authorities

15. Manual Penalty or Algorithm Issue

In rare cases, Google has applied a manual penalty for policy violations, or an algorithm update has affected your site negatively.

How to check: Look for manual action notifications in Google Search Console. Check if traffic drops correlate with known algorithm update dates.

How to fix manual penalties: Address the specific violation cited. Submit a reconsideration request through Search Console.

How to recover from algorithm changes: Analyze what changed in your rankings. Study sites that improved versus declined. Focus on overall quality improvement rather than trying to game specific signals.

How to Diagnose Your Ranking Problems

With 15 potential issues, where do you start? Follow this diagnostic process:

Step 1: Verify Indexing

Search site:yourdomain.com to confirm pages are indexed. If not, fix indexing issues first-nothing else matters until Google can see your site.

Step 2: Check Search Console

Review Search Console for crawl errors, manual actions, Core Web Vitals issues, and mobile usability problems. Address any red flags.

Step 3: Run a Site Audit

Use an SEO audit tool to systematically identify technical issues. Prioritize by severity and fix critical problems first.

Step 4: Analyze Your Content

Compare your content against what currently ranks for target keywords. Is yours as comprehensive, well-structured, and helpful as top results?

Step 5: Assess Competition Realistically

Are you targeting achievable keywords given your site authority and backlink profile? Adjust strategy if targeting terms beyond realistic reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to start ranking?

New sites typically need 3-6 months before seeing meaningful organic traffic. Established sites can see improvements from specific changes within weeks to months depending on the issue fixed and keyword competition.

Why do competitors with worse content rank higher?

Content quality is one factor among many. Competitors may have stronger backlink profiles, longer domain history, better technical foundations, or more topical authority from related content. Improving your content alone may not be enough without addressing other factors.

Should I focus on fixing technical issues or creating more content?

Fix critical technical issues first-there is no point creating content if crawling or indexing problems prevent Google from seeing it. Once fundamentals are solid, balance ongoing technical maintenance with content creation.

Can I rank without backlinks?

For very low competition keywords, yes. For anything moderately competitive, backlinks remain essential for ranking. Focus on earning quality links through valuable content rather than trying to avoid link building entirely.

Conclusion

When your website is not ranking, the cause is almost always identifiable and fixable. Start with fundamentals-ensuring your site is indexable and crawlable. Address technical issues hurting performance and user experience. Create content that genuinely serves searcher intent better than alternatives. Build authority through quality backlinks and trust signals.

The specific combination of issues affecting your site is unique, which is why diagnostic tools are valuable. Astra Rank site audits identify your specific problems and prioritize fixes by impact, taking the guesswork out of SEO troubleshooting.

Ranking improvements rarely happen overnight, but consistent attention to fundamentals-technical health, content quality, and authority building-produces results over time. Focus on being genuinely helpful to searchers, and rankings follow.

Related: Astra Rank vs SEMrush | Affordable SEO Tools