Let’s be honest: nothing stings quite like pouring your heart (and budget) into a website, only to watch it languish on page three of Google, gathering digital dust. we’ve been there. Years ago, we built a site for a friend’s photo studio—beautiful images, clever copy, the works. But for months, it was like shouting into the void. No traffic, no calls, just crickets. If you’re reading this, you probably know the feeling.
So, why does this happen? Why do some sites shoot to the top while others get buried? The truth is, there’s no single answer. SEO is a bit like taking pictures: you need the right angle, but also the right framing, setting, and a little bit of luck. Let’s break down the real reasons your site might not be ranking—and what you can actually do about it (without losing your mind or your shirt).
This is the big one. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen gorgeous websites optimized for keywords nobody’s typing. It’s like opening a vegan taco stand in a town where everyone’s obsessed with barbecue. You might have the best tacos in the world, but if nobody’s looking for them, you’re out of luck.
Take our friend’s photo studio. We’d optimized for “fine art portrait photography Santa Clara,” thinking it sounded impressive. Turns out, people were actually searching for “photo studio near me” or just “Santa Clara photographer.” We were totally missing the forest for the trees.
What to do:
Start with real keyword research. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or even Google’s own Keyword Planner can show you what people are actually searching for. But don’t just chase the highest volume terms—look for those sweet spot phrases with decent traffic and less competition. And, for the love of carbs, talk to your customers. Ask them how they found you, or what they’d type into Google if they were looking for your service.
This one’s tough to swallow, but it’s true. Google’s gotten scary good at figuring out whether your content is genuinely useful or just keyword-stuffed fluff. If your blog posts read like they were written by a robot (or, let’s be honest, an overzealous intern), you’re not going to rank.
We once worked with a SaaS startup that had a blog full of “Top 10” lists and generic advice. It was technically optimized, but it didn’t say anything new. No personal stories, no real insights, just the same recycled tips you could find anywhere. Their traffic flatlined.
What to do:
Write like a human. Share your own experiences, even the messy ones. If you’re a plumber, talk about the weirdest clog you ever fixed. If you’re a lawyer, explain a case (anonymized, of course) that taught you something. Google’s John Mueller said, “Make sure your content is actually helpful and unique, not just a rehash of what’s already out there.” Don’t be afraid to have a point of view.
Speed matters. A lot. Google’s been clear about this for years, but it’s amazing how many sites still take forever to load. We once audited a local restaurant’s site that took 12 seconds to load on mobile. By the time the menu appeared, we’d already lost our appetite.
According to a Google study, 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load. That’s brutal.
What to do:
Run your site through PageSpeed Insights. Compress your images, ditch unnecessary plugins, and consider a lightweight theme. If you’re on WordPress, plugins like WP Rocket or ShortPixel can work wonders. And if your hosting is slow, upgrade. It’s worth it.
We know, we know—technical SEO sounds like something only developers should worry about. But even small issues can tank your rankings. Broken links, missing meta tags, duplicate content, or a wonky sitemap can all confuse Google’s crawlers.
A client of ours once had a beautiful site, but their robots.txt file was accidentally blocking Google from indexing half their pages. Oops. It took us weeks to figure out why their traffic had vanished.
What to do:
Set up Google Search Console and actually use it. It’ll flag crawl errors, indexing issues, and more. Screaming Frog is another great tool for spotting technical gremlins. And if you’re not sure what you’re looking at, hire someone for a one-time audit. It’s cheaper than months of lost traffic.
Backlinks are still the currency of the web. If nobody’s linking to your site, Google assumes you’re not worth paying attention to. But not all links are created equal. A single mention from a respected industry blog can be worth more than dozens of spammy directory links.
We once helped a local gym get featured in a “Best Gyms in the Bay Area” roundup on a popular lifestyle site. That one link did more for their rankings than months of on-page tweaks.
What to do:
Focus on building real relationships. Guest post on relevant blogs, get involved in your community, and don’t be afraid to ask happy customers for a mention. Tools like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) can connect you with journalists looking for expert quotes.
This one’s non-negotiable. More than half of all web traffic is mobile now, and Google uses mobile-first indexing. If your site looks like a postage stamp on a phone, you’re in trouble.
We’ve seen businesses lose out on thousands of dollars because their contact forms didn’t work on mobile. It’s 2025—nobody’s pinching and zooming anymore.
What to do:
Test your site on multiple devices. Use Sitechecker’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Make sure buttons are big enough to tap, text is readable, and forms actually work. If you’re using an old theme, it might be time for a refresh.
The web moves fast. What ranked last year might be outdated today. I’ve seen sites lose rankings simply because their info got stale. One client had a “Best Restaurants 2022” post that was still live in 2025. Not a great look.
What to do:
Set a calendar reminder to review your top pages every few months. Update stats, refresh examples, and add new insights. Google loves fresh content, and so do your readers.
Sometimes, you’re just in a tough niche. If you’re trying to outrank Amazon, Wikipedia, or the New York Times, you’re probably going to have a bad time. That doesn’t mean you should give up, but you need to be realistic.
A friend of ours runs a travel blog. She was frustrated that she couldn’t rank for “best hotels in Paris.” But when we looked at the competition—TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Lonely Planet—it was clear she needed to go more niche. She started writing about “best boutique hotels in Montmartre for solo travelers,” and suddenly, she was on page one.
What to do:
Find your angle. Go after long-tail keywords, local searches, or underserved topics. You might not win the biggest battles, but you can still carve out your own territory.
It’s easy to get obsessed with rankings, but traffic isn’t everything. I’ve seen sites with tons of visitors but zero conversions. At the end of the day, you want people to take action—call you, buy something, sign up for your newsletter.
What to do:
Set up Google Analytics and track your goals. Look at bounce rates, time on site, and conversion rates. Sometimes, a small tweak to your call-to-action can make a bigger difference than moving up a spot in Google.
This one’s more mindset than mechanics, but it’s important. SEO is a long game. I’ve had clients panic after a month of no movement, only to see their rankings jump six months later. Google’s algorithms are complex, and sometimes it just takes time.
As Brian Dean of Backlinko says, “SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.” Be patient, keep improving, and don’t chase every shiny new tactic.
Link building is about finding the right tactics for your industry, resources, and audience, whether that means creating genuinely useful content like infographics or studies, running creative competitions, or even leveraging quirky debates (like whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie) to earn natural links.
The best campaigns focus on value and relevance, not just chasing links for the sake of it, and successful strategies include guest blogging (done thoughtfully, not at scale), broken link building, and link reclamation for lost or unlinked mentions. Buying links or trading them excessively is risky business and can backfire, so Google wants to see links you’ve truly earned by offering something worthwhile. Ultimately, the most effective link building comes from understanding your audience, being creative, and providing real value—whether that’s through expert insights, organizing hard-to-find information, or simply making something people want to share.
If your site isn’t ranking, you’re not alone. Even the pros get it wrong sometimes. The key is to stay curious, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. SEO isn’t magic, but it is manageable.
Remember our friend’s bakery? Once we fixed the keywords, sped up the site, and got a few local bloggers to write about her bread, things turned around. She’s not beating Panera, but she’s got a steady stream of customers—and that’s what really matters.
So, take a deep breath. Audit your site, talk to your customers, and focus on being genuinely helpful. The rankings will follow.
And hey, if you ever need a second pair of eyes, you know where to find us.
Our desk looks like a crime scene. Coffee rings overlap like Olympic symbols, sticky notes…
The Little Shop That Wanted More Friends Once upon a time, in the shiny city…
The Café That Couldn’t Be Found A few years ago, we met Fatima, a passionate…
Let’s start with a quick reality check. Last week, a friend who runs a bakery…
Let’s start with a quick story. A few years ago, a friend of ours opened…
If you're running a small business in the U.S., you probably wear a lot of…
This website uses cookies.