Why Your Page Isn’t Ranking: 16 Key Reasons

Having trouble getting your page to rank on Google? You’re not alone. Many website owners and content creators find themselves wondering why their carefully written pages aren’t making the cut. Understanding the possible reasons can help you tackle the issue in a structured way.

It’s frustrating when you’ve spent hours developing a piece of content you believe will perform well. You’ve chosen your topic carefully, followed SEO best practices, and done your research — only to see your page buried in search results, or worse, not appearing at all.

To make matters worse, you might notice that competitors’ pages are showing up higher, even though they seem to lack depth, originality, or useful information. It can be incredibly disheartening when you feel your work is more deserving of that top spot.

This leads to the obvious question: if your content is more valuable, why isn’t it ranking? The truth is, ranking on Google isn’t just about having the best-written article or the most attractive design.

There are many factors that determine where a page lands in search results. These include technical elements like site speed and mobile-friendliness, as well as content-related aspects such as keyword relevance, quality backlinks, and user engagement signals.

Sometimes, the issue might not even be with your page directly. It could be that Google hasn’t indexed it properly, or perhaps your website’s overall authority is holding it back. In other cases, outdated SEO tactics or overlooked on-page elements could be the culprits.

It’s also worth remembering that Google’s algorithms are constantly evolving. What worked a year ago might not work today. That’s why it’s important to regularly audit your site and adapt your SEO strategy in line with current best practices.

Identifying the specific problems that may be affecting your rankings does take time. There’s rarely a single answer — more often, it’s a combination of factors that need to be addressed.

The good news is that with careful analysis and a willingness to make improvements, most issues can be resolved. Whether it’s improving your site’s technical SEO, building better backlinks, or updating old content, there are always steps you can take to move closer to that top spot.

Success doesn’t happen overnight, but with persistence and the right adjustments, you can increase your chances of ranking higher on Google. The key is to remain patient, stay informed, and continue refining your approach as the digital landscape shifts.

Identifying the problem

The first step in figuring out why your page isn’t ranking is to work through the possible causes one by one. This requires data, some context about your industry, and a structured approach.

Begin by confirming whether the issue is that your page isn’t ranking at all, or simply isn’t ranking well. This distinction is important and will guide your next steps.

If the page appears somewhere in the results but is performing poorly, it may suggest that Google doesn’t see the content as particularly relevant or valuable. In that case, further optimisation could help boost its visibility.

However, if the page doesn’t show up in search results at all, that could mean Google hasn’t discovered it, or that there’s a problem preventing it from being indexed.

One of the best tools for diagnosing ranking issues is Google Search Console. It’s a good place to start when checking whether your page appears for any keywords.

To do this, go into the Performance report in Search Console and filter the data to focus on the specific page. Then look to see whether that page is receiving any impressions or clicks in search results.

If it is generating some impressions, note which keywords it’s showing up for. If not, there’s a chance that the page hasn’t been indexed yet or isn’t ranking for anything just yet.

To dig deeper, expand the date range in the report to the maximum available. This will give you a clearer picture of how the page has performed over time.

Check whether it previously received traffic that has since dropped off, or if it has never ranked for anything. This will help you assess whether the issue is new or ongoing.

It’s also worth checking whether the problem is isolated to a single page or affects your entire site. A wider issue may point to broader SEO or technical problems.

Once you’ve determined the scale of the issue, you’ll be in a much better position to identify what needs fixing and how to go about it.

Technical issues

When a webpage isn’t ranking, it’s worth checking whether technical issues are to blame. These could be recent, such as changes made during development, or long-standing problems like rendering errors that have gone unnoticed.

To begin, it’s important to rule out any problems with your website’s code, structure, or technical SEO. Here are five key areas to investigate:

Crawling Issues
Google needs to be able to crawl and read a webpage to include it in search results. If your page isn’t showing up, one possibility is that Google can’t access it at all.

Sometimes, crawling is intentionally restricted using tools like the robots.txt file or password protection, but these settings can occasionally be applied by mistake. It’s important to check whether anything is preventing Googlebot from reaching the page you’re reviewing.

Indexing Problems
If your page isn’t being indexed, then it won’t appear in search results, regardless of how good the content is. A quick way to check this is by using the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console.

By entering the page’s URL, you can see whether Google has indexed it and whether there were any issues during crawling. For a second opinion, you can also run the page through Bing’s Webmaster Tools to get additional insights.

Lack of Internal Links
Internal links play a crucial role in helping Google understand the importance of individual pages. If your page isn’t linked to from other parts of your site, Google may assume it’s not important.

Make sure relevant pages link to the one in question, using meaningful anchor text that reflects the content being linked to. Vague text like “click here” doesn’t offer much value. Clear, descriptive anchors can help signal the purpose and relevance of your page.

Page Speed and Core Web Vitals
Google considers page experience as part of its ranking criteria, and page speed is a key factor. More specifically, metrics known as Core Web Vitals—such as Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)—play a role.
While these metrics might only act as tie-breakers when ranking pages with similar content, they can still influence your page’s position. Even a slight improvement in speed could give your page an edge over slower competitors.

Rendering Issues
Rendering is the process of turning a webpage’s code—like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—into a viewable and interactive page. If Google’s bots are unable to render your page properly, they may not see your content at all.

To check for rendering issues, Google Search Console can be a helpful tool. Use the URL Inspection feature to see how Googlebot views your page and whether it’s able to render it fully.

Content reasons

When a web page isn’t ranking well on Google, it’s common to immediately question its quality. You might ask: is the content useful? Does it offer value to the reader? And most importantly—does it answer the user’s query accurately and in full?

Identifying problems with content quality can be tricky, especially when it’s not always obvious what’s wrong. Below are several reasons your content might be falling short, along with practical steps to address each issue.

Keyword Cannibalisation
Keyword cannibalisation happens when more than one page on your site targets the same keywords using very similar content. This often occurs unintentionally, especially when blog tags, category pages, or product listings lead to the creation of near-duplicate pages.

When this happens, Google is forced to choose which version to rank. It usually selects what it believes is the “canonical” page—the one that should appear in search results.

You can use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to see which page Google has chosen as canonical. If it’s not the version you intended, that could explain why your preferred page isn’t ranking well. Canonical tags can help guide Google’s choice, but they’re only signals—not rules.

Google may favour another page if it receives more internal links or if it’s better optimised. In such cases, you may need to restructure or consolidate your content to avoid competing with yourself.

Content Format Mismatch
Even if your content is informative and well-written, Google might prefer a different format for the keyword you’re targeting. For example, if you’re trying to rank for “how to do embroidery stitches,” and the search results mostly show videos, then a text-only blog post may struggle to compete.
Google prioritises content that aligns with user expectations. So, if searchers want a visual guide, adding a video to your content could significantly improve your chances of ranking. Pay close attention to what currently ranks and adjust your format accordingly.

Search Intent and Relevance
Ranking isn’t just about matching keywords—it’s about matching intent. If your content doesn’t reflect what searchers are truly looking for, it’s unlikely to perform well.
For instance, if your page targets the term “what is embroidery” but mainly discusses the best types of threads to use, it won’t satisfy users seeking a basic definition.
Similarly, a page covering embroidery history won’t rank for a keyword like “cheap embroidery patterns,” as that search implies a desire to purchase, not learn. It’s also worth avoiding mixed-intent pages that combine education with sales—Google can struggle to determine the purpose of such content.

Superior Competitor Content
It’s entirely possible that your page simply isn’t as strong as those currently ranking. Competitors may be offering more comprehensive, better-structured, or more engaging content.
Take the time to review top-ranking pages with a critical eye. Identify what they’re doing well—be it in terms of depth, clarity, or presentation—and look for ways to improve your own page to match or exceed their quality.

Poor On-Page Optimisation
Sometimes, the issue lies not with the content itself but with how well it’s been optimised. Revisit your keyword targeting, headings, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
Google’s ranking algorithms have evolved, but clear and focused optimisation still matters. Tools like the Periodic Table of SEO Elements can help you review the basic elements you may have overlooked.

Lack of Uniqueness
A common pitfall is creating content that, while useful, doesn’t bring anything new to the table. If your page covers the same ground as dozens of others, Google may see no reason to rank it.
Ask yourself: what makes this page different? Consider including unique data, original research, expert insights, or a fresh perspective. Anything that sets your page apart will give Google a reason to show it to users.

Language Barriers
If you’re targeting users in a specific country or region, your content needs to be presented in their preferred language. Even excellent content can struggle to rank if it’s not easily readable or relevant to your intended audience.
If your website includes multiple languages, use hreflang tags to signal which content should be shown to users based on location and language preferences. This ensures Google serves the right version to the right readers.

Manual Actions from Google
In more serious cases, your site may have been subject to a manual action from Google. These penalties are issued when a site breaches Google’s guidelines—whether through spammy behaviour, thin content, or hidden text.

Manual actions can result in your page, or even your entire website, being excluded from search results. To check for this, go to Google Search Console and open the Manual Actions report. If you’ve received a penalty, follow Google’s guidance to resolve the issue and request a review.

Credibility reasons

One of the main factors Google considers when deciding how useful a page might be to users is its credibility. To judge this, Google looks at several key indicators that suggest whether a page can be trusted and deserves a strong position in the search results.

Backlinks
We already know that links—especially internal ones—help Google understand how pages are connected within your site. But external links, also known as backlinks, can be even more valuable.

When a page from another site links to yours, particularly one that performs well in a similar topic area, it sends a strong signal to Google. It shows that another trusted source sees your content as worth referencing, almost like a stamp of approval.

If your page is struggling to rank, it might be because it hasn’t gained enough backlinks from relevant third-party websites. In many cases, competitors outrank you simply because they’ve attracted more high-quality, relevant links.

E-E-A-T Signals
Google uses a framework called E-E-A-T to help assess the quality of a page. This stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. These are especially important when a page deals with sensitive topics like finance, health, or legal matters—what Google calls “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) content.

Pages covering YMYL topics are expected to be written by knowledgeable individuals who have both experience and expertise in the subject. Additionally, they should be published on sites that are seen as authoritative and trustworthy. If your content is about these types of subjects, make sure it clearly shows who wrote it, why they’re qualified, and that it comes from a reliable source.

Changes to Google’s Algorithms
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning the impact of Google’s algorithm updates. These are broad system updates that can cause sudden shifts in page rankings. When a page that used to rank well drops suddenly, it’s tempting to blame an algorithm change.

While this is sometimes true, it shouldn’t be your first assumption. It’s always best to look at more tangible issues first, such as link profile, content quality, and how well your page matches user intent. If, after checking everything else, you still suspect an update is to blame, take some time to study what others in your industry are saying. Look at SEO case studies or discussions from sites that also experienced a drop. This can help you figure out what may have changed in the ranking criteria and what you can do to improve.

Troubleshooting roadblocks holding back your SEO success

Sometimes, the reason your webpage isn’t ranking could be something as straightforward as a major technical problem. However, it’s also possible that several smaller issues are working together to prevent your page from performing well in search results.

Rather than jumping straight into action, it’s important to first identify what might be causing the issue. Take time to review your page carefully and test any changes you make in a structured way.

Making rushed or uninformed edits without fully understanding the problem could actually do more harm than good. The last thing you want is to accidentally push your page even lower in Google’s rankings while trying to improve it.