The Real Reasons You’re Not Ranking — and What to Do Instead
If you’ve invested time or money into SEO and still aren’t seeing results, you’re not alone. I’ve heard the same story from countless business owners:
“We’ve been publishing content for six months, but our traffic hasn’t moved.”
“We hired someone for SEO, but it didn’t do anything.”
“We’re on page 4 — shouldn’t we be higher by now?”
Here’s the truth: SEO is powerful, but only if it’s done right — and with the right expectations.
If your SEO isn’t working, it’s not necessarily because “SEO is dead” or your industry is too competitive. It’s usually because your strategy is incomplete, your foundations are weak, or your timing is unrealistic.
Let’s break down the real reasons SEO efforts fail — and what you can do to fix them.
1. You’re Focusing on Content, Not Strategy
A lot of people assume SEO = blog posts.
So they start writing weekly articles, optimising headings, and throwing in keywords — but nothing happens. Why? Because content alone isn’t strategy.
If you don’t know:
- Who you’re writing for
- What their intent is
- Which keywords actually convert
- And how to link your content into a funnel…
…then you’re just adding noise.
🛠️ Fix it:
- Build a content plan around business goals, not just topics
- Research search intent (informational vs commercial vs navigational)
- Create supporting content clusters around your service pages
- Make sure your blogs are guiding users toward a CTA or lead magnet
💡 Pro tip: Rank with a purpose — not just for traffic, but for leads.
2. Your Website Isn’t Optimised to Convert
Getting traffic is only half the battle. What happens when people actually land on your site?
If your homepage or landing pages:
- Don’t explain what you do clearly
- Are slow to load or messy on mobile
- Have no clear CTA or lead capture
- Use generic copy that sounds like ChatGPT on autopilot
…then your SEO isn’t working because your site isn’t converting.
🛠️ Fix it:
- Simplify your message: clear headline + benefit statement above the fold
- Add lead capture elements: form, free audit, discovery call, newsletter
- Improve site speed (especially on mobile) and fix basic technical issues
- Make your site easy to navigate — reduce clutter, improve flow
SEO doesn’t just get people to your site. It sets the stage for them to take action. Make sure the experience is ready.
3. You’re Targeting the Wrong Keywords
Most businesses make the mistake of chasing high-volume keywords that are way too competitive — or not aligned with buying intent.
You might be targeting:
- Keywords with huge search volume but low commercial value
- Terms your competitors already dominate with aged content
- Keywords that don’t match your actual services
🛠️ Fix it:
- Focus on long-tail keywords with clear intent
Instead of: “life insurance” → try: “life insurance for over 50s UK” - Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or even Google’s “People Also Ask”
- Check who’s ranking now — if it’s major publishers, pivot
💡 Win the right traffic first, then go upmarket later.
4. You Don’t Have the Technical SEO in Place
You can have great content and smart keywords — but if your site’s technical SEO is broken, Google won’t take you seriously.
Common problems:
- Poor site structure or crawlability
- Duplicate content or thin pages
- No sitemap or robots.txt file
- Missing title tags or meta descriptions
- Slow load speed (especially on mobile)
🛠️ Fix it:
- Run a site audit with Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Sitebulb
- Prioritise fixing crawl errors, indexing issues, and internal linking
- Compress images, lazy-load videos, and optimise for Core Web Vitals
- Set up Google Search Console and monitor issues regularly
Technical SEO isn’t sexy, but it lays the groundwork for everything else.
5. You’re Expecting Results Too Soon
This one’s uncomfortable, but important.
SEO takes time — especially in competitive industries.
If you’re expecting results in 30 days, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Good SEO compounds, just like investing.
🔍 Realistic timelines:
- 0–3 months: Build foundations, fix site issues, start publishing
- 3–6 months: Early rankings, indexed content, maybe some long-tail traffic
- 6–12 months: Compounding results, real traffic, and lead flow
- 12+ months: Top rankings, brand authority, flywheel effect
🛠️ Fix it:
- Treat SEO as an asset, not a campaign
- Track progress with leading indicators: impressions, crawl rates, keyword movement
- Avoid pausing efforts just as they’re about to kick in
The clients who commit to long-term SEO always win in the end.
6. You’re Not Earning Trust Signals (Backlinks, Reviews, Mentions)
SEO isn’t just about what’s on your website — it’s also about your reputation across the web.
If your site has:
- No backlinks from trusted sources
- No online reviews
- No mentions or citations in directories or niche sites
- No press, guest posts, or partnerships
…Google won’t view you as a trusted authority, and neither will visitors.
🛠️ Fix it:
- Start by getting basic citations in industry directories (Yell, Clutch, etc.)
- Guest post on relevant blogs or partner sites
- Ask happy clients for Google reviews and embed them on your site
- Build links through outreach, not spammy link farms
A few high-quality backlinks are worth more than dozens of low-quality ones.
Final Thoughts: SEO Still Works — But Only If You Do It Right
If your SEO isn’t working, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It just means something’s off — and usually, it’s more than one thing.
The good news? Once the right pieces are in place — strategy, content, technical SEO, conversion — it starts working together like a well-oiled machine.
🚀 SEO traffic becomes consistent.
📈 Leads flow in without paid ads.
💰 Your cost-per-acquisition drops over time.
Want Help Identifying What’s Holding You Back?
If you’ve been putting effort into SEO but not seeing results, let’s fix that.
I offer a free 20-minute SEO strategy call — we’ll review your current setup, identify where the gaps are, and outline your next best move.