Why your blog isn’t ranking (even if you’re sure you’ve appeased the SEO gods)
Oct 6
6 min read
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When you’ve spent time crafting a blog only to see it get little to no engagement, it can be disheartening. We’ve been there, and we know that other professional copywriters and business owners have, too! Sometimes it can feel like ranking on Google is trial and error (or constantly in Mercury retrograde).
If you’ve already checked out our last article — hint hint — then you’ll already have a bit of an understanding of common SEO mistakes. But what if you’ve incorporated keywords, added a meta description, and beefed up your blog to avoid ‘thin’ content?
We’re here to walk you through some other factors that could be keeping your blog from ranking on search engines…
Blog not ranking? Troubleshoot some of these
So, what’s keeping your blog from climbing those all-important SERP (search engine results page) rankings? Here are a few factors that don’t directly relate to on-page SEO (but they are certainly connected). For on-page SEO tips, check out this blog on SEO mistakes instead.
Your website isn’t deemed trustworthy
It’s no reflection on you, but Google needs a little time to warm up to websites. If your site is new or has very few high-quality backlinks, search engines will be wary. In this situation, patience is key.
You may be wondering how much time it takes for a blog to rank. Unfortunately, this is the classic ‘it depends’ answer we copywriters and SEO fiends seem to love so much!
As a ballpark figure for newer domains, however, you may find it takes 6-12 months to start gaining traction. For established sites, it might take a couple of weeks or months to see an improvement.
You haven’t shared it elsewhere
You’ve written your blog to reach people and to bring them valuable insights or information. It’s tempting to hope that it will magically appear on search engines and find its way to the right readers.
Unfortunately, this isn’t quite the case. To start ranking, your blog will usually need a little helping hand in the right direction.
The more people engage with, link to, and share your blog, the more Google starts to see your site as an authority in the field. With this in mind, sharing blogs on your social media profiles, in email newsletters, and across other channels can help kickstart the traction.
Once the algorithm gets going, you’re likely to see a boost in your blog article’s (and overall website’s) ranking.
Your website isn’t mobile-friendly
Many of us now consume more content through our phones than our laptops. So if your site isn’t optimised for mobile browsing, you could be losing out on valuable visits and engagement. It’s important to check your website settings to make sure it loads nicely on mobile devices.
That’s not all — Google prioritises mobile-first indexing, which means it tends to crawl a site with a smartphone agent to index and rank a page. If it can’t easily access your blog on a mobile device, it’s less likely to put it at the top of the SERPs.
Poor technical performance
Mobile-first design is one factor, but you also want to make sure your site loads quickly across the board.
Slow load times can put readers off, so your site needs to be speedy, stable, and responsive. It’s worth checking your Core Web Vitals to see if there are any improvements you can make.
A lack of E-E-A-T
Successful content, be it a blog article or landing page, needs to follow E-E-A-T guidelines in order to rank well.
Experience: Your first-hand experience of the topic.
Expertise: Your knowledge of the subject.
Authoritativeness: How much search engines recognise your website as a leading voice in the field.
Trustworthiness: How accurate and reliable Google deems the content on your site to be.
There are some straightforward ways to increase your content’s E-E-A-T across the board. For instance, making sure there’s an author bio on your blog post and a ‘meet the team’ page on your site, and linking to reliable, high-ranking sources can indicate credibility.
These highlight that you are, in fact, a real human being who has a genuine understanding of what you’re talking about, and that you do your research to make sure any copy you present is as accurate and helpful as possible.
(P.S. This is also what can distinguish quality professional copywriters! They will take the time to get to know you and your business, and will conduct thorough research on the topic to ensure it all aligns and hits those all-important E-E-A-T markers.)
The rest of your website has low-quality content
If your shiny superstar of an optimised blog is nestled between web pages filled with keyword stuffing, irrelevant content, and poorly written copy, unfortunately, it won’t be able to shine.
Search engines look for context, and they take your whole site into account when deciding where to place your pages on the SERPs.
This is why it’s so important to have a holistic approach to your web copy, making sure every element, from the homepage to the contact page, is the best it can be.
Your blog has been ‘no-indexed’
As we all know, technology isn’t foolproof, and human errors can occur, too! Simple factors like not ticking the ‘index page’ box on your blog settings can mean that it won’t appear on SERPs.
(The phrasing will differ depending on your CMS. As an example, on Wix, you might see “Let search engines index this page”.
The keyword competition is too high
Keywords and search terms are an essential part of SEO content writing. They help the right audience members find your page, and give search engines a clear indication of what the content is about.
Broad or vague keywords, however, can be very difficult to rank for because so many other websites are optimised for them. Handy tools like Ahrefs and Semrush can give an idea of how competitive certain keywords are, showing whether it’s likely to be easy or challenging to rank for them.
Your best bet is to find longer, more specific, and/or more niche keywords (better known as long-tail keywords). Targeting these will help you reach the people who are searching for those phrases and avoid getting lost in the noise of the hefty competition.
As an example, rather than targeting “scented candles” with a high search volume but a ‘medium’ difficulty rating according to Ahrefs, you might want to consider more specific terms.
Phrases like “scented candles gift set” and “large scented candles” may have lower search volumes, but they are more achievable and more likely to reach visitors who are interested in your products.
Learn more: Do keywords really make a difference to your web copy?
Your blog page is orphaned or hard to find
The best business websites have a lovely, clear architecture. Visitors can easily hop from one page to another to find the information they want, like a super informative map for users. If your site layout is convoluted, it makes it much trickier for both search engines and visitors to find content.
Likewise, ‘orphaned’ pages drift about on their own with no bridge to connect them to the rest of your site.
A blog post is orphaned if there are no other pages linking to it. Making sure your website is easy to navigate and there’s plenty of internal linking to connect it all together can create a better user experience and give Google that vital context it craves.
How many blog posts should you publish per week to see a ranking improvement?
We hate to be repetitive, but… it depends! There’s no clear-cut answer on how many blog posts you should publish to see a boost in SERP rankings because there are so many factors influencing how search engines find and value your content.
That said, Google does appreciate regular content, so posting blog articles weekly (rather than an influx of five at once and then nothing for six months) is a good step. Why? Regular posts allow search engines to crawl and index new content more efficiently.
At the same time, remember that it’s a case of quality over quantity. There’s no point churning out five blogs a week if they are rushed, include thin content, and don’t offer the reader helpful information.
If you find yourself struggling to find the time to create new blogs, it might be worth speaking with professional copywriters who offer blog writing services. They can take the task off your hands to keep your website ticking over and climbing the SERPs while you focus on the parts of your business you love most.
Blog writing services from The Content Coven
Need a hand with writing regular blogs that will boost your website’s search engine results page ranking? We know how tricky it can be to find the time to keep your blog up to date when you’re running your own business.
As professional copywriters who work with a variety of businesses in different industries, we also recognise the importance of balancing SEO and brand tone of voice so that your content genuinely reflects you, all while giving Google what it’s after.
We offer flexible blog writing services tailored to your needs. Whether you want a batch of articles prepared in one go so you can schedule them over the next few months or you want regular, ongoing blogs, we’re here to help.
Feel free to take a look at some of our previous work and check out our copywriting services and pricing. If you think we might be the perfect fit, we’d love to have a chat, so go ahead and send us a message or email hello@thecontent.coven.co.uk. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
