You’ve put time and effort into optimizing your website for search, but you’re still not seeing the priority keywords ranking where you want them. It’s frustrating, but don’t give up hope! Here are 25 potential issues to check if your website isn’t ranking:
1. Check your meta title tag. Make sure it includes your target keyword and compelling, clickable copy.
2. Optimize H1 and H2 tags. Proper heading utilization improves indexing and on-page authority.
3. Improve page speed. Slow load times negatively impact SEO. Compress images, minify CSS/JS, and optimize code.
4. Fix broken internal links. Crawl your site to identify and repair 404 errors and broken internal links.
5. Strengthen your link profile. Build high-quality backlinks from relevant websites to improve domain authority.
6. Produce more content. Add blog posts, videos, tools, and other content to increase visibility and clicks.
7. Prune low-quality pages. Remove or refresh thin, outdated, or irrelevant content that detracts from Positive signals.
8. Check for keyword cannibalization. Similar content on the same keywords dilutes signals. Consolidate or differentiate pages.
9. Improve URL structure. Use descriptive URLs with target keywords. Update slugs if needed.
10. Shorten page copy. Search engines favor concise, scannable content. Trim fat.
11. Optimize images. Add keyword-focused alt text, title tags, captions, and file names.
12. Enhance user experience. Improve navigation, UI/UX, and on-site engagement to boost dwell time.
13. Check structured data. Ensure schema markup is accurate and adds rich results potential.
14. Update site architecture. Make sure your IA facilitates natural internal linking and clear hierarchies.
15. Differentiate from competitors. Perform gap analyses to identify where you can create unique, valuable content.
16. Prioritize mobile optimization. Over half of searches now happen on mobile. Use responsive design and AMP.
17. Audit technical SEO. Fix any crawl errors, broken JavaScript, etc. that hinder bots.
18. Refresh old content. Update outdated posts, statistics, broken embeds, etc. to revive them.
19. Promote your content. Increase social shares and links to provide signals.
20. Check your backlinks. Disavow toxic links while promoting quality links.
21. Leverage PPC data. Mine pay-per-click ads for relevant keyword opportunities.
22. Review analytics. Check CTRs, dwell time, and other factors for low-performing areas.
23. Build internal links. Strengthen the linking between related content on-site.
24. Create cornerstone content. Develop pillar pages and resources around your core topics.
25. Be patient. SEO takes time. Stick with white hat tactics and wait for results.
Don’t lose hope if your site’s not ranking – just start troubleshooting! Follow this comprehensive list to spot and address issues hampering your SEO visibility. With time and persistence, your keywords can climb.
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