If you come across the headlines, ‘keyword rankings don’t matter anymore’ or ‘SEO is dead,’ stop, mark them as clickbait, and move on. What’s the first thing you do if asked to find a particular product/service? Yep, you turn to Google for answers—just like most people do. If you’re a business owner, you want your website to rank on Google’s first page. While it’s true that keyword rankings have a ton of different variables and that SEO strategies are nowhere similar to what they were like a few years back, rankings still matter a lot. It’s reported that Google processes more than 40,000 searches every second—that’s 40,000 different opportunities to get your website in front of your audiences. But what if Google doesn’t rank your website? Here are 4 reasons that are possibly causing it.

1. Little or no content

This could be one of the main reasons why Google isn’t ranking your website. Thanks to a number of recently-introduced Google updates, your website will have a higher chance of ranking better if you have well-written, valuable content on your website. So, the recipe for online success is helpful information fused with appropriate keywords.

2. Improper internal linking structure

Internal linking structure is a crucial part of your SEO strategy; never underestimate it. If your website has a clear website structure, Google will understand it better. However, if its website structure is a bit iffy, Google won’t rank your website, even if your content is awesome and well-optimized.

3. Missing keywords

While Google is smart, it won’t know what your company is about until you tell it. How? By using keywords. If you want Google to rank your website, use the keywords that people search for throughout your website. But if you don’t have keywords within your content, how will Google know what your business does? It’ll forever remain in the dark.

4. Slow website speed

Do you know how long it takes for a website to load on mobile phones? About 5-6 seconds on average. However, there’s a certain time after which users don’t stick around and end up leaving your website—and that’s just 3 seconds. This means that people are impatient, and if they don’t get something fast enough, they’ll leave. Keep in mind that Google considers your engagement metrics, for example, people bouncing right off versus people sticking around on your website, as a way to find out whether people value your website. If Google thinks your website isn’t adding any value, it won’t rank you, and vice versa.

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Mediaforce is the only digital marketing agency in Ottawa that’s laser-focused on transforming SMEs into digital leaders. Our e-commerce marketing, Google AdWords marketing, social media marketing, digital marketing, paid media advertising, search engine optimization, and web design services in Ottawa are designed for transformational results. Contact us now for more information!   About the author: Since 1996, we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with amazing organizations from a wide array of industries. We’re eager to be at the cutting edge of new marketing strategies and technologies that will help give our clients the unfair advantage. Our thought leadership team is constantly learning new tactics and methodologies from institutions such as MIT and Google.