You’ve invested time, effort, and maybe a fair bit of budget into SEO. Yet, your website still isn’t climbing the rankings or bringing in meaningful traffic. It’s frustrating and you’re not alone.
Plenty of businesses reach a point where they wonder, “Why isn’t my SEO working?” But before you give up on it, it’s worth remembering that SEO isn’t a quick fix. It’s an ongoing process that needs regular attention, adjustment, and analysis.
Like getting fitter or eating healthier, results don’t come overnight, but if you know what to look for, you can identify what’s holding things back and start turning things around.
Step 1: Define What “Not Working” Means
When someone says their SEO isn’t working, it can mean very different things.
You might find that:
- Your pages don’t appear in Google search results.
- They appear but aren’t getting clicks.
- You’re getting visits, but people leave straight away.
- You’re seeing traffic, but it’s not converting into enquiries or sales.
Each of these tells a different story. So, the first step is to pinpoint exactly what isn’t working.
Use Google Search Console to check impressions and clicks. This will show whether you’re being seen in search results and whether users are engaging with your listings. Then check Google Analytics to see what happens once they land on your site.
Step 2: Check the Technical Foundations
Even the best content can struggle if your website has technical issues. A few common checks:
- Indexing – Use the “URL inspection” tool in Search Console to confirm that your pages are indexed. If they’re not, fix sitemap or robots.txt errors and request indexing.
- Speed and mobile friendliness – Run your site through Google Page Speed Insights. Slow, clunky, or unresponsive websites can drag your rankings down. Compress large images, remove unnecessary scripts, and ensure your design adapts properly to all screen sizes.
Step 3: Revisit Your Keyword Strategy
If your pages are being indexed but still not performing, you may be targeting the wrong keywords.
Ask yourself:
- Are your keywords too broad or competitive? Competing with huge national brands for short phrases like “IT services” or “wedding photographer” will be tough. Aim for longer, more specific phrases such as “local IT support for schools” or “affordable wedding photographer in Oxfordshire.”
- Do they match user intent? If someone is researching “how to choose a coffee machine” and your page tries to sell them one, Google will see that mismatch and rank you lower.
- Is anyone actually searching for them? Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to check search volume before you commit to a keyword.
A well-chosen keyword set makes every other part of your SEO work harder for you.
Step 4: Review How You’re Using Keywords
Even perfect keywords need to be used correctly. Make sure your target phrases appear naturally in:
Your page title and Meta description
- The URL
- Headings (H1 and H2s)
- The first 100 words of your content
- Alt text for key images
Avoid overdoing it as keyword stuffing can harm both rankings and readability. Each page should have a clear focus keyword, and you should avoid multiple pages competing for the same term.
Step 5: Improve Content Quality
Google rewards pages that genuinely help users. Thin, outdated, or poorly structured content simply won’t perform.
Review your pages and ask:
- Does this page fully answer the search query?
- Is the content clear, current, and engaging?
- Are there visuals, examples, or FAQs that make it more useful?
Compare your content against competitors ranking well for the same term. What are they doing better, and how can you outdo them?
Step 6: Strengthen Internal Links
Internal linking helps Google understand your site’s hierarchy and spreads link authority between pages.
Check whether your most important pages are linked to from others, particularly those with strong traffic or authority. Use descriptive anchor text, and ensure those links feel natural within the flow of content.
A well connected site helps both search engines and visitors navigate your content more effectively.
Step 7: Build Trust and Authority
Beyond your own website, Google also considers how credible your brand appears across the web.
- Topical authority: Make sure your content covers a subject area comprehensively. A company that writes about related subtopics will appear more authoritative.
- Backlinks: High quality links from other reputable sites act as votes of confidence. Aim to earn them through guest articles, collaborations, or by producing content worth referencing.
- Consistency: Keep your business information identical across Google Business Profile, directories, and social platforms.
Authority takes time to build but once you have it, your SEO becomes far more resilient.
Step 8: Be Patient and Keep Monitoring
One of the hardest truths about SEO is that progress takes time. For a new website, expect three to six months before results start showing. Established sites can usually spot improvements within a few months of consistent optimisation.
Keep an eye on Search Console impressions. If they’re gradually increasing, your SEO is heading in the right direction. Track metrics quarterly, adjust your strategy, and continue refining content and technical elements.
When to Ask for Help
If your SEO results have stalled despite your best efforts, an expert review can save you hours of guesswork. A professional audit can uncover deeper issues such as crawl depth, duplicate content, or poor backlink quality.
At BBI Brandboost, we regularly help businesses identify why their SEO isn’t performing as expected, and we create structured roadmaps to turn things around, combining technical expertise with practical marketing insight.
Need help getting your SEO back on track?
Get in touch with us and we’ll assess what’s holding your website back and provide a clear, actionable SEO roadmap to get results that last.