Why Your Website Isn’t Ranking on Google (and How to Fix It)

You’ve launched your website, added your services, and waited for customers to find you. But weeks (or even months) later, your site still isn’t showing up on Google’s first page.

This is one of the most common frustrations we hear from small business owners across London. The good news? If your website isn’t ranking, there’s a clear reason — and once you fix it, you’ll start to see results.

In this guide, we’ll explain the seven most common reasons websites don’t rank on Google and show you exactly how to fix each one.

1. Your Website Isn’t Indexed by Google

If Google doesn’t know your website exists, it can’t rank it. This usually happens if your site is new or if you haven’t set up the right tools.

👉 Fix: Use Google Search Console to submit your sitemap. This tells Google about your pages so they can appear in search results.

💡 Pro Tip: At Market Link, every web design project includes SEO setup, so your site gets indexed properly from day one.

2. You’re Targeting Keywords That Are Too Competitive

Trying to rank for “plumber London” or “best café” is nearly impossible for a small business. These terms are dominated by big companies with huge budgets.

👉 Fix: Focus on long-tail, location-based keywords. Instead of “plumber London,” aim for “emergency plumber in Clapham.” These are easier to rank and bring in customers who are ready to buy.

💡 Pro Tip: Our SEO services include in-depth keyword research tailored to London’s small business market.

3. Your Content Isn’t Strong Enough

Google rewards websites with helpful, detailed content. If your site only has a few short service pages, it won’t be seen as valuable.

👉 Fix: Create blog posts and guides that answer real customer questions. For example:

A lawyer could write “5 Things to Know Before Hiring a Divorce Lawyer in London.”
A café could post “Top Coffee Shops in Shoreditch for Remote Work.”

The more useful content you provide, the more Google trusts your site.

💡 External Resource: Check out Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO for content strategy basics.

4. Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly

Over 60% of searches in London are done on mobile. If your site doesn’t work properly on phones, both users and Google will abandon it.

👉 Fix: Redesign with a mobile-first approach. Test your site on different devices to ensure smooth navigation and quick loading.

💡 Pro Tip: At Market Link, every website design is built to perform seamlessly on desktop, tablet, and mobile.

5. Your Site Is Too Slow

Google considers site speed a ranking factor. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, most people leave.

👉 Fix: Optimise your images, reduce unnecessary plugins, and use a quality hosting provider. Test your speed with Google PageSpeed Insights.

💡 Case Example: We worked with a London salon whose site took 8 seconds to load. After optimising, they cut it to 2 seconds — and enquiries doubled.

6. You Haven’t Optimised On-Page SEO

On-page SEO includes all the elements Google reads to understand your site. Common mistakes:

Missing title tags and meta descriptions.
No headings (H1, H2, H3) with keywords.
Images without alt text.
Weak internal linking.

👉 Fix: Optimise every page with clear titles, headers, and descriptions. Tools like Yoast SEO in WordPress make this simple.

💡 Pro Tip: We always link service pages together — for example, connecting SEO services with Google Ads services — to strengthen site structure.

7. You’re Ignoring Local SEO

If you’re a London-based business, you need to appear in “near me” searches and Google Maps results. Without local SEO, your competitors will always outrank you.

👉 Fix:

Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile.
Collect genuine customer reviews.
Add your location in your content (“Serving small businesses in Islington and Shoreditch”).

💡 Pro Tip: Our SEO services focus heavily on local optimisation so small businesses can dominate in their boroughs.

8. You’re Not Building Any Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites pointing to yours. Google sees them as votes of confidence. Without backlinks, your site may struggle to gain authority.

👉 Fix: Build backlinks by:

Publishing guest blogs on relevant sites.
Getting listed in local London business directories.
Collaborating with partners who can link back to your site.

💡 Case Example: A Brixton café gained backlinks by being featured in local lifestyle blogs. Within 6 months, they moved from page 5 to page 1 on Google.

Conclusion

If your website isn’t ranking on Google, it’s not because SEO doesn’t work — it’s because one or more of these common issues are holding you back.

The good news? Every problem here has a clear solution. With the right strategy, your website can move from invisible to visible — and start bringing in steady leads.

At Market Link, we help London’s small businesses with:

Web design that converts.
SEO that ranks.
Google Ads that deliver instant leads.

👉 Ready to stop wondering “why my website isn’t ranking on Google”?
Book Your Free Consultation Today and let’s fix it together.