Why Isn't My Website Ranking?

Client Thank You

One of the most common questions we receive at www.OMIS.ca is “Why isn’t my website ranking on Google”? Over the past few years, perhaps even the last 10 years, search engines have really revolutionized their algorithms and their process to rank websites. I could talk about all the Google search algorithm changes and provide the top 10 tips to rank well on search engines but this blog isn’t about that. This blog is simply to shed light on what it means to launch a website in 2017 and to highlight some expectations when it comes to search engine optimization and ranking.

I remember launching websites for clients in the mid-to-late 1990’s and seeing them rank in the top 3 on any search engine: Google, Altavista, Yahoo, Jeeves and Excite! It took days to appear on search engines and quite often, you’d stay there for years without touching your website. 20 years later, search engines have gotten a lot more picky and treat search more like a business rather than a service offered to “world wide web surfers”

HAS YOUR WEBSITE FALLEN DOWN THE RANKS ON SEARCH ENGINES IN RECENT YEARS?

Google wants people to search the web using Google. Because of that, they’ll try to offer the best possible search results so that people keep coming back! The formula is quite simple. The reason old or other search engines have disappeared is because they didn’t yield accurate search results! Of course now, the most popular search engines also offer additional services and a platform that links all devices but at its core, Google, Yahoo and Bing offer great, current and accurate search results!

Bad Sites Get De-ranked!

What web designers and SEO specialists have noticed over the past decade is that good websites rise up the rankings and bad websites drop in rankings. I’ve never seen a scenario where a new website that is well-maintained and offers great content doesn’t appear high on search engines over time. I’ve also seen many great websites appear high on search engines but slowly fall because of neglect or lack of website maintenance. Search engines know how relevant and up to date your website is. Always!

How’s Your Website Doing?

So ask yourself this about your website. Are your products, services, content, blog posts, articles and anything else you offer on your website great? Current? Accurate? And most importantly, is your content better than your competitors’? This essentially is the holy grail of search engine optimization. You can have a perfectly built, SEO-ready website with the right content, meta tags, sitemap etc… etc… But is it better than your competitors? And most importantly, are you doing the work to keep it great, current and accurate month after month?

When considering your position on search engines and are looking to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) first consider the following about your content:

  1. Is the information current and accurate? Did you write a blog about RRSP’s in 1995 or 2017? Which blog do you think would be more accurate?
  2. Is it relevant to the search (meaning, if a user found your site searching for “Nike Shoes” do you have or sell Nike shoes on your website)?
  3. Is your website informative? Can they learn all they need to know in a single visit until they are ready to book or purchase?
  4. Is your website engaging? Does your website “lead” the user through the site with call to actions and clear steps to proceed until a “goal” is reached (for example leading a user to a “booking form” or a contact us form or a successful online shopping checkout).
  5. Is your website safe? if you are collecting usernames, emails, passwords and especially transactions, your website needs to be SSL-encrypted or will face a setback in SEO.

Don’t Buy SEO Services Until You Master The Above!

I often speak with clients wishing to hire me for my SEO services who fail to address the 5 points above. I don’t care how good an SEO company is – without content and without adhering to the 5 points above, you will not rank well on search engines! I often try to empower my clients and make them realize there is a certain responsibility that is required in 2017 to manage your website and ensure it remains successful. Just like you take out the garbage or do your taxes or you hire a cleaning company, ongoing maintenance on your website is extremely crucial.

OK! Take my money already!

I would definitely be more than happy to but not before you do the following homework:

  1. What’s your 30 second elevator pitch? Or what do you tell your friends at a party when they ask what you do for a living? “I own a web consulting firm that offers small to medium sized businesses all services related to their website from design, development, hosting, search engine optimization, social media marketing and logo/branding services”
  2. Within your sales pitch you’ll notice you refer to important keywords (in my case web design, logo design, search engine optimization) they will be the core keywords you will use to structure your website and create your content.
  3. Create and saturate your content with these keywords – wisely! For example don’t flood your content with keywords: are you looking for web design services? Because I offer great web design services such as online shopping web design services… You get the point!
  4. Can you or any of your staff commit to content writing or product/service management on your website? For example committing to writing content, enhancing product descriptions, seeking testimonials, customer reviews or adding images to a gallery? This is how SEO really works!

you have considered the points above, definitely give us a call 705-721-9670 or send an email to info@www.omis.ca

Posted by Carlos Vilchez
Carlos Vilchez - Barrie Website Designer
Carlos Vilchez is a web consultant for OMIS.ca - Online Media & Internet Solutions - A web design, development and host service provider in Barrie, Ontario. He's been tinkering with html and coding websites ever since the days of 14.4k dial-up, paying $2.25/minute for an internet connection. For nearly 2 decades, OMIS.ca has been providing small to medium sized businesses in Barrie and the surrounding areas with affordable web design, hosting solutions and a wide assortment of web-related services.