The guide to improving your SEO rankings
You’ve done what you were told.
Meta titles? In place. Keywords? Sprinkled in. Blog posts? Published.
But your site still isn’t ranking. You’re buried on page 3. Maybe page 7. Maybe nowhere at all.
If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many businesses believe they’ve “done SEO” — but what they’ve actually done is surface-level. Here’s what’s likely going wrong, and what it really takes to rank.
1. Thin Content Means Google Has Nothing to Work With
If your core pages have 100 to 200 words of vague copy, they’re unlikely to rank for anything competitive.
Google is looking for content that solves problems, answers questions, and matches real search intent.
What weak content looks like:
Generic intros with no depth
Pages that only explain who you are, not what you offer
No structure, headings, or detail
What to do instead:
Write at least 500 to 800 words per core page
Include service details, FAQs, outcomes, and proof
Use H1s, H2s, and bullet points to improve readability
Align every page with a clear keyword and search intent
2. Poor Technical Setup Is Hiding Your Pages
Even great content won’t rank if Google can’t crawl your site properly. Most underperforming websites have technical problems that make them invisible by design.
Common issues:
Slow load times, especially on mobile
Broken internal links or orphaned pages
Missing H1 tags and duplicate meta data
Poor indexing or no sitemap in place
What to do instead:
Run a technical audit using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs
Prioritise mobile speed, clean code, and structured data
Make sure all key pages are indexed and internally linked
3. No Backlinks Means No Authority
SEO isn’t just about what’s on your website. It’s also about who is linking to it. Without backlinks, Google has no reason to trust your content, even if it’s well written.
Why backlinks matter:
They act like credibility signals
They tell Google your content is worth referencing
They help build trust, especially in competitive niches
What to do instead:
Create useful content worth linking to
Submit your site to relevant directories or citation sites
Reach out to partners, suppliers, or media for features
Build links slowly and consistently - quality beats quantity
4. You’re Targeting the Wrong Keywords
One of the most common SEO mistakes is ranking for the wrong terms, or worse, ranking for nothing at all.
Where it goes wrong:
Targeting obscure or zero-volume phrases
Using internal jargon no one outside your team understands
Going after broad terms like “marketing” instead of “B2B SEO for accountants”
What to do instead:
Focus on medium-intent, realistic keywords
Include location, service, and pain point combinations
Use Google Search Console and Ads data to guide decisions
Prioritise what your audience is actually searching for, not what sounds good internally
5. You’ve Built a Website, Not a Content System
Publishing a few pages and a blog post now and then isn’t enough. Sites that rank well have depth, consistency, and structure.
What Google wants to see:
Topical relevance across your niche
Internal linking between related content
Regular updates and content additions
Clear pathways from blog posts to service pages
What to do instead:
Create a pillar page for each key service or location
Support each pillar with 3 to 5 blog posts targeting related questions
Link everything together with anchor text and strong CTAs
Build a system that scales, not a static brochure
Bonus: You’re Expecting Results in 4 Weeks
If you’ve “done SEO” and expected traffic to spike in a month, you’ve been sold the wrong timeline. Organic growth takes time. That’s what makes it valuable.
What to do instead:
Think in terms of 3 to 6 months, not 3 to 6 weeks
Track progress across multiple metrics: rankings, traffic, engagement, conversions
Make SEO part of your ongoing marketing system, not a one-off project
Final thoughts
Most websites that struggle with SEO aren’t broken — they’re unfinished.
They have decent content but no depth. They’ve done keyword research but ignored the technical setup. They’ve written blogs but haven’t built authority. They expect results, but haven’t built the system required to earn them.
At Emerge, we help businesses stop guessing and start building. We turn underperforming websites into high-ranking lead generators by focusing on what actually moves the needle.
Want to know what’s holding your site back? Book a free SEO audit. We’ll walk through your site live and show you what to fix - no jargon, no sales pitch.
