Why your website probably isn’t showing up in Google and what to do about it
Having a website is essential for businesses to establish their online presence and reach potential customers. However, merely having a website is not enough to guarantee visibility in search engine results, particularly on Google.
As website designers, we frequently encounter clients who are disappointed by the lack of traffic to their sites, despite implementing what they know to be the best search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques.
One common misconception among website owners is that SEO revolves solely around technical aspects such as page loading times, header optimisation, image alt tags, and schema markup. While these factors are indeed crucial for SEO, they represent only one piece of the puzzle. The missing component?
Content.
Content is the backbone of SEO and plays a pivotal role in helping Google understand the relevance and authority of your website. When users search for information online, Google aims to deliver the most relevant and useful results – its their ‘raison d’etre’ (reason for being). If your website lacks substantial content that addresses users' queries and provides valuable insights, Google is less likely to prioritise it in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Furthermore, there's a common phenomenon known as the "sandbox effect," where Google may take several months to fully comprehend and index a new website. During this period, your website's visibility may be limited, regardless of the technical optimisations in place, because it doesn’t know who you – and you’ve not ‘fed’ it information.
To overcome this hurdle and expedite the indexing process, it's essential to consistently add fresh and relevant content to your website. Content not only helps Google understand your website's purpose and target audience but also increases the likelihood of ranking for a broader range of keywords and topics.
Recognising that creating high-quality content can be time-consuming, one strategy is to incorporate "footer content" – less prominent but still valuable information – throughout your website. By strategically placing informative content in the footer section, you provide additional context for Google's crawlers, facilitating quicker comprehension of your website's content and objectives.
Ultimately, treating your website like a well-maintained car is key to achieving sustained visibility and success online. Just as neglecting regular maintenance can lead to poor performance in a vehicle, neglecting content creation and optimisation can hinder your website's ability to rank effectively in search results.
In conclusion, while technical SEO elements are vital, they must be complemented by a robust content strategy to maximise your website's visibility and potential for success on Google. By investing time and effort into creating valuable, engaging content, you can improve your website's chances of standing out in a crowded digital landscape and attracting organic traffic from search engines.
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