HomeRoadmapTrain, test & troubleshoot your SEO furtherWhy my Page Doesn’t Rank [Better or At All] in Google?

10. Train, test & troubleshoot your SEO further Why my Page Doesn’t Rank [Better or At All] in Google?

This is one of the most common questions you’ll get asked as an SEO. To help you, here’s a checklist with basic SEO diagnostics questions to ask, as well as areas to analyze and type of tools to use. You can also copy the checklist from Google Sheets here.

Questions	Elements to Analyse/Optimize
Is the page Crawlable?	[Technical] Crawlability (HTTP status, robots.txt, Google Search Console URL Parameters tool). Use Google Search Console, SEO Crawlers.
Is the page Indexable?	[Technical] Indexability (Meta robots, X-Robots-Tag, canonicalization, Google Search Console Page Removal, etc.) Use Google Search Console, SEO Crawlers.
Is the Page Content More Relevant than the Top Ranked Pages for Target Queries?	[Content] Content relevance (descriptive text, images, videos, structured data usage). Use SEO Crawlers, Content Optimization Tools.
Is the Page Content more Helpful/Comprehensive/Authoritative than Top Ranked Pages to Fulfill User Search Needs?	[Content] Content quality (comprehensiveness, uniqueness, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness). Use Content Optimization Tools.
Is the Page giving a Good User Experience (good core web vitals, mobile friendly, https, no intrusive interstitials) that is better than the Top Ranked Pages for Target Queries?	[Technical] HTTPS, Mobile Friendliness, Core Web Vitals, No Intrusive Interstitials Use Google Search Console, SEO Crawlers, Page Speed Tools.
Is the Page linked internally from the site navigation and related site pages with crawlable, followed links and included in XML sitemap?	[Technical] Internal linking, XML sitemap Use Google Search Console, SEO Crawlers.
Is the Page attracting More and Better Quality Links from Authoritative & Relevant Sites than Top Ranked Pages for Target Queries?	[Promotion] Backlinks and Linking Sites Quantity, Quality, Relevance Use Google Search Console, Backlinks Tools.
Are the relevant, high quality backlinks pointing to the page being disavowed?	[Promotion] Google Search Console Disavow Configuration Use Google Search Console.
Is the page affected by a Google Manual Action?	[Content/Technical/Promotion] Google Search Console Manual Actions Report Use Google Search Console.
Is the Page search result appearance more descriptive, attractive and compelling for Target Queries vs top ranked pages, leveraging available search features to maximize CTR?	[Content/Technical] Search snippet and features, structured data usage Use Google Search Results.

A Google Sheets Resource To Copy

To facilitate the usage and sharing of these questions, I’ve created a Google Sheets featuring them that you can copy here and use as a checklist when going through them in your SEO validation.

Copy Google Sheet

Common Questions on Pages Not Ranking in Google

How do I know if my page is indexed by Google?

Check indexation by searching “site:yoururl.com” in Google or using the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console. If your page appears, it’s indexed. If not, investigate crawl blocks, noindex tags, or manual penalties that might prevent indexation.

What tools can I use to test crawlability issues?

Use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool for official crawl data, Screaming Frog for comprehensive site crawls, and Chrome DevTools to check robots.txt and rendering issues. These tools help identify technical barriers preventing Google from accessing your content.

How long does it take to see ranking improvements after fixing issues?

Ranking improvements typically appear within 2-8 weeks after fixes, depending on crawl frequency and competition. Technical fixes (like removing crawl blocks) often show results faster than content improvements. Monitor changes through Search Console and rank tracking tools.

Why does my page rank well in Bing but not Google?

Google and Bing use different ranking algorithms. Google emphasizes E-E-A-T, mobile-first indexing, and Core Web Vitals more heavily. Your page might satisfy Bing’s criteria while missing Google-specific ranking factors like page experience or topical authority.

What's the difference between not ranking and ranking poorly?

Not ranking means your page doesn’t appear in the top 100 results—usually due to technical issues or severe quality problems. Ranking poorly (positions 50-100) indicates Google can find and index your page but doesn’t consider it competitive for target queries.

The SEO Learning Roadmap

Take a look at the SEO learning roadmap below, featuring the different areas, from the basics of SEO, to the most common activities and phases of the SEO Process:

1 SEO Fundamentals

Start learning SEO with the fundamental concepts and areas, why they're important, and the basics to execute them: keyword research, content optimization analysis, technical optimization and link building.

Introduction to SEO

Keyword Research

Competition analysis

Content optimization

Technical optimization

Link building

2 Execute an SEO Process

Once you know the main SEO concepts, it's time to put them in practice by learning to develop an SEO process, from establishing a strategy and setting goals to management, measurement, and reporting.

Establishing an SEO Strategy

Setting SEO Goals

Measuring SEO

Reporting SEO

Developing an SEO Audit

Getting SEO Buy-In

SEO Process Management

Common SEO Execution Mistakes To Avoid