Sometimes you do everything by the book – write the post, include the keywords, even run it through every optimization tool known to marketers – and still, your keywords are not ranking. There’s a sting to that, almost like you’ve been left unread by Google itself.
This doesn’t mean the content is bad. It doesn’t even mean it’s your fault. But it does mean something’s not connecting, either with the page, the structure, or the search intent. The fix doesn’t require magic. It does require recalibration.
Let’s take a look at what that actually involves: a digital marketing strategy when your keywords are not ranking.
Diagnose Before You Dig
Start by looking under the hood. There are only so many reasons your keywords would sit in the invisible section of search results. The first: search engines don’t see your content as relevant. The second: technical issues are holding the page back. And third: the competition simply outpaces you in volume, backlinks, or freshness.
It’s helpful here to look at the difference between branded vs. non-branded keywords. Branded keywords include your business name – things like “Blue Coffee Roasters” or “Shopify tutorials by Alex.” People already know you and are searching for you directly.
Non-branded keywords are more general. These are things like “best coffee beans for cold brew” or “how to set up an online store.” They don’t mention your name. They’re what people type when they don’t know you yet, but need something you offer.
If you’re ranking for your business name but not for those broader terms, it’s a clue. You’re known, but not found. Your content might work well for returning visitors, but not for new ones searching for answers.
Don’t rewrite just yet. Observe how often your pages are crawled. Check whether internal links lead anywhere useful. Then check the bounce rate and time on page. Those numbers tell you what your headline can’t.
Check the Match, Not Just the Word
Sometimes, the problem isn’t with the keyword itself – it’s with the page it sits on. The title says one thing. The article says another. The meta description tries to juggle both. Google notices the disconnect. So does the reader.
Every page should answer a question. If someone searches “best noise-canceling headphones for kids,” and your post talks about office gear, even if the keyword matches, the intent doesn’t. Search engines weigh that difference. Heavily.
If you wrote a post three years ago that ranked then but doesn’t anymore, consider this: what changed? The query, or the context around it? Probably both.
Now look at the top ten pages for your target term. Don’t copy them. Just take notes. Structure, headings, subtopics. Is your content solving the same problem in fewer words? Or is it dragging the reader through backstory and explanation before offering anything useful?
Search engines don’t care if you’re clever. They care if you’re clear.
Content That Doesn’t Pretend
Many SEO articles are cluttered with terms and phrases that say nothing. Words exist to help a machine spot relevance. But relevance doesn’t mean repetition. Repetitive and unnecessarily long passages are something to be avoided, as you’d read in this Forbes article. Ask yourself: does your post answer something clearly, early, and fully?
Here’s a strange but useful exercise: strip out every sentence in your article that starts with “what this means is,” “to put it simply,” or “in other words.” If the sentence needs translation, it’s not the right sentence.
Use short words. Use short sentences. Write like someone might print this out and tape it to a wall. If there’s a table or graphic that would do the job faster, add it. Don’t force language to carry what a box or chart could explain more easily.
Technical Baggage You Can’t Ignore
There are on-page issues that quietly ruin ranking. Some are basic – slow load speed, broken links, missing image alt tags. Others hide better: bloated code, low mobile usability scores, duplicated metadata.
You don’t need to be an expert to find these. Use free tools. Run audits. You’re not optimizing for perfection. You’re clearing obstacles.
Also: update your sitemap. Make sure Google is indexing what you want it to see. Pages buried five levels deep with no incoming links rarely surface again.
Build Without Overbuilding
The more content you publish and promote, the more room you have to rank. But only if that content connects. Publishing for volume rarely works anymore. Search engines reward clusters – pages that link to one another, build out subtopics, and give a user multiple reasons to stay on the site.
If you have ten articles on similar themes, make sure they talk to each other. Add internal links where it makes sense. Not every blog needs a call to action. Some just need to give the reader a reason to trust you.
Also, backlinks matter. But not from every site. Focus on connections that have real relevance. One link from a respected source will outperform a dozen from weak or irrelevant ones.
And yes, this takes time. Which is why writing smarter helps more than writing often.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, you’ll notice it again – keywords are not ranking. Even after your rewrites. Even after all the checks. That’s your cue to go deeper.
Try a different page. Not every keyword deserves its own blog post. Maybe it belongs on a product page. Or an FAQ. Or in a heading halfway down an article that already performs well.
Don’t chase what’s not working. Build something better around it.
The Slow Climb, Not the Sprint
Here’s a truth most don’t want to hear: sometimes you need to wait. Not because patience is noble. But because authority builds slowly. Pages that rank well usually have something going for them: time, relevance, clarity, or connection.
Ranking doesn’t happen in isolation. Google needs to see that users click, scroll, stay, maybe even come back. That takes weeks. Sometimes months.
So, keep your content live. Keep adjusting. Refresh titles, update examples, and shorten paragraphs. Every edit is a new signal. And sometimes, it takes a few signals before anything sticks.
Ending Without the Apology
No need to beat yourself up if things don’t show up on page one. SEO is half science, half instinct. And the instinct gets sharper the more often you check your assumptions.
If your keywords are not ranking, you are still ahead of most people. You noticed. You cared enough to ask why. That means you’re already looking at your content with the right kind of eyes – curious ones. The rest? That’s just repetition. Measure, adjust, test, wait.
And while you’re waiting, try writing something new. Something smaller. Something less forced. Because the page that ends up ranking tomorrow may come from the sentence you didn’t overthink today.