When a website doesn’t rank, the instinct is to write more blog posts or buy a new plugin. Usually that doesn’t help, because the real problem sits further up the chain. This is the order I diagnose it in. Each step only matters once the one before it is sorted.
Step 1: Is the page in Google at all?
If a page isn’t indexed, nothing else matters. The quickest check is Google Search Console: paste the page’s address into the URL Inspection tool at the top. It tells you whether the page is indexed, and if it isn’t, why.
The usual culprits:
- A “noindex” tag left over from when the site was built
- The WordPress setting “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” still ticked
- robots.txt blocking the page or the whole site
- A canonical tag pointing to a different page
- A brand-new page Google simply hasn’t got to yet
You’ll find the full technical sequence in the technical SEO audit checklist.
Step 2: Do you actually have a page for that search?
This sounds obvious, but it’s the most common gap I see. An electrician who does switchboard upgrades, EV charger installs and heat pump wiring often has one “Services” page listing all three. Then they wonder why they don’t rank for “EV charger installation Auckland”.
Google ranks pages, not businesses. If an important service doesn’t have its own page explaining it properly, you’re asking Google to rank a bullet point.
Step 3: Does the page match what the searcher wants?
Search for your target phrase and look at what’s already ranking. Google is telling you what format it thinks searchers want.
| If the results mostly show… | Google thinks the searcher wants… | So your best bet is… |
|---|---|---|
| A map pack and business websites | A local provider | A strong service page plus a Google Business Profile |
| Guides and how-to articles | To learn something first | A genuinely useful guide, not a sales page |
| Directories and “best of” lists | To compare options | Getting listed on those directories as well as ranking yourself |
| Product and category pages | To buy | A well-built category or product page |
If you’re trying to rank a sales page where Google shows guides, or the other way round, you’re pushing uphill. Keyword research and search intent goes into this properly.
Step 4: Is your page genuinely the best answer?
Open the top three results and compare them honestly with your page. Do they explain the service more clearly? Show prices or price guidance? Include photos of real work, a process, reviews, or answers to common questions? Google’s systems are designed to reward pages that are the most helpful result, not the ones that mention the keyword most often.
The winning move is rarely more words. It’s more useful, specific information: what’s included, how long it takes, what affects the price, what makes your approach different, and evidence that you’ve done it before.
Step 5: Is it really a map pack problem?
For local services, most clicks go to the map pack, which runs off your Google Business Profile, not your website. If your site ranks reasonably in the organic results but you never see your business in the map, the problem is your profile. Common causes:
- The profile is unverified, suspended, or duplicated
- The primary category doesn’t match the search
- You’re searching from too far away from your verified location
- Competitors have far more, and more recent, reviews
The Google Business Profile guide covers how to fix each of these.
Step 6: Is there a trust gap?
If your page is indexed, matches the intent and is genuinely good, but still sits below competitors, the gap is usually prominence. That means links and mentions from other reputable sites, reviews, and how established your business looks across the web. This takes time and can’t be faked safely. The fastest legitimate wins are usually the relationships you already have: suppliers, industry associations, local business networks and community organisations.
Step 7: Is the site simply new?
New websites and new domains take time to earn trust. There’s no fixed waiting period, but a few months of steady, quality work is normal before competitive searches move. In the meantime, focus on getting indexed, getting the map pack working and building reviews.
Why are competitors ranking above me?
When you compare yourself with the business above you, look at each of the three things Google weighs, and be honest:
| Compare | What to look at |
|---|---|
| Distance | Are they closer to the searcher? For local results this alone can explain it |
| Relevance | Do they have a dedicated page for the service? A more specific profile category? Clearer content? |
| Prominence | More reviews? More recent reviews? Links from industry or local sites? A longer-established business? |
Often the answer is uncomfortable but useful. Their page simply explains the service better, or they’ve spent five years collecting reviews. Both are fixable, but neither is quick.
Quick reference
| Symptom | Most likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Site doesn’t appear even for its own name | Indexing problem | Search Console URL Inspection |
| Ranks for its name but nothing else | No pages matching real searches, or weak relevance | Do you have one page per service? |
| Shows in organic results but not the map | Google Business Profile issue | Verification, category, reviews |
| Shows in the map near your office only | Distance | Service area, local relevance, reviews |
| On page two and stuck there | Quality or trust gap | Compare your page with the top three |
This is part of my Auckland SEO guide. If you’ve worked through it and still can’t see the problem, an SEO audit will find it. Or send me your site and I’ll take a look.