Why Am I Not Showing Up In Google?

Your company may have a website which you thought would help establish an online presence. Upon entering your type of services into Google, your company is nowhere to be found. If this scenario sounds familiar, do not lose hope. Your business’s online face may not be entirely lost. With SEO, a once overlooked website can become relevant and popular amongst search engines like Google. Addressing the reason behind your invisibility, consider the following concerns: website, content, and backlinks.

Reason #1: Your website might be missing its skeleton.

Think of your website as a body. The skeleton of a website may not be visible, but the website cannot function without the structure provided by these bones. The “bones” are code, metatags, H1 and H2 titles, and mobile friendliness. All of these “bones” play a different role in ensuring your website is optimal for search engine recognition. Code is the groundwork for your website. When search engines are scanning the vast expanses of the internet, HTML code is what the search engine is reading. Consider code as a brief glimpse of what is available on the site. If your HTML code is not clear and appropriate, Google might breeze past your site without realizing its relevance.

Metatags are also part of the identifying code process for search engines. A metatag functions like a trailer for a movie. When a person sees a trailer, the viewer should be able to establish the movie genre and enough basic information to determine if the person would want to see the film. If created correctly, metatags should provide a glimpse of the website’s content so that Google can determine whether the website is worth seeing by the user.

H1 and H2 titles on a basic level are like headlines in the newspaper. Headlines in the newspaper do not convey all of the information, but they should give the gist of what the article is about. Search engines essentially skim your website like a newspaper reader would. If a header seems interesting, a reader might read the article. If a H1 or H2 title seems relevant, Google will deem the website an appropriate match.

Lastly, all of this code skeleton must be crafted in a manner which will be effective when accessed with a mobile device. Not all websites are created with this dual capability in mind, but it detrimental to the search engine process if a site is not translatable to mobile devices. 70% of users conduct searches from their mobile devices so mobile friendliness cannot be overlooked.

Reason #2: Your content may not be the “best”.

Your website’s content might be “good,” but Google is looking for the “best.” Your website may have relevant content, but not the “best.” Although the “best” might seem subjective, there are some factors which help Google determine if your website is the “best”. If your content is not original, this lacking will lead to being overlooked by Google. In addition to scanning for originality, Google wants to see how your site holds up to the click test. If a user clicks your site, but returns to the Google search page for another result within a few seconds, Google recognizes the user’s displeasure with your site. If this disappointment happens frequently, Google will move your result further down based upon decreased popularity.

Although the majority of Google’s hunt through content is conducted by an algorithm and not by an actual person, their algorithms were created based upon human data. Google had a team evaluate websites to help the algorithm learn what low quality looked like. Quality content is a blend of “creativity, high-quality writing, use of examples, and inclusion of images and multimedia” (Moz). Since the users are searching for certain information, delivering the desired information in the most visually appealing but functional manner is necessary for success in the search engine world. Being the “best” is a careful configuration of function and aesthetics.

Reason #3: Backlinks are absent, irrelevant, or dishonest.

Although some people have questioned the validity of backlinks, studies conducted by experts in SEO at Moz this year still find correlation between backlinks and search engine success. Backlinks are essentially like a giant puzzle which Google can look at and determine how websites are connected. The reason people became skeptical of backlinks stems from the ways users found to trick the search engine algorithms in the early days. In the past, a blogger could stick a bunch of links to popular sites or topics as a means to generate more traffic. Before you start making your blog have more links than Pinterest, Google has wised up to the whole charade. Google can weed through the backlinks to see if the puzzle pieces fit or even came from the same puzzle.

If your site is linked into other sites of relevance, your popularity will surge amongst the search engine results. Successful backlinks are dependent on citation and trust flow. Citation flow is a scale of sorts which determines how much influence your site may have. Continuing with the puzzle concept, if your puzzle has more pieces connected then Google will think your site is popular. Although this is simplifying the concept, citation flow is essentially how linked in your site may be. Citation flow and trust flow are wed together in an expertly crafted website.

Trust flow is a point of reference for search engines regarding your site’s quality of links. Basically, the search engine sees your site has a bunch of links, but trust flow helps Google determine whether your pieces even came out of the same box. If your site is linked to low quality sites or irrelevant sites, Google will recognize this through trust flow and your popularity will be impacted. Having a good balance of citation and trust flow is vital for being found by search engines. Honest and appropriate backlinks will aid your site in having the proper ratio of citation and trust flow.

With SEO, your website can survive and thrive in the midst of competition when being sorted by search engines. The team at Harbin Designs specialize in crafting sites which have the needed skeleton to function while maintaining a sleek and aesthetically pleasing appearance. The content created for your site will enhance your user’s experience and ensure return visitors. When visitors return, your site’s popularity will increase and show up more readily to Google. When your company is ready to be back-linked for optimal recognition by Google, Harbin Designs is prepared to create superior connectivity for your website.