Struggling With SEO on Your WordPress Site? Here’s Why and How to Fix It

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is essential for any website that wants to get found on Google. But what happens when you’ve done what you think is right—installed plugins, written blogs, added keywords—and your site still isn’t ranking? If your WordPress website SEO isn’t working, you’re not alone. Many people run into this problem, but the good news is: it can be fixed.

In this blog, we’ll explore why your WordPress site might be struggling with SEO and what steps you can take to improve it.

Why Your WordPress Website SEO Isn’t Working

Let’s break down the common reasons why your WordPress website may not be performing well in search results:

1. Poor Website Speed

Google values speed. If your website loads slowly, it creates a bad user experience, and search engines notice. A slow site can be caused by:

.   Too many plugins

.   Unoptimized images

.   Poor-quality hosting

.   Outdated themes or code

Fix: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your speed. Compress images, remove unnecessary plugins, and consider using a caching plugin like W3 Total Cache. Also, make sure your hosting provider is reliable.

2. Lack of Quality Content

If your content doesn’t answer users’ questions, Google won’t rank it. Many WordPress users publish short or keyword-stuffed posts that provide little value. This kind of content gets ignored by both users and search engines.

Fix: Focus on writing helpful, original content. Answer your audience’s questions. Use simple language. Add images, videos, or infographics when needed. The better your content, the more likely people will stay on your site—and the higher it will rank.

Two Major Areas You May Be Overlooking

While basic SEO elements like titles and meta descriptions are important, these two areas are often ignored but make a huge impact.

1. Technical SEO Settings

Even with good content, your SEO won’t work if the technical setup is wrong. For example:

.   Is your site indexed by search engines?

.   Do you have duplicate content?

.   Are your URLS clean and easy to read?

Sometimes, WordPress settings might prevent your site from being indexed. If the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” option is selected, Google won’t even look at your content.

Fix:

1. Go to Settings > Reading in your WordPress dashboard and make sure the “Discourage search engines” box is unchecked.

2. Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to guide you through on-page and technical optimisation.

3. Create and submit an XML sitemap through Google Search Console.

2. Mobile Responsiveness

Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means it looks at the mobile version of your site first. If your website looks bad or doesn’t work well on smartphones, your rankings will drop.

Fix:

1. Use a responsive WordPress theme. Most modern themes are mobile-friendly by default.

2. Check your site using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

3. Make sure text is readable, buttons are clickable, and images scale properly on small screens.

Bonus Tips to Supercharge Your WordPress SEO

Here are a few extra tips to make your SEO even better:

1. Use Internal Linking: Link to other pages or blog posts on your site. This helps Google understand your site structure and keeps users engaged longer.

2. Optimise Images: Always add alt text to images. Use descriptive filenames and compress images to avoid slow load times.

3. Use Categories and Tags: Organise your blog posts with relevant categories and tags. This helps users navigate your site and improves SEO.

4. Keep URLS Short and Simple: Use readable, keyword-rich URLS. Avoid numbers or random symbols.

Ending Note: Ready to Improve Your SEO?

If your WordPress SEO isn’t working, don’t get discouraged. The problem is usually fixable with the right approach. Start by improving your website speed, creating high-quality content, fixing technical issues, and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly. These changes can make a big difference in how your site performs on search engines.

Need help from the experts? WordPress Developer specialises in fixing SEO issues, optimising WordPress websites, and helping businesses grow online. Whether you need a complete SEO overhaul or just a few tweaks, their team can guide you every step of the way.

Take action today—because your website deserves to be seen.