Why Isn’t My Website Getting Any Traffic?

Having a website is very exciting, and it’s incredibly beneficial for many business owners who operate and sell their goods and services online. But its attractiveness can begin to fade away if you’re not getting any traffic. If that happens, then your website could seem like a waste of time and money. However, there are things you need to realise about a poor-performing website, and that includes finding out about how you can change those things for the better. Let’s take a closer look at why your website isn’t getting any traffic. 

Your website is brand new (& Google doesn’t trust it yet)

It takes time for a brand-new website to assert its authority on the search engine results pages (SERPs). You cannot put a new website live and expect a constant wave of website visitors on day one. This exception is completely unrealistic. In this case, there’s nothing that you can really do to solve the problem, other than give it time. 

The Google search engine needs time to discover your pages, crawl and index your content and evaluate your credibility and relevance all. The trick is patience. Also, publish quality content regularly, submit your website to Google Search Console and focus on long-term growth rather than getting results instantly, because that’s just not going to happen. 

SEO is nonexistent or very poor

SEo, or search engine optimisation as it’s also known, is crucial to the amount of exposure and visibility a website gets online. SEO involves using various specialist techniques and tools to effectively get the job done. However, if this goes wrong, or if SEO hasn’t been thought about, then you can expect your website’s performance to be poor. 

Some of the biggest SEO mistakes that can be made include things like: targeting the wrong keywords (more on that in a moment), a lack of meta descriptions and titles, poor internal linking, no alt text for images and slow loading speed. If you choose an SEO specialist to do it all for you, like the ones here at Kumo, then your site will receive the traffic it deserves.

You’re targeting the wrong audience or using irrelevant keywords

Sometimes, a website that isn’t getting any traffic can be optimised (using SEO techniques), but the wrong keywords have been used. This means that you’re targeting an audience that doesn’t exist, because they’re not searching for the terms that your content is optimised for. Using the wrong keywords isn’t always explained simply as targeting the term ‘white trainers’ and when you sell ‘red heels’. 

It can also involve things like: using overly broad keywords with high search volume and high competition, targeting industry jargon instead of regular language and writing about content you like rather than writing content that the audience actually needs. If your content doesn’t match search intent, then Google will not show it in the SERPs, and users won’t click.

The content on your site is low quality

Search engines will prioritise content that solves problems, answers questions and provides helpfulness and value that goes beyond what already exists. But you need to be creating content that ticks those boxes in the first place. If the content you’re producing is thin, a reword of other articles or is generic and flat, then you’re unlikely to rank in the SERPs.

You might now be wondering what you can do to make sure that you’re producing content people will actually want to click on and read. All you can do in this instance is: create in-depth, original content, use examples, data and clear explanations, answer real questions that your audience asks and update old content to keep things relevant.

You have no backlinks

Backlinks, which are links that come from other websites to yours, are a major ranking factor. If no reputable websites link to you, the search engines have very little reason to trust your website. This will only hinder the amount of traffic you receive. 

A site with zero backlinks often struggles with ranking in the SERPs, no matter how good the content is. If the problem of no backlinks relates to you, then there are a few things you can do to rectify the problem, including:

• Sharing content on social media and forums
• Writing guest posts for related websites
• Creating link-worthy content (such as guides, tools and case studies)
• Building relationship in your niche

Your website is not being promoted

Most people who aren’t in the industry will simply assume that website traffic is an automatic stage in digital marketing. However, you’d be mistaken for thinking that. If you’re not actively promoting your website, then very few people will actually end up discovering it. This is especially the case if your website is brand new. 

Some of the most common mistakes that people make when it comes to website promotion include: relying on Google, not using social media, ignoring email marketing benefits and never sharing any content outside of the website it was originally published on. But never fear, because some of the things you can do to solve this problem are listed below:

• Sharing posts on relevant social platforms
• Joining communities where your audience is already 
• Building an email list
• Reprupposing content into other content types, such as videos, posts or Threads

You’re experiencing technical difficulties 

More often than not, technical issues can keep a website visitor away. This is something that no amount of quality content can solve, unfortunately. Some examples of technical problems that are hindering your website traffic performance include: pages accidentally set to “noinex”, broken links or server errors, the website is not mobile-friendly and slow load times.

Even the smallest of technical issues can prevent search engines and users from accessing your website. There are, however, a few things you can do to get past this issue, such as: checking Google Search Console for errors, testing your site on mobile devices, improving hosting and performance and fixing broken pages and redirects.

Your expectations are unrealistic

Many websites fail, not because they’re bad, but because the owner expects exceptional results way too quickly. This just isn’t a realistic expectation to have. Traffic growth is often slow, non-linear and dependent on consistency. So comparing your brand-new website to an established competitor’s site isn’t a measurable performance indicator. But there are some things you can do to boost your website traffic somewhat, without having unrealistic expectations, which can be damaging. Those things include the following:

• Tracking progress monthly and not daily
• Focusing on steady improvements
• Setting realistic milestones
• Willing to learn and adapt constantly

Kumo offers a full range of digital marketing services, including SEO, PPC, content creation and website design, to clients nationwide. No matter your industry, our expert team is committed to increasing your online visibility and helping your business stand out from the competition. To learn more about how we can enhance your digital presence, contact our friendly and knowledgeable team today.