1. No unique title tags

When you develop a website you need to be sure that each page has a unique title tag. A title tag is what shows up at the top of each page. Most website owners make the mistake of using the same title for every page. In order to even get noticed by Google, you need to make sure that you name each page independently. These changes can be made easily from within your html files.

2. Primary keyword is not included in the title

Another common mistake website owners make is that they don’t include their keywords in the title of the page. Google determines how to rank you primarily because of what’s in the title tags and in the content. Make sure to work your keyword in to the title of each page. For example, if your keyword is “race cars,” you can name your page, “The top ten race cars in America.”

3. Nobody’s linking to you

Another big reason why you’re not ranked number one in Google is because you’re not getting the right kind of links. Google is like a popularity contest. The person with the most links (the right kind of links) wins. In order to rank number one, you need to get other sites to link to you as much as possible. One of the best ways to do this is through contacting similar sites in your industry. Make a list of 100 related sites in your industry. Contact each website owner and form a relationship. The next time you post something on your site, make sure to let your list know (Don’t overdo this). The result will be an influx of links.

4. Not enough content

While this rule varies within industries and sites, it is a good rule of thumb to follow. In order for Google to take your website seriously, you need to have at least 30 pages indexed in the Google system. A good way to check how many pages you have indexed in Google is to run a search for site:yoururl.com. The number of searches that come up will be the total amount of indexed pages in the Google system.

5. No authority (yet)

This step is actually a combination from the results of the previous steps. In order for Google to rank your website number one for your particular keyword, you need to be seen as the authority for that keyword. You can build authority a number of different ways including: covering your topic thoroughly, writing proper page titles, and getting solid links back to your site.

So there you have it, the 5 reasons your website is not ranked number 1 in Google. Work through these steps and watch your Google rankings soar.