Why Your Blog Posts Aren't Ranking (5 Common Mistakes)

You're doing everything "right." Publishing consistently. Following SEO best practices. Using keywords properly. But your posts aren't ranking.

Sound familiar?

Here's the truth: most SEO advice is generic and outdated. What worked in 2020 doesn't work in 2025. And what works for enterprise sites with massive authority doesn't work for everyone else.

If your blog posts aren't ranking, you're probably making one (or more) of these five mistakes.

Mistake #1: Targeting Keywords You Can't Compete For

This is the most common mistake—and the most frustrating.

You target "email marketing" because it has 50,000 searches/month. You write a great 2,000-word guide. You optimize perfectly. And it never cracks page 3.

Why? Because you're competing with HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Neil Patel.

Look at who's ranking:

• Domain authority 70+
• Thousands of backlinks
• Established for 10+ years

You can't beat them, no matter how good your content is.

The fix: Target keywords you can actually rank for.

Use keyword difficulty scores, but more importantly, manually check who's ranking:

• What's their domain authority?
• How many backlinks do top posts have?
• Are they all enterprise brands, or are there smaller sites?

If you see smaller sites ranking, you have a shot. If it's all giants, move on.

Better strategy: Target long-tail variations.

• Instead of "email marketing," try "email marketing for real estate agents"
• Instead of "SEO tools," try "affordable SEO tools for small businesses"
• Instead of "content marketing," try "content marketing for B2B SaaS"

Lower volume, but infinitely more rankable.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Search Intent

You write a "comprehensive guide to CRM software" when searchers want a product comparison. Or you write a listicle when they want a how-to guide.

Search intent mismatch = no ranking.

Google's job is to show users what they're actually looking for. If your content doesn't match, it won't rank—even if it's well-written.

Types of search intent:

• Informational: "What is email marketing?"
• Commercial investigation: "Best email marketing tools"
• Transactional: "Buy Mailchimp subscription"
• Navigational: "Gmail login"

The fix: Google the keyword before writing.

Look at the top 10 results:

• Are they blog posts or product pages?
• Guides or listicles?
• Short answers or long-form content?
• Video or text?

Match the format. If all top results are listicles, write a listicle. If they're 3,000-word guides, write a guide.

Don't fight the algorithm—work with it.

Mistake #3: Thin or Generic Content

"Write 1,000 words" is terrible advice.

Length doesn't matter—depth does.

If your post is generic advice cobbled together from the top 5 Google results, why would Google rank you above those results?

Signs your content is too thin:

• It says the same thing as everyone else
• No original examples or data
• No unique perspective
• Could have been written by someone who knows nothing about the topic

The fix: Add depth and originality.

Include:

• Real examples from your experience
• Data (your own or cited from research)
• Contrarian takes (challenge conventional wisdom)
• Specific tactics, not generic advice
• Screenshots, templates, or actionable resources

Example of generic advice:

"Email marketing is effective because it has high ROI."

Example of valuable advice:

"In our analysis of 50 SaaS companies, email marketing drove an average ROI of 42:1—but only when sends were segmented by user behavior. Batch-and-blast campaigns averaged just 8:1."

See the difference? Specificity beats generality every time.

Mistake #4: No Backlinks

Content quality matters, but backlinks still matter more than most people want to admit.

If your post has zero backlinks and competing posts have 50, you're probably not ranking—even if your content is better.

The fix: Build links strategically.

You don't need hundreds of links. Even 3-5 quality backlinks can make a difference.

How to get backlinks:

• Link-worthy assets: Create original research, data studies, or comprehensive guides people want to link to
• Guest posting: Write for sites in your niche (with a link back)
• HARO (Help a Reporter Out): Respond to journalist queries
• Ego bait: Feature experts in your post, then let them know
• Outreach: Find sites linking to similar (but inferior) content and pitch yours

Start small: Aim for 1-2 backlinks per post. Over time, it compounds.

Mistake #5: No Internal Linking

Internal links are the most underrated ranking factor.

Google uses internal links to:

• Understand your site structure
• Determine which pages are most important
• Discover new content faster

If your new post has zero internal links pointing to it, Google doesn't know it exists—or doesn't think it's important.

The fix: Build a strong internal linking structure.

For every new post:

• Link to it from your homepage or a pillar page
• Link to it from 2-3 related existing posts
• Link from it to other relevant content on your site

For existing posts:

• Audit and add internal links to new content
• Ensure pillar pages link to all cluster posts
• Fix orphan pages (pages with no internal links)

Pro tip: Use descriptive anchor text that includes your target keyword.

• ❌ "Click here"
• ✅ "Learn more about email marketing segmentation"

Bonus Mistake: Expecting Instant Results

SEO is slow. New posts can take 3-6 months to rank.

If you published 2 weeks ago and aren't ranking yet, that's normal. Don't panic and change everything.

Realistic timeline:

• Week 1-2: Google indexes your post
• Week 3-8: Initial ranking positions appear (often page 3-5)
• Month 3-6: Rankings improve as Google validates the content
• Month 6+: Peak rankings (if content is good)

The fix: Be patient and keep publishing.

SEO compounds. The posts you publish today won't drive traffic tomorrow—but they'll drive traffic for years.

How to Diagnose Your Specific Problem

If your posts still aren't ranking, run this checklist:

1. Check Google Search Console

• Is the post indexed? (If not, it's a technical issue)
• Is it getting impressions? (If not, targeting the wrong keywords)
• Is it getting clicks but low CTR? (Meta description or title issue)

2. Analyze competitors

• Who's ranking for your target keyword?
• How good is their content?
• How many backlinks do they have?

3. Check your content quality

• Is it genuinely better than what's ranking?
• Does it match search intent?
• Is it comprehensive enough?

4. Check internal linking

• How many internal links point to this post?
• Is it orphaned?

5. Give it time

• Has it been at least 3 months since publishing?

The Pensteady Advantage

We avoid these mistakes by default:

1. Keyword research: We only target keywords you can actually rank for
2. Intent matching: We analyze SERPs before writing a single word
3. Content depth: Every post includes original insights and examples
4. Internal linking: Automated linking structure across all content
5. Backlink strategy: We help you identify link-building opportunities

The result? Content that ranks—not because we game the algorithm, but because we avoid the mistakes everyone else makes.

Fix Your SEO Strategy Today

Audit your last 10 posts:

1. Are you targeting rankable keywords?
2. Does your content match search intent?
3. Is it deep and original, or thin and generic?
4. Do you have any backlinks?
5. Is your internal linking strong?

Fix those issues, and your next posts will rank better.

Want content that avoids these mistakes from day one? Try Pensteady and start ranking faster.