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Did you know that 90% of websites get zero traffic? This stat was first shared with us by our intern Chad— (aka ChatGPT). And we didn’t believe him. So we went searching for ourselves… It turns out it’s true.
Ahrefs ran a study about a year ago on 14 billion pages in their content database. Of those 14 billion, 96.55% of all pages don’t get traffic from Google—ZERO.
14 billion might seem huge, but this is, in fact, a small percentage of the entire web. Here’s the proof:
- There are 1.1 billion websites on the internet.
- But only 17% of all those websites are active.
- And 50 billion web pages are indexed on Google.
(and if your response to this is that SEO is dying) SEO is NOT Dead…
- Google processes approximately 99,000 search queries every second.
- That’s 8.5 billion searches per day.
- And 2 trillion global searches per year.
- The average person conducts between three and four searches each day.
So what’s happening!? Why are all these pages not getting traffic? And are some of these pages yours?
Absolutely… some of those pages are our website, too! Not every page you create will get traffic… we can sure try though!
5 Reasons Why Most Websites Get Zero Traffic
So before you freak out that your website isn’t getting traffic, let’s go over some common reasons why that might be happening.
#1 They Don’t Have a Keyword Strategy
The biggest mistake: People create content without researching what their audience is actually searching for. When you aren’t sure what your audience wants to know, getting any traffic on Google is really hard. It also makes content planning and creation harder for YOU! Keyword research is one of the many places we find content ideas.
#2 Poorly Optimized Website Structure
Confusing navigation, no internal linking, and slow-loading pages can kill your ranking. People want their experience to be easy. Make it simple for them by providing other ways to engage with you after consuming the content on the first page they land on.
For example, after you’ve read these show notes, you might want to read another blog about website traffic, like this one! Would you have found that link without us providing it? Maybe, but we made it super simple for you.
#3: Lack of Quality, Search-Optimized Content
Most businesses either don’t blog at all or write content that doesn’t serve a search intent. Google loves to see websites that are constantly making updates because it shows you’re putting an effort into staying relevant and providing value. The easiest way to do that is to consistently write high-quality blogs!
#4: Forgetting About Mobile Optimization
Do you know that Google only indexes mobile websites? Plus, more than 60% of Google searches happen on mobile. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing traffic.
Here’s a quick challenge: Find your website on your mobile device. Scroll through your main web pages (home, about, services, contact, etc.) and see what they look like. Is the text hard to read? Are the buttons impossible to click? Are images not sized properly?
These small errors are driving people AWAY from your website.
#5: No Google Presence
Many businesses forget to submit their website to Google via Google Search Console. It’s actually something we see often when performing SEO audits! You have to tell Google that you exist and where to find you. Otherwise, you’re just lost in the ether!
Quick Fixes to Getting More Website Traffic
Okay, so you understand WHY you might be getting zero traffic to your website. Now it’s time to fix it! These are pretty easy SEO fixes that will help you improve how much traffic you get from search engines.
Sign up for Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that helps you see your website’s indexing status. You can also manually request indexing (because sometimes Google takes FOREVER to get through its queue!). Submit your sitemaps and request indexing, and you’ll probably see a jump in impressions and clicks.
Fix Your Home Page SEO Title and Meta Description
Zero traffic can sometimes come from no or poor SEO metadata. Without it, the chances of your website being seen or ranking on search engines fall drastically. Listen to episode #62 to learn how to write the best SEO title and meta description!
Write an FAQ Style Blog
Use Google’s People Also Ask section to find common questions people are asking. This is a sneaky little hack we have to rank for specific searches and long-tail keywords! Literally copy and paste the question as an H2 in your FAQ blog and answer it. You might even show up as a search result next time!
Get a High-Quality Backlink
Google considers backlinks a referral from another source. And we all love referrals and word-of-mouth! Google will start to notice your authority on topics related to your business. Take our backlink email challenge to get your next backlink!
Free Live Webinar
If today’s episode got you thinking about how to get more eyes on your business, we’ve got something extra special for you! On March 17th, 2025, we’re hosting a FREE live webinar where we’re breaking down five ways to gain visibility and get found online.
This isn’t just another info session—we’re sharing real, actionable strategies we use in our business and with our clients to drive more traffic, leads, and growth. Plus, there will be time for Q&A, so you can get your biggest visibility questions answered!
So go watch that replay, or save your seat now! See ya there!
If you liked today’s episode on The Duo On Air Marketing Podcast, don’t forget to leave us a review & subscribe!
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts, educators, and co-founders of boutique marketing agency Duo Collective, which specializes in SEO, social media strategy, and branding for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. To learn more about Duo Collective, or to inquire about working with our team, head over to www.duocollective.com.
To inquire about being a guest on Duo On Air, please fill out this application form.
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