Why Isn’t My Webflow Site Ranking on Google? Here are 7 Common Issues
by Josh Biggs in Digital Marketing, Marketing on 18th September 2025You’ve designed a beautiful Webflow site, launched it with high hopes, and waited patiently. But the traffic? Crickets. If your site isn’t ranking on Google, you’re not alone. Many business owners and marketers find themselves in this frustrating position, wondering what’s gone wrong.
While Webflow offers incredible design flexibility and clean code, search engine optimisation (SEO) still requires strategy, attention to detail, and ongoing effort. If your Webflow site isn’t climbing the search rankings, it’s time to diagnose the problem. Here are seven common issues that could be holding your site back (and what you can do to fix them!). If you’d prefer to leave the technical side to the experts, partnering with a professional and experienced Webflow SEO agency can make a significant difference to your visibility and growth.
You Haven’t Set Up SEO Basics in Webflow
Webflow provides plenty of SEO-friendly features, but they don’t set themselves up automatically. To give your site a fighting chance on Google, make sure you’ve:
- Added custom meta titles and descriptions for each page
- Configured proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
- Created clean, readable URLs (e.g. /about-us instead of /page-3421)
- Enabled SSL for secure browsing (https rather than http)
- Submitted a sitemap via Google Search Console
Many new users assume Webflow handles all SEO elements behind the scenes. While it does some of the heavy lifting, these manual steps are essential for making your content accessible and indexable by search engines.
Your Site Is Not Indexed
One of the most common reasons a site isn’t ranking is because it’s not indexed at all. Even if everything is set up perfectly, Google can’t rank your pages if it doesn’t know they exist. Here’s how to check:
- Go to Google and type site:yourdomain.com. If no results appear, your site isn’t indexed.
- Check Webflow’s project settings to ensure “Disable Webflow subdomain indexing” is turned on (if using a custom domain), and the “Disable indexing” option is turned off.
Once indexing is enabled, you’ll want to submit your sitemap in Google Search Console to prompt Google to crawl your site.
Thin or Duplicate Content
Google’s algorithm is designed to reward valuable, original content. If your Webflow site has very little text, recycled copy, or identical content across multiple pages, your rankings will suffer. Ask yourself:
- Does each page answer a specific question or solve a user problem?
- Is your content detailed and informative enough to compete with others in your niche?
- Are your keywords naturally included in titles, headers, and body text?
Investing in quality content – either by writing it in-house or working with SEO-focused copywriters – can dramatically boost your visibility.
No Keyword Strategy
If you’re not targeting specific keywords, your site is unlikely to rank well – especially in competitive industries. Webflow allows you to structure content beautifully, but if you’re not optimising that content for what your audience is searching for, it won’t be found. A few things to consider:
- Have you done keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs?
- Are your chosen keywords realistic in terms of competition?
- Are you targeting long-tail keywords (e.g. “eco-friendly office furniture Melbourne”) to capture more specific search intent?
Adding strategic keywords to your headings, body content, meta tags, and image alt text can help Google understand the relevance of your pages.
Your Site Loads Too Slowly
Site speed is a known ranking factor for Google – and users are equally impatient. If your Webflow site takes too long to load, both search engines and visitors will bounce. Common culprits include:
- Oversized or unoptimised images
- Too many third-party scripts
- Unnecessary animations
- Lack of lazy loading for images or videos
Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to identify what’s slowing your site down. Webflow gives you good control over image compression and file delivery – make sure you’re taking advantage of it.
Poor Mobile Experience
With mobile-first indexing in place, Google evaluates your site’s mobile version before the desktop one. If your Webflow site isn’t responsive or has usability issues on smaller screens, it could tank your rankings. Double-check the following:
- Text is readable without zooming
- Buttons and links are easy to tap
- Content isn’t cut off or hidden on smaller screens
- Page layout adjusts appropriately across devices
Webflow’s designer is mobile-responsive by default, but custom styling or complex layouts can sometimes break the mobile experience. Always preview and test your site across devices before publishing.
Lack of Backlinks
You could have the most well-optimised Webflow site in the world, but without backlinks (these are links from other reputable websites), Google won’t view your site as trustworthy or authoritative. Getting backlinks takes time, but you can start with:
- Guest posting on relevant industry blogs
- Submitting your site to directories or local listings
- Sharing high-quality content that naturally earns shares
- Partnering with influencers or businesses for link exchanges
Building authority is a long game, but it’s essential for climbing the ranks.
Webflow SEO is a marathon, not a sprint
If your Webflow site isn’t ranking on Google, don’t panic – it’s a solvable problem. From technical SEO to content quality and backlinks, many small improvements can add up to major gains over time. The key is knowing where to focus your efforts. With the right approach, your site can go from invisible to unmissable.