You’ve heard the story: The miner who digs for years, finds nothing, and finally gives up – walking away just inches before hitting the gold vein. Drives me bloody nuts, because I see business owners do the exact same thing every day with their Google rankings.
They look at their spot on the search engines, shrug, and say: “Well, we’re on page one.” Like that’s a win.
Or worse: “Yeah, we tried SEO once, didn’t work. Waste of money.”
And they give up.
But in reality, they’re sitting right on top of the gold. Their website is already ranking on page two, just a whisker away from where the traffic actually is. But they give up and walk away empty-handed, when all they had to do was dig a little deeper.
And that’s where the game is lost. Because being “almost there” doesn’t count.
So, how do you know if you’re about to quit too soon?
There are 5 dead giveaways:
Giveaway #1: You Don’t Even Know Where You Rank
This one blows my mind. Most business owners have no idea where their site actually sits in Google. They’ll say, “Yeah, we get some traffic.” But when I ask, “Where are you ranking for your money keywords?” I get blank stares.
Seriously? That’s like digging blindfolded. You could be inches from a gold vein at #11… or wasting years swinging at solid rock on page 10. Without knowing your rankings, you can’t tell the difference. And I’ve seen businesses sitting right at #12, literally one or two moves from page one, and they walk away.
Giveaway #2: You Think Page One Is a Win
This one drives me bloody nuts. They puff their chest and say, “We’re on page one!”
So I ask, “Where on page one?” And they mumble, “Oh, we’re number eight.”
Being #8 on Google is like showing up fourth to a three-man race – you’re there, but no one’s watching. And I’m not just making this up. According to recent studies, the top 3 spots claim up to 75% of all clicks. Everyone else? Forgotten, unfound, and unfunded.
So by the time you’re #7, #8, #9, you’re basically wallpaper.
You can print “page one” on your business cards if it makes you feel good, but it won’t keep the lights on.
I had one client who sat at #9 for months without a peep. They thought SEO was a waste of money. We pushed them up to #3 for the same keyword, and the phone lit up.
No magic tricks or black hat practices. Just math.
Giveaway #3: You’re Sitting on Keywords You Don’t Even Know About
Now, what if I told you most businesses already own the gold, but just don’t know it?
I’ll run a check and see their site ranking for dozens of buyer-ready terms. Searches that mean “I’m ready to pick up the phone and spend.” And where are they? Halfway down page 2. Bottom of page 1. Sitting on ground loaded with opportunity.
But because they don’t see it, they call it worthless and walk away. Meanwhile, their competitor nudges those same rankings up a few spots… and suddenly the calls, the clicks, and checks all flow their way.
That’s you leaving gold in the ground because you didn’t bother to check.
Giveaway #4: You’re Trying to Make the Homepage Do All the Work
This one’s like trying to build a house with just a hammer. It doesn’t matter how hard you swing… one tool can’t do the whole job.
Yet I see it all the time: every service, every keyword crammed onto one generic homepage. And then people wonder why they don’t rank.
Google rewards relevance. Someone searching “sloping block builder” doesn’t want your generic homepage. They want a page that screams about “sloping blocks” in the headline, answers their exact question, and tells them how to book right now.
If your homepage is trying to rank for everything, it won’t rank for anything. And those keywords you could’ve owned slip straight into your competitor’s lap.
Giveaway #5: You’re Only Thinking Google
Back in 2007, sure – SEO meant “ranking on Google.” That was it. But today, the game’s completely changed.
Now your prospects search on YouTube, LinkedIn, even TikTok. And Google itself is changing fast with AI Overviews pulling answers straight into the results. If you’re only planting your flag on Google, you’re invisible everywhere else.
I call it “Search Everywhere Optimisation.” Because the truth is, your competitor isn’t just trying to outrank you on Google – they’re showing up everywhere your buyers look.
If you’re still thinking “Google only,” you’ve lost before the game even starts.
The question is… are you ready to stop losing?
Because the Gold’s Already in Your Website… You Just Need to Dig the Last Few Inches
None of this is bloody rocket science.
Most of the time, you’re literally one or two smart moves away from cracking the top spots, and cashing in on the gold that’s been sitting under your nose the whole time.
So why don’t most business owners ever get there?
Because they don’t just make tactical mistakes – they make strategic ones. The kind that quietly drain their SEO momentum before it ever pays off.
Here are the two big killers I see over and over:
- They Go After Keywords Backwards
Instead of building authority with easy-to-rank, buyer-ready terms, they chase the “Everest keywords” straight out of the gate. It’s like a rookie climber trying to summit without oxygen or a base camp. They burn out, run out of money, and give up.
The smarter way? Start with the winnable battles. The 200 – 300 search terms where you can score quick wins. Those wins build Google’s trust. And that trust lifts your bigger keywords over time, without you killing yourself in the process.
- They Treat Rankings Like a Finish Line Instead of a System
Getting to #12 or #14 isn’t the end of the job, it’s only the halfway mark. The heavy lifting is done. From there, every smart tweak compounds: better on-page content, stronger CTAs, a handful of backlinks… and suddenly you’re top 3.
But most business owners stop. They tick the SEO box and move on. And that’s why they lose. The 5% who win? They treat SEO like a system that compounds over time, not a one-and-done project.
Too Many Business Owners Give Up. Don’t Make That Mistake.
If you take nothing else from me, take this:
Don’t quit when you’re close. Don’t chase the hardest battles first. Win the ones you can, build momentum, and then take the big ground. That’s how you strike gold.
And if you’re serious about striking it? Don’t leave here empty-handed.
Download our free guide:
How to Get a Top Ten Ranking on Google
Inside, you’ll see the same mistakes I watch business owners make every single day that cost them leads, clients, and sometimes whole businesses. More importantly, you’ll see the fixes that stop the bleeding, close the gap, and get you climbing where it counts.
Grab it now, and make sure the next strike is yours.
Learn more about Peter and his team. Smarter websites is a proud member of D32 Business Network.
