Google, we need to talk.
We’ve been together for a long time. I’ve changed my website, written blogs, added FAQs, gotten reviews, built backlinks, and worked on my Google Business Profile. I’ve even added something called schema to my website, and if we’re being completely transparent, I’m still not entirely sure what that is.
And after everything I’ve done for this relationship, some days you put me on Page 1. Other days, you act as if we’ve never met.
So, Google…what’s going on?
Why Are You Ignoring Me?
You finally get your business ranking well on Google, everything seems great, and then one morning you check your rankings and think, wait…where did I go?
Before firing off an angry email to your SEO company, remember something important: search rankings move. Competitors improve their websites, new content gets published, search behavior changes, Google updates its systems, and businesses continue earning reviews and backlinks.
SEO isn’t a vending machine where you insert a few blogs, and Google spits out a #1 ranking. It’s an ongoing competition for visibility, and the businesses competing against you aren’t standing still either.
But I Did Everything You Asked!
You optimized your website, added new content, built some backlinks, updated your Google Business Profile, and maybe even started publishing regularly. So where’s the #1 ranking?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a magical SEO checklist that ends with “Congratulations! Google officially loves you.” Google uses numerous signals and systems to determine which results are most relevant and useful for a particular search.
Doing the right things improves your opportunity to rank, but it doesn’t guarantee the outcome. Google provides a good overview of this in its Guide to Google Search Ranking Systems.
Who Is That Other Business?
Oh…them.
The competitor sitting above you in the search results.
Before getting jealous, remember they’re working on their relationship with Google too. They may be creating better content, earning more authoritative backlinks, collecting more reviews, improving their website, strengthening their local presence, or targeting search intent more effectively.
That’s why competitive research is such an important part of a strong SEO strategy. You’re not optimizing your website in a vacuum; you’re competing against other businesses that want the same customer.
Maybe We Need Some Space
And here comes the conversation every SEO company eventually hears: “We’re on Page 1 now. Can we stop doing SEO?”
Sure. But your competitors aren’t necessarily stopping.
Stopping SEO doesn’t immediately erase everything you’ve built, and your rankings aren’t going to disappear at midnight because you skipped a blog. What does change is that you’re no longer actively defending and expanding the position you’ve earned.
We recently wrote an entire article about why stopping SEO after reaching Page 1 can cost you. Once you’ve reached Page 1, the relationship changes and so does the strategy.
Build. Defend. Expand.
Google…I’ve Been Talking to Someone Else
Okay, this is awkward.
Google, I wasn’t planning on telling you like this, but I’ve been talking to ChatGPT. And Gemini. And maybe Perplexity once or twice.
It’s complicated.
The way people search for businesses and information is changing. Consumers can now ask AI platforms many of the same questions they traditionally typed into Google: Who’s the best HVAC company near me? What company provides mobile reverse osmosis systems? Who can help my business with SEO in Phoenix?
That’s why businesses are beginning to think about Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) alongside traditional SEO. But here’s the important part: we’re not breaking up with Google.
SEO is still the foundation. Strong content, technical accessibility, backlinks, reviews, local signals, accurate business information, and authority all contribute to a digital footprint that search engines—and increasingly AI systems—can discover and understand.
That’s exactly why we recently asked: Can ChatGPT Find Your Business?
Maybe the Problem Isn’t Google
Instead of constantly asking, “What does Google want?” maybe businesses should start by asking a better question: “What does my customer need?”
Build a useful website. Answer real questions. Explain your services clearly. Create genuinely helpful content. Earn great reviews and build authority within your industry. Keep your business information accurate, your website technically healthy, and your overall digital presence consistent.
Then make it easy for search engines and AI platforms to understand what you’ve built.
That’s a much better long-term strategy than chasing every algorithm update or jumping on the latest SEO trick somebody promised would get you to #1.
Google, I Think We Can Make This Work
After all these years, maybe Google isn’t the problem. And maybe your business doesn’t need to break up with Google after all.
Maybe you just need to work on the relationship.
At Build Epic Consulting, we help businesses build stronger digital visibility through SEO, AEO, website strategy, content, and long-term authority. There are no magic tricks, no guaranteed #1 rankings, and definitely no relationship counseling.
Although after writing this article, we’re apparently considering adding it.
Ready to Work on Your Relationship With Google?
If your business needs a stronger SEO and AEO strategy, contact us and let’s talk about where you are today, where you want to go, and what it’s going to take to get there.