Why do website rankings differ across search engines, and how can they be improved?

Even when comparing the same search terms under the same search conditions, a website may rank differently across search engines because each engine ranks pages differently. If a blog ranks highly on other engines but lags behind on Google, that gap alone does not establish that Google made a mistake or that the site was penalized. To work toward improvement, first distinguish ranking issues from traffic issues, then check for broken pages, issues with the site’s underlying system, and past technical problems. Shared SEO fundamentals are worth investing in, but they do not guarantee simultaneous gains across search engines.

Similar operating principles do not mean rankings must match

A 2025 Semrush article notes that crawling and indexing remain fundamental to how search engines work. Google and other engines follow similar principles, so optimizing for Google should also help with other engines. However, this does not mean they will place the same page in the same position. Warrior Forum respondent DABK also cautions against treating a position on any one engine as the only “correct ranking.”

Advice also differs in emphasis: a 2020 article on Neil Patel’s website warns that focusing only on Google may overlook audiences on other engines, and that optimization methods are not entirely the same. Taken together, these views suggest establishing shared fundamentals first while monitoring each engine’s results separately, rather than expecting one set of changes to necessarily produce matching rankings.

What can a case of lower Google rankings tell us?

Forum poster Rigpa reported that their blog had disappeared from Google after AMP errors occurred. After removing the AMP pages and setting up 301 redirects, its rankings returned to positions 50–80, while its main keywords ranked first on several other engines. They also said that similar blogs using the same theme, plugins, and hosting were performing normally.

This sequence of unusual events warrants investigation, but it is not a completed diagnosis. The poster believed Google was at fault, while another respondent suggested that the CMS could also be a cause. The material contains no test results, so it cannot establish whether AMP, plugins, or Google caused the gap. The suggestion that it “felt like a penalty” was also only the poster’s description and should not be presented as a confirmed penalty.

Check specific issues first rather than relying on ranking quick fixes

• Distinguish rankings from traffic: A Stack Exchange discussion notes that low traffic from a particular engine does not necessarily mean poor rankings. When comparing positions, do not use traffic share as a substitute for search results.
• Check broken links and pages: Another response identified numerous broken links in a particular case. This offers something to check, but it does not mean every poorly ranking website has the same problem.
• Review past technical problems: If your site has also experienced AMP errors or redirect changes, treat those changes as leads for troubleshooting. The CMS remains a possibility that needs verification; do not immediately blame plugins or remove them simply by following the example.

These steps are a starting point for narrowing down the issue, not a guarantee of higher rankings. Strong rankings on other engines can offer clues for comparison, but they cannot replace investigating why Google rankings are lower.