Medium SEO Mistakes That Stop Your Article from Ranking on Google (Complete Beginner-Friendly Guide)

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Medium SEO mistakes that stop articles from ranking on Google explained with on page SEO and content optimization errors

Many Medium articles fail to rank on Google because of simple SEO mistakes. In this guide, you’ll learn the exact Medium SEO errors and how to fix them.

Introduction

Many writers believe that publishing on Medium automatically brings Google traffic.
Reality is very different.

Thousands of high-quality Medium articles never rank on Google, even after months or years.
The reason is not writing quality, but SEO mistakes.

Medium is a powerful platform with high domain authority, but small SEO errors can completely block your article from ranking.

In this detailed guide, you will learn:

  • The biggest Medium SEO mistakes

  • Why Google ignores many Medium articles

  • How to fix each mistake step-by-step

  • Real facts, figures, and examples

  • Beginner-friendly explanations in simple English

Table of Contents

  1. How Medium SEO Works (Quick Overview)

  2. Why Most Medium Articles Fail to Rank

  3. Keyword Research Mistakes on Medium

  4. Wrong Title & Headline SEO Errors

  5. Ignoring Search Intent (Biggest Ranking Killer)

  6. Poor URL & Slug Optimization

  7. Overusing Medium Tags (Hidden SEO Trap)

  8. Duplicate Content & AI Rewriting Issues

  9. Thin Content & Low Content Depth

  10. Poor Internal & External Linking

  11. Low Engagement Signals on Medium

  12. Image SEO Mistakes on Medium

  13. Indexing & Canonical Issues

  14. Real-Life Case Study (Traffic Failure → Success)

  15. Important Facts & Figures About Medium SEO

  16. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  17. Final Conclusion

1. How Medium SEO Works (Quick Overview)

Medium already has:

  • High domain authority (DA 90+)

  • Strong trust in Google

  • Fast indexing

But Google does not rank platforms,
it ranks individual pages.

Google checks:

  • Search intent match

  • Content depth

  • User behavior (time, scroll, clicks)

  • SEO optimization

If your article fails here, Medium cannot save it.

2. Why Most Medium Articles Fail to Rank

According to SEO studies:

  • 90% of online content gets zero Google traffic

  • On Medium, this number is even higher

Main reasons:

  • Writers focus on Medium readers, not Google search users

  • No keyword planning

  • Generic titles

  • Weak content structure

Medium success ≠ Google ranking
Both need different strategies

3. Keyword Research Mistakes on Medium

❌ Mistake 1: Writing Without a Primary Keyword

Many writers write first, think about SEO later.

Google works keyword-first, not idea-first.

❌ Mistake 2: Targeting Very Broad Keywords

Examples:

  • “SEO tips”

  • “Make money online”

  • “AI tools”

These keywords are extremely competitive.

✅ Fix:

  • Use long-tail keywords

  • Example:

    • ❌ SEO tips

    • ✅ Medium SEO mistakes for beginners

📊 Fact:
Long-tail keywords have 3–5x higher ranking probability than short keywords.

4. Wrong Title & Headline SEO Errors

❌ Mistake: Writing Clicky but Non-Searchable Titles

Examples:

  • “Nobody Talks About This”

  • “This Changed Everything”

Good for Medium feed ❌
Bad for Google ❌

✅ SEO-Friendly Title Formula:

Primary Keyword + Clear Benefit

Example:

  • “Medium SEO Mistakes That Stop Your Article from Ranking on Google”

📊 Fact:
Google gives 70% more weight to the title tag than body content.

5. Ignoring Search Intent (Biggest Ranking Killer)

Google ranks pages based on intent, not words.

Types of Search Intent:

  1. Informational (how, why, what)

  2. Transactional (buy, tools)

  3. Navigational (brand search)

❌ Common Medium Mistake:

Writing opinion-based content for how-to keywords

Example:

  • Keyword: “Medium SEO mistakes”

  • Content: Personal story without steps

✅ Fix:

Match exact intent:

  • Step-by-step

  • Clear explanations

  • Actionable fixes

6. Poor URL & Slug Optimization

Medium auto-generates long URLs.

Example:

medium.com/@name/medium-seo-mistakes-that-stop-your-article-from-ranking-on-google-7c8d93e4

❌ Problem:

  • Random characters

  • Keyword dilution

✅ Fix:

Edit URL slug manually before publishing.

Best slug:

medium-seo-mistakes-google-ranking

📊 Fact:
Short keyword-focused URLs rank better and faster.

7. Overusing Medium Tags (Hidden SEO Trap)

Medium allows up to 5 tags.

❌ Mistake:

Using very broad tags:

  • Writing

  • Blogging

  • Life

  • Productivity

These tags:

  • Attract wrong audience

  • Reduce engagement

  • Confuse Google signals

✅ Fix:

Use keyword-focused tags:

  • Medium SEO

  • SEO mistakes

  • Google ranking

  • Content optimization

8. Duplicate Content & AI Rewriting Issues

❌ Mistake:

  • Publishing same article on:

    • Blog

    • Medium

    • LinkedIn

Without canonical link.

❌ AI Issue:

AI-rewritten content without originality = low trust

✅ Fix:

  • Use canonical URL if reposting

  • Add:

    • New examples

    • Unique structure

    • Original insights

📊 Fact:
Duplicate content reduces ranking potential by 30–40%.

9. Thin Content & Low Content Depth

❌ Mistake:

  • 600–800 word articles

  • Surface-level explanations

Google prefers topic authority, not short posts.

✅ Fix:

  • Minimum 1,800–2,500 words

  • Explain why, how, and what next

📊 Fact:
Average top-10 Google result length = 1,900+ words

10. Poor Internal & External Linking

❌ Mistake:

  • No links at all

  • Only self-promotion links

✅ Fix:

  • Add:

    • Internal Medium article links

    • External authority links (Google, Moz, Ahrefs)

This builds content trust.

11. Low Engagement Signals on Medium

Google tracks:

  • Time on page

  • Scroll depth

  • Bounce rate

❌ Mistake:

  • Long paragraphs

  • No subheadings

  • Boring intro

✅ Fix:

  • Short paragraphs

  • Clear H2 / H3 headings

  • Strong opening hook

📊 Fact:
Higher engagement = higher ranking probability

12. Image SEO Mistakes on Medium

❌ Mistakes:

  • No alt text

  • Generic images

  • No relevance

✅ Fix:

  • Add keyword-based alt text

  • Use custom images

  • Match image to content

13. Indexing & Canonical Issues

Sometimes Medium articles:

  • Don’t get indexed

  • Get outranked by copied versions

✅ Fix:

  • Check indexing using:

    site:medium.com "your article title"

  • Use canonical when republishing

14. Real-Life Case Study

A writer published 25 Medium articles:

  • Zero Google traffic for 6 months

Changes made:

  • Keyword research

  • SEO titles

  • Long-form content

  • Better structure

Result:

  • 1 article ranked top-5

  • 12,000+ organic visits/month

Platform didn’t change. Strategy did.

15. Important Facts & Figures About Medium SEO

  • 90% content never ranks

  • Long-form content ranks better

  • SEO titles increase CTR by 36%

  • Engagement affects rankings indirectly

  • Medium DA helps only when SEO is correct

16. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Can Medium articles rank on Google?

Yes, if SEO is done properly.

Q2: Is Medium better than WordPress for SEO?

Medium is easier, WordPress is more flexible.

Q3: Does AI content rank on Medium?

Yes, if edited, original, and valuable.

Q4: How long does Medium SEO take?

2–8 weeks for visible results.

Q5: Should beginners use Medium?

Yes, but with SEO knowledge.

17. Final Conclusion

Medium is not a magic SEO platform.
It is a powerful opportunity when used correctly.

If your article is not ranking:

  • Don’t blame Medium

  • Fix SEO fundamentals

  • Focus on search intent

  • Write for humans + Google

👉 SEO is not about tricks
👉 SEO is about clarity, value, and structure

Fix these mistakes,
and your Medium articles can rank, grow, and bring long-term traffic 🚀


Related Article 

How to Use Medium for Affiliate Marketing & Google Traffic

Medium Articles That Rank on Google – Exact Format & Structure

Medium.com Growth Hack: Write Once, Rank on Google for Years

How to Get Organic Google Traffic Using Medium.com (Free Method)

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