Bounce back from a rankings dip
It is important to get back to work and work on improving your SEO to achieve that coveted first position. In this blog, we’ll take you through how to analyze a sudden drop in rankings and get your website back on track.
By following this 4-step checklist approach, you can use data and analysis to answer the questions: What was the impact? How significant was the impact? Why was I affected? Who has taken my positions?
Step 1: Identify the timeframe and severity of the ranking drop.
Determine the exact date and time of the ranking drop. Use analytics tools to measure the extent of the drop in rankings for each keyword or page involved. Compare current rankings with previous ranking reports to identify trends and patterns.
Evaluate the content of your website:
- Review the content of your website and assess it based on the questions mentioned in the article.
- Consider making changes to the content of your website to improve its quality and relevance.
- Conduct a thorough content audit to identify low-value content and pages that are irrelevant to your audience.
- Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to identify pages receiving less traffic and engagement.
- Analyze the content of your website and ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the content accurate, up-to-date, and relevant?
- Does the content provide value to the reader?
- Is the content unique and original?
- Is the content well-written and easy to understand?
- Does the content align with the search query intent?
Link to spreadsheet at the bottom of the resources
Create a plan to improve content quality:
- Rewrite outdated or incorrect content.
- Add more information to content lacking depth.
- Remove pages that are irrelevant or provide no value.
- Consolidate pages with similar content.
- Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that matches search intent.
On-page and Off-page Optimization
Step 3: Review on-page and off-page optimization.
Analyze your website’s on-page optimization, such as title tags, meta descriptions, and content quality. Review your website’s backlink profile, anchor text distribution, and referring domains to identify any potential issues. Compare your website’s on-page and off-page optimization with those of your competitors.
Check the technical SEO of your website:
- Ensure your website is technically sound, with correct meta tags, structured data, internal links, and other on-page optimizations.
- Check if your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.
Investigate potential technical issues or algorithm updates.
Before
Check for any technical issues that may be causing the ranking drop, such as broken links or page errors.
Dashboard aHref’s site audit
After
Step 4: Analyze the competitive landscape.
Analyze your competitors’ rankings and identify any shifts in the competitive landscape. Identify which competitors have gained positions and which have lost positions. Research their on-page and off-page optimization strategies and compare them to yours. I found that the drop in my rankings was due to my competitors using a better SEO strategy than mine.
Comparing competition performance in aHrefs
Check for recent algorithm updates that may have affected your website or industry. Core updates can cause previously undervalued pages to perform better. If a page’s ranking drops after a core update, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the page that needs fixing. Instead, the focus should be on providing the best content. https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2019/08/core-updates.
Build high-quality backlinks:
- Focus on building high-quality backlinks from relevant and authoritative sites.
- Avoid spammy tactics or buying links.
Resources
Seeing more sites that have decreased/increased in rankings by @aleyda Twitter
https://www.seoclarity.net/blog/keyword-ranking-fluctuations
