Ranking Drop: Learn How To Recover When SERP Rankings Suddenly Drop

Discovering a sudden drop in your Google search engine results page (SERP) rankings can be alarming for any website owner or digital marketer. However, before panicking, it's crucial to confirm whether your rankings have indeed plummeted or if the changes you're observing are part of the normal fluctuations inherent to search engines.

A study by DuckDuckGo in 2018 revealed that even when users were logged out of Google and used incognito mode, they still saw personalized search results, indicating that factors like location, device type, and search history can affect SERPs for individuals, leading to fluctuations.

So, before diving into recovery strategies, it's crucial to confirm if your Google rankings have genuinely taken a hit.

Assessing the Authenticity of a Google Rankings Drop

To determine if your Google rankings have truly dropped, start by using Google Search Console to check your website's performance data. Look for significant changes in impressions, clicks, and average position for your key pages and keywords. Cross-reference this information with analytics from other SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to validate the findings. Additionally, consider external factors like recent Google algorithm updates or geo-location influences that might cause temporary fluctuations.

Identifying the Cause of the Ranking Drop

The first step in recovering from a ranking drop is to identify the potential causes. Common reasons include:

• Google Algorithm Updates: Google frequently updates its algorithms to improve search results. These updates can sometimes negatively impact websites that do not meet the updated criteria.
• Technical Issues: Problems such as slow loading times, mobile incompatibility, or crawl errors can hurt your rankings.
• Content Quality: Google prioritizes high-quality, relevant content. A drop in content quality or relevance can lead to lower rankings.
• Backlink Changes: Losing high-quality backlinks or gaining spammy ones can negatively affect your site's authority and rankings.
• User Experience (UX) Issues: Poor UX, such as difficult navigation or intrusive ads, can lead to lower engagement and rankings.
• Security Issues: Security breaches or the lack of an HTTPS protocol can compromise your site's trustworthiness.

10 Things to Do to Recover When SERP Rankings Suddenly Drop

1. Verify the Drop Across Different Tools

When you notice a drop in your SERP rankings, it's crucial to ensure that what you're observing is accurate and not just a temporary fluctuation or an error from a single source. Here’s how you can effectively verify the ranking drop:

• Use Multiple SEO Tools: Different tools can provide varying data due to their unique data collection methods. By comparing data from Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz, you can get a more reliable picture of your rankings. Each of these platforms has its strengths, such as Ahrefs and SEMrush powerful backlink analysis and keyword tracking capabilities, Moz's domain authority metrics, and Google Search Console's direct insights from Google.
• Look for Patterns: Instead of focusing on individual keyword rankings, look for patterns or trends across your entire website. A widespread drop across multiple keywords or pages can indicate a significant issue, whereas isolated drops may just be normal fluctuations.
• Consider Geographic and Device Variations: Rankings can vary by location and device. Make sure to check your rankings in different regions and on both desktop and mobile to get a complete understanding of your site's performance.

2. Check for Google Algorithm Updates

Google's algorithm updates are notorious for causing sudden shifts in SERP rankings. Staying informed about these updates can help you understand the cause of your ranking changes and adapt accordingly:

• Follow Trusted SEO News Sources: Websites like Search Engine Journal, Moz, and Search Engine Land often provide timely updates on Google's algorithm changes. They not only announce updates but also analyze their impact and offer advice on how to adjust your strategies.
• Monitor Google's Announcements: Google sometimes announces major algorithm updates on their SearchLiaison Twitter account or through their webmaster blog. Keeping an eye on these can provide you with official information directly from the source.
• Analyze the Timing: If you notice a ranking drop, look back to see if it coincides with a known algorithm update. This can be a strong indicator that the update has affected your site.
• Understand the Nature of the Update: Google's updates target specific aspects of websites, such as content quality (Panda), link quality (Penguin), or mobile usability (Mobilegeddon). Understanding the focus of an update can guide you in making the necessary adjustments to your website.

3. Perform a Technical SEO Audit

A technical SEO audit is crucial in identifying underlying issues that could be hindering your site's performance in search engines. Here's how to conduct an effective audit:

• Use Crawl Tools: Tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider allow you to simulate how a search engine crawls your site. This can uncover a range of technical issues including crawl errors, broken links, and redirect loops that might be impacting your site's SEO.
• Check Site Speed: Page loading speed is a critical ranking factor. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights to analyze your site's performance on both desktop and mobile. The tool provides actionable recommendations to improve your site's speed, which includes optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and reducing server response time.
• Ensure Mobile Usability: With the mobile-first indexing approach of Google, your site must perform flawlessly on mobile devices. Google's Mobile-Friendly Test can help you identify areas for improvement to ensure a good user experience on smartphones and tablets.
• Audit for Crawl Errors: Utilize Google Search Console to identify and fix crawl errors. These errors can prevent search engines from accessing and indexing your content, which can negatively affect your rankings.

4. Analyze On-Page SEO Elements

Optimizing on-page SEO elements is vital for improving your site's relevance and visibility for targeted keywords. Here's what to focus on:

• Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Make sure your title tags are concise, include main keywords, and accurately describe the page content. Meta descriptions should provide a compelling summary of the page, enticing users to click while incorporating relevant keywords.
• Use Header Tags Effectively: Organize your content with header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to make it easier for both users and search engines to understand the structure of your content.
• Optimize Images: Ensure all images have descriptive, keyword-rich file names and alt tags.
• Focus on Content Quality: Each page should offer unique, valuable content that addresses the user's intent. Avoid thin content and ensure that your use of keywords is natural and contextually appropriate. Avoid keyword stuffing.

5. Evaluate Content Quality and Relevance

Content remains a bedrock of SEO, with Google consistently emphasizing the importance of quality and relevance. Here's how you can ensure your content meets these standards:

• Audit Your Content: Regularly review your website's content to ensure it remains accurate, informative, and engaging. Content should serve the needs of your audience and provide answers to their queries.
• Update Regularly: Industries evolve, and information becomes outdated. Make it a practice to update older content to keep it relevant. This could involve adding new developments, revising statistics, or expanding on topics with fresh insights.
• Address User Intent: Understand the intent behind the keywords you're targeting. Whether users are looking for information, specific products, or solutions to a problem, your content should provide the most relevant and comprehensive answers.
• Enhance Readability: Ensure your content is easily digestible. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to break text and make it easier for readers to consume.
• Avoid Duplicate Content: Google penalizes websites with substantial duplicate content as it offers little value to users. Ensure your content is unique across your site.

Read Also - What is the connection between SEO and content marketing?

6. Assess Your Backlink Profile

Backlinks are a significant factor in how search engines gauge the authority and trustworthiness of your website. Here's how to manage your backlink profile effectively:

• Conduct a Backlink Audit: Use SEO tools like Ahrefs, Majestic, or SEMrush to get a comprehensive view of your site's backlink profile.
• Identify and Remove Toxic Links: Look for backlinks from low-quality or irrelevant sites, as these can negatively impact your SEO. If you find harmful links, try to get them removed by contacting the site owners or use Google's Disavow Tool as a last resort.
• Monitor Lost Backlinks: Losing backlinks from high-quality sites can detrimentally affect your rankings. Monitor your profile for such losses and, if possible, reach out to those site owners to understand why the link was removed and if it can be reinstated.
• Build High-Quality Backlinks: Focus on earning backlinks from reputable sites in your industry. This can be achieved through creating share-worthy content, guest blogging, and engaging in digital PR strategies.

Read Also - Off-Page SEO: How to Do It & Why It Still Matters in 2024

7. Improve User Experience (UX) and Engagement

User Experience (UX) plays a pivotal role in retaining visitors and improving your site's performance in search rankings. Here's how to enhance UX and user engagement on your site:

• Analyze User Behavior Metrics: Tools like Google Analytics provide valuable insights into how users interact with your site. Key metrics include bounce rate, average session duration, and pages per session. A high bounce rate might indicate that your landing pages are not relevant or engaging enough, while longer session durations and more pages per session suggest good user engagement.
• Simplify Navigation: Your site's navigation should be intuitive and straightforward, allowing users to find the information they need without confusion. A well-structured site with a clear hierarchy and easy-to-use menus enhances user satisfaction and engagement.
• Optimize Page Load Speed: Users expect fast-loading websites. Slow load times can increase bounce rates and negatively affect your rankings. Use tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix issues slowing down your site.
• Implement Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): CTAs guide users on what to do next, whether it's subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a guide, or making a purchase. Clear, compelling CTAs can significantly improve conversion rates.

8. Focus on Mobile Optimization

In today's mobile-centric world, having a mobile-optimized website is non-negotiable, especially with Google's mobile-first indexing. Here's how to ensure your site is optimized for mobile users:

• Responsive Design: Your site should automatically adjust to fit the screen size and resolution of any device, providing a seamless experience for mobile users. Responsive design is Google's recommended design pattern for mobile optimization.
• Test Mobile Usability: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to check how easily a visitor can use your page on a mobile device. This tool identifies issues like small fonts, use of incompatible plugins, and other mobile usability issues.
• Optimize for Touch: Ensure that all interactive elements like buttons and links are easy to tap and sufficiently spaced to prevent accidental clicks. Navigation menus should be easily accessible and navigable with a thumb.
• Accelerate Page Speed for Mobile: Mobile users often rely on cellular data, which can be slower than wired connections. Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and minimize code to increase mobile page speed.
• Prioritize Content and Features for Mobile: Consider the mobile user's context and priorities. Content should be easily consumable on small screens, and key features and information should be front and center.

9. Utilize Internal Linking Strategically

Internal linking is a critical component of a well-structured SEO strategy, serving multiple purposes including enhancing user navigation, distributing page authority (link equity) across your website, and helping search engines discover new pages. Here’s how to use internal linking effectively:

• Use Relevant Anchor Texts: Anchor texts should be relevant to the content of the page you're linking to. This not only helps users understand what to expect from the link but also provides search engines with context about the linked page.
• Link High-Priority Pages: Identify your website's key pages — such as those that convert well or contain cornerstone content — and strategically link to them from other relevant pages. This not only boosts their visibility but also their importance in the eyes of search engines.
• Maintain a Logical Structure: Your internal links should make sense within the context of your content and website structure. They should help users navigate your site intuitively, moving from general content to more specific content as they click through.
• Avoid Over-Optimization: While it's important to use descriptive anchor texts, avoid over-optimization with keyword-rich anchors for every link, as this can appear manipulative to search engines.
• Regularly Audit Your Internal Links: Over time, as you add new content and pages, review your internal linking structure to ensure it remains coherent and that there are no broken links.

10. Monitor and Adapt to Changes

SEO is an ever-evolving field, with search engines constantly updating their algorithms to improve the user experience. Staying agile and informed is crucial for maintaining and enhancing your website's search performance:

• Track Your Rankings and Traffic: Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your site’s performance in terms of rankings, organic traffic, and other key metrics. Pay attention to any significant changes that could indicate the impact of an algorithm update or other issues.
• Conduct Regular SEO Audits: Periodically review your website’s SEO health to identify areas for improvement. This includes technical SEO, on-page optimization, content quality, and your backlink profile.
• Be Prepared to Pivot: If your analytics indicate a shift in how users are interacting with your site or if there’s a change in search engine algorithms, be ready to adjust your SEO strategy. This could involve anything from revising your content to overhauling your site structure.

Conclusion

Recovering from a sudden drop in SERP rankings requires a methodical approach, starting with verifying the drop and diagnosing its cause. By addressing the above discussed issues you can develop a robust recovery plan. And remember, SEO is an ongoing process that demands vigilance, adaptability, and a commitment to providing the best possible content and experience for your users. With the right strategies in place, not only can you recover from ranking drops, but you can also safeguard your site against future fluctuations.

About Do Communication

At DO Communication, we specialize in diagnosing and rectifying ranking drops through comprehensive SEO strategies. Our focus on technical expertise, content excellence, and user-centric design ensures that your site recovers and thrives. So, take the first step towards safeguarding your rankings—contact DO Communication's SEO experts today.