Drop in SEO Rankings? Here are the Most Likely Causes

If you’ve noticed a sudden drop in your website’s SEO keyword rankings, don’t panic! It’s possible that there are several reasons why this has happened. This article will outline the most likely causes of a ranking drop and provide tips on fixing it. Remember that every website is different, so what works for one business may not work for another. But following these steps should help you get your SEO ranking back on track! Alternatively, look towards an award-winning SEO Agency to help.

Why do SEO rankings yo-yo?

It is common for rankings on search engine results pages to fluctuate quite frequently. This can be both confusing and concerning for businesses with an online presence, as fluctuations in rankings can drastically affect website visibility and traffic. Firstly, changes to algorithms by search engines such as Google can cause shifts – as search engines constantly strive for accuracy and relevancy in their results. Additionally, increased competition at keyword levels from newly optimised websites or competitors improving their SEO can also affect rankings. Lastly, massive content updates on your website or technical errors can cause a dip.

Things to check if you see a drop

1. Check the keywords you’re targeting

Keeping a close eye on your SEO keywords rankings is essential to improving online success. If you see a sudden drop in these rankings, taking a closer look at the keywords you’re targeting might be worthwhile. Often, such decreases can be detected early by monitoring keyword performance and making changes as soon as possible. By checking your chosen keywords regularly, you can identify problems before they are fully reflected in the rankings and thus have time to address them before the damage is done.

2. Analyse your content

Analysing your content can help you determine what changes need to be made in order for your page to become more visible and rank better on search engines. For example, is there a new business in your competitive market with more relevant information than you? By analysing your content correctly, you can identify any weak spots and make adjustments accordingly. From optimising meta descriptions and headings to improving relevance through using keywords and linked external sources, effective content analysis can ultimately help put your website back on the road towards organic success.

3. Check your links

By regularly keeping an eye on your internal and external links, you can identify issues that could be affecting your SEO ranking, such as broken links that may be preventing people from finding your content or out-of-date pages resulting in poor user experience. ‘Dead’ external links can also decrease the quality of your page, decreasing its credibility within search engines and causing a tumble in positions. Checking for internal and external link issues periodically will help ensure your site is able to reach its full potential and maintain its highest possible positions within search engine rankings.

4. Monitor your competitors

Keeping an eye on your competitors is an important part of a successful SEO strategy. If your rankings start to drop, you should watch your competitors closely to gain insight and understanding into why this is happening. Taking the time to compare how their content, structure, and other factors affect their rankings can help you identify areas for improvement for your website that could boost your rankings and increase overall website visibility within search engine results pages. Taking the time to monitor your competitors if you notice a drop in SEO rankings is definitely worth it.

Top Reasons Your Page Drops in Rankings

Algorithm update

Algorithm updates can wreak havoc on your website’s SEO keyword rankings if they are not managed correctly. By introducing changes to how search engines rank and perceive content, algorithm updates can lead to sudden drops in rankings as they consider new criteria such as loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and page security. You need to ensure to adjust your strategies accordingly in order to maintain current rankings or mitigate any negative effects that the changes might otherwise cause. As complex algorithms are constantly changing, you need to stay up to date on relevant news and trends so that unexpected dips don’t hurt you in the long run.

Technical errors

Technical errors on a website can drastically reduce your SEO keyword rankings and negatively impact the success of your web content. Simple problems like broken links or slow page loading speeds can significantly decrease search engine visibility, making it difficult for customers to find important content. Furthermore, these technical issues can prevent crawlers from properly indexing and categorising relevant information found on your website, significantly cutting into SEO rankings. As a result, website owners should commit to regularly checking their site to ensure that the technical elements are running smoothly to maximise search engine visibility and ranking positions.

Content updates

Making changes or updates to your website’s content can negatively impact your SEO by creating discrepancies between how search engine crawlers view your site and actual users. The crawlers are looking for keywords that match the queries and other factors such as meta tags and backlinks. If the content on your website changes often or is inconsistent with what was there before, then it can be difficult to maintain a high ranking. Furthermore, altering content or page URL structures could leave broken links or many redirects, confusing search engines and decreasing rankings. Additionally, content that may have been helpful in reaching certain keyword phrases previously will no longer carry the same weight if significantly changed or removed entirely. Taking these issues into account and having an eye for optimisation when making website changes should help mitigate any harm done to SEO rankings due to regularly altering content.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to SEO, there are a number of reasons why your page rankings may be dropping. Keeping track of updates from search engines and staying up to date with the latest trends can help you make necessary alterations in order to maintain successful rankings. However, technical errors and content updates can lead to sudden dips in SEO keyword rankings as they confuse search engine crawlers and decrease visibility. By addressing these issues quickly, you are able to improve website performance and maintain current rankings or mitigate any negative effects caused by changes. In the end, monitoring and regular site maintenance can go a long way in keeping SEO rankings high and staying competitive.

If you’re interested in improving your rankings or finding out why your rankings have dropped, look no further than an SEO company with over 10 years of experience in SEO. Contact us now to find out how we can help you.