A website’s search engine ranking is a critical factor in its success. High rankings can drive traffic and revenue, while a sudden drop can have the opposite effect. So, what can website owners do when they experience a dip in search rankings?
Diagnose the Problem
The first step is diagnosing the problem.
“Check two specific things,” said Paul Dughi, CEO at StrongerContent.com. “First, did you make any changes to your website recently? Secondly, did Google update its algorithm?”
Google updates its search algorithms regularly, which can result in changes to a website’s ranking. Technical issues such as broken links, slow loading times, and mobile compatibility can also negatively impact search rankings.
Conduct a Content Audit
To diagnose a dip in search rankings caused by changes to a website’s content, website owners should conduct a content audit. This involves reviewing all of the content on a website and determining which pages need to be updated or removed. Changes to a website’s content that negatively impact its quality or relevance can cause a dip in search rankings.
Website owners must understand what Google is looking for. Google prioritizes high-quality, relevant content that matches users’ search intent. If a website’s content no longer meets those standards, it’s likely to see a dip in search rankings. Website owners must conduct regular checks to ensure their content is up to Google’s standards.
Check Backlinks
Another factor that can impact search rankings is the quality of a website’s backlinks. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. High-quality backlinks can improve a website’s ranking, while spammy backlinks from low-quality websites can harm it. Therefore, website owners should check for low-quality backlinks or backlinks from spammy websites and take action to remove them.
Check Technical SEO
Technical SEO is a critical part of optimizing a website for search engines. Technical issues like broken links, slow loading times, and mobile compatibility can all have a negative impact on a website’s search ranking. This is because search engines prioritize websites that provide a good user experience, and technical issues can make it difficult for users to navigate and use a website.
To diagnose technical issues that may be impacting your search ranking, it’s important to conduct a thorough technical SEO audit. This involves reviewing your website’s code and structure to identify any issues that could be negatively affecting your search ranking. Some of the most important technical SEO factors to consider include:
- Site speed: Websites that load slowly can have a negative impact on search rankings. To improve site speed, website owners can optimize images, use a content delivery network (CDN), and reduce the size of their website’s files.
- Mobile compatibility: With more and more users accessing the internet on mobile devices, having a website that is mobile-friendly is essential. Websites that are not optimized for mobile devices may have a lower search ranking.
- Site structure: The structure of your website’s pages and URLs can also impact your search ranking. It’s important to have a clear and organized structure to make it easy for search engines to crawl and index your site.
- SSL certificate: Websites that use SSL certificates (which provide a secure connection between the website and user) may have a slight ranking boost, as search engines prioritize secure websites.
Think Like Google
By understanding what Google is looking for and taking steps to improve your website’s quality and relevance, you can boost your search rankings and drive more traffic to your website.