Your website’s visibility or positioning on Google searches is constantly changing. Some reasons are due to things that you have control over whereas some reasons for the drop in search results are out of your control. Following are some of the reasons that your website might be slipping.
5 things to think about when your website is slipping in Google search results
1 – New Google Search Algorithm Update
After Google releases an update to its code to improve the algorithm used to present websites for various searches, websites around the world might feel their Google ranking change. Your SEO consultant can find out when the most recent algorithm update occurred and if it targeted anything that might be relevant to your website.
2 – Website Technology
There are many technical aspects to look at; the technology used to create your website, technology added to your website to provide interesting features, and the technology used by your hosting company. Website technology can have a negative effect on page speed and your overall Search Engine results. The easy things to check first is your website’s responsiveness and security. Make sure your website RESPONSIVE, i.e. does it re-size automatically for smart phones, tablets, and desktops. Another thing to check is if your website is SECURE, does the url have https://? Can you see a lock on the browser near your URL? Your SEO consultant can conduct a technical audit to potential issues and make recommendations.
3 – Online Competition
Your Google rankings are different for different keywords on different pages. Your online competition for every single keyword phrase is constantly in flux. Hence, sometimes your online competition is not even a competitor for your business products or services, but rather a business using the same keywords. They are a competitor for your digital space. New websites with similar terminology as your business are your online competition. Your SEO consultant can revise your SEO strategy to address new competition.
4 – When Losing Some Rankings is Actually Good
If you are just looking at the number of clicks to your website, you might feel that distraught by the loss of website visibility and website traffic. However, the fluxation in rankings can actually be a good thing. A high bounce rate means that your website visitors are leaving quicky, and are most likely NOT your target audience. It is much better to have less traffic with a lower bounce rate than more traffic with a high bounce rate. Your SEO consultant can check your Bounce Rate to see what it was before and after the drop in search results visibility.
5 – Your Digital Footprint and Your Target Audience
Your digital footprint should be much wider than simply your website. If you are simply using your website as a digital business card or brochure then you might want to look at making your website more engaging and interactive. Everyone learns differently. Everyone searches differently. Speak with your SEO consultant about ideas on how to expand your reach with graphics/imagery, more content, social media, video, podcasts…