As a business owner or marketer, you probably love listening to these phrases ‘More customers’, ‘More traffic’. Website traffic is important for numerous reasons. It can help you attract potential customers, increase growth opportunities, and build relationships. It helps grow and expand your online business.
Low website traffic hampers growth and it is very crucial to work towards maintaining good website traffic. I will help you understand 16 reasons for Google’s ranking dropping dramatically and recommend a fix for each reason. Keep reading to find out: Why your website traffic has dropped and How can you fix it?
1. Search Engine Penalties:
Google can penalize your website if you do not abide by the guidelines provided by them. These penalties can drop your search result rankings significantly. There are manual and automatic penalties that you can receive.
Fix: Identifying these penalties using the google search console would be the first step. Updating your website to fix the problem can help you get rid of the penalty. Google does not blacklist any website. After receiving a penalty if the necessary changes are made your website ranking will improve over time.
2. Redesign or Modifications in Website:
Giving your website a makeover by changing content, layout, pages, themes, images, URL, etc can affect its search engine ranking. Modifications in your website are one of the most common reasons for low website traffic.
Fix: Consult with your SEO agency and ask for advice on how to restore your updated website. Come up with an SEO strategy that can resolve technical SEO issues. Act quickly to increase your chances of redeeming your ranking.
Changes in content, images, layout, pages, URLs, etc
3. Duplicate content:
Google appreciates high-quality content. Duplicate content can remove your website from its index. It can adversely affect your search result rankings and ultimately your business.
Fix: Prioritize high-quality content and schedule regular content audits to minimize eros or any duplications.
4. Hacked Website:
Hackers mostly aim to steal user information or damage sit’s appearance. This can lead to reduced online traffic.
Fix: I advise you to increase security on your website to prevent your website from hackers. Hacked websites can damage your credibility in the digital world.
5. Update in Google Algorithm:
Google uses a combination of various ranking factors and algorithms that are constantly updated. Algorithms such as Penguin and Panda updates can damage a website’s ranking immensely. These updates are slight changes made by Google to deliver the best possible search results for a query.
Fix: Being aware of Google algorithm updates is essential. Give these updates time as they use a new understanding to index your website.
6. Changing URLs
Planning to switch your .co.uk for a .com? Changing domain names can lead to traffic drops. This change contributes to website traffic dropping as well. Evaluating the relevance and need of this change is highly recommended.
Fix: Use a search engine ranking monitor to track the site’s performance after making this change. Your website development team needs to set up redirects for each URL to recover traffic drops.
7. Changing SEO strategy
SEO strategy changes can lead to Google’s ranking dropping dramatically. Targeting new keywords or getting published on guest posts can help increase online visibility.
Fix: Give Google some days to consider your new SEO strategies. Be patient.
8. Ever-changing trends
A decline in ranking can also be due to changes in search behavior. These changes can be due to language barriers, changing trends, reduced customer demand to name a few.
Fix: Keep yourself informed with the latest trends in your business. Keep your customer’s needs always at the core of all your activities. Google Trends Tool is a wonderful tool to explore what people are searching online over time.
9. Link audits
Ensure that all the backlinks on your website are not low-quality links. This can contribute to a drop in website traffic as well.
Fix: Schedule a link audit regularly to avoid this situation.
10. Competitor’s Upping their strategy
If your competitor has improved their search engine optimization tactics. Or are competing for the same keywords as you are. This can also lead to website traffic dropping.
Fix: You need to outrank your competitor by revisiting your SEO strategy and improvising it.
11. Changes in Keyword demands
Trends and popular topics keep on changing as per public interest and demand. These changes lead to change in keyword demands.
Fix: Although predicting changes is not possible or even accurate. Being aware of these changing trends can help you understand customer needs quite well.
12. Poor Internal navigation
Simple and precise navigation on your website makes it easier for your viewers to navigate through your website. Complex and non-user-friendly navigation would surely reduce website traffic.
Fix: Remember that you want to make the online experience enjoyable and easy for your viewers. Design your website keeping simplicity in mind and believe in receiving regular feedback.
13. Page loading speed
Although patience is a wonderful virtue. Low page loading speed in the digital world can be harmful to your website. It can reduce your Google Index rankings too.
Fix: Consider using fewer pages, images, and videos on your website.
14. Switching from HTTP to HTTPS
Drop-in traffic can also be because many websites are switching from HTTP to HTTPS domain structure.
Fix: Use Redirect Checker Tool to check for 301 redirects. These are approved by Google and will help you retain website rankings and in turn traffic.
15. Paused or Reduced SEO
If you have reduced focus from your SEO or paused it for a while you will notice a slip in your website ranking.
Fix: SEO is crucial to optimize your online presence. You need to be associated with an SEO agency to maintain website traffic and your rankings as well.
16. Inaccurate or Missing Robots.txt file
Search engines index your websites based on Robots.txt files uploaded on your web file. Missing or inaccurate files can reduce your website rankings.
Fix: Edit your web files as per the guidelines provided by search engines.
Search ranking fluctuation can be very frustrating. The best way to get rid of them is to keep a check on your rankings regularly. Look out for the above-mentioned reasons for the dropped website traffic as you are set to make it to the first page of your search engine successfully.