“Oh no! My rankings dropped! How do I recover?” If you ever said this while monitoring and analyzing your site, you’re not alone.
When your ranking goes down, it can be frustrating and hurt your online exposure. When your website’s Google rankings go down, it may get less natural traffic and be less visible on search engine result pages.
But it’s important to know that you can get your Google ranking back up after a big drop with the right tactics.
In this blog post, we’ll talk about five effective ways how to recover from a ranking drop that can help you get back on your feet and get the rankings you lost.
What Causes a Google Ranking Drop?
If your Google ranking drops dramatically, this can be a concern, especially if you rely on organic traffic for your website’s success.
Understanding the factors contributing to a ranking drop is essential in addressing the issue and implementing the right recovery strategies. Let’s explore some common causes of Google ranking drops and how to mitigate their impact.
Algorithmic Changes
Search engines like Google often change their search methods to improve the results they give. These algorithm updates can sometimes cause your website’s score to change, which can cause it to fall in the rankings.
Keeping an eye on SEO news platforms and staying up-to-date on big algorithmic changes can help you determine if such changes cause a drop in your ranking. By making changes to your SEO tactics, you can lessen the effect.
Technical Issues
Technical issues with your website can significantly impact your rankings. These issues may include
- Slow site speed
- Broken links
- Crawl errors
- Incorrect implementation of canonical tags.
Regular website audits using tools like Google Search Console can help identify and resolve these technical issues.
Poor On-Page Optimization
On-page SEO plays a crucial role in search rankings. Your website’s lack of optimized meta tags, relevant headings, or keyword-rich content can negatively impact your rankings.
Conduct keyword research and optimize your on-page elements to align with search engine algorithms and user intent.
Quality and Relevance of Content
Content is king, and low-quality or irrelevant content can lead to a drop in rankings. Search engines may rank it lower if your content fails to meet users’ needs or lacks depth and originality.
Regularly evaluate your content for quality, relevance, and engagement. Update and optimize existing content, and create new, high-quality content to target relevant keywords.
Backlink Profile Issues
Backlinks are a crucial off-page strategy for SEO rankings factor. However, if your backlink profile contains toxic or low-quality links, it can trigger a drop in rankings.
Check Google Search Console and thoroughly audit your backlink profile to disavow harmful links.
Focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources through outreach activities, guest posting, or relationship building. Strengthening your backlink profile can positively impact your rankings.
Google Penalty
Violating Google’s guidelines can result in a penalty, causing a dramatic Google ranking drop or even complete removal from search engine results.
Common reasons for penalties include
- Keyword stuffing
- Cloaking
- Spammy link building
- Duplicate content
Review Google Search Console for any manual actions or notifications if you suspect a penalty. To recover, address the issues, remove any problematic elements, and submit a reconsideration request if necessary.
5 Strategies to Recover from a Ranking Drop
Strategy 1: Conduct a Website Audit
The first step in recovering from a ranking drop is to conduct a comprehensive website audit. Start by assessing any technical issues that may have contributed to the drop. Check for penalties or algorithmic changes using tools like Google Search Console.
Analyze your on-page elements, including:
- Meta tags
- Headings
- URLs to identify optimization opportunities
By addressing any technical issues and optimizing your on-page elements, you can lay a strong foundation for ranking recovery.
Strategy 2: Revamp Content Strategy
Your website’s content plays a significant role in its rankings. Evaluate the quality and relevance of your existing content. Identify gaps in content coverage that may have contributed to the drop.
Create a plan to update and optimize your existing content, ensuring it aligns with current best practices and user intent.
Additionally, develop new high-quality content that targets relevant keywords and engages your target audience. A robust content strategy can help attract organic traffic and improve your rankings.
Strategy 3: Improve On-Page SEO
On-page SEO optimization is crucial for recovering from a ranking drop. Conduct keyword research and analysis to identify your website’s most relevant and valuable keywords.
Optimize your meta tags, headings, and URLs with these keywords, keeping them informative and compelling. Enhance your internal linking structure to improve website navigation and search engine crawlability.
Also, ensure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for speed, as these factors greatly influence rankings.
Strategy 4: Strengthen Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO factors, particularly backlinks, significantly impact your website’s rankings. Conduct an audit of your backlink profile to identify toxic or low-quality links that may have contributed to the ranking drop.
Disavow harmful links and focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources. Engage in outreach activities and guest posting to improve your link profile.
Strategy 5: Monitor and Adapt
Recovering from a ranking drop is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adaptation. Set up analytics and tracking tools like Google Analytics to continuously monitor your website’s performance.
Track keyword rankings and organic traffic to identify any positive or negative trends. Watch your competitors and industry trends to stay ahead. Make necessary adjustments based on Google search console data and insights to optimize your website for boosted rankings.
Final Thoughts
Getting your ranking back up after a drop may seem challenging, but you can do it with the right methods and a complete plan.
Do an audit of your website, change your content strategy, improve your on-page and off-page SEO, and keep a close eye on your progress. Remember that success that lasts takes constant improvement and change.
If you need more help getting your rankings back or optimizing your website, you could schedule a call with Gert Mellak, an SEO tactics and optimization expert. Visit SEOLeverage.com to schedule a meeting and get advice tailored to your needs.
Remember, the road to recovery starts with action and implementing these strategies. Don’t let a ranking drop hold you back.
