Worried about the Drop in Traffic? Let’s Inspect and Recover your Ranking!

Technology and consumer preferences are the driving forces in digital marketing strategies. Search engine optimization has undergone its most dramatic shifts during the past four years.

Users rarely notice these shifts, but for businesses, they can have a significant impact on how their brand is portrayed. For eCommerce SEO Companies, these shifts always present a fresh challenge and an opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of their efforts.

Declining website traffic is undoubtedly a matter of concern, but it is an issue that can be resolved. Now, let us walk you through the step-by-step process of finding the probable reason for your drop in traffic and what you could do to get it back on track.

Step 1: Check Google Search Console & Analytics

If you’re noticing a drop in organic traffic, the first step is to check: Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Google Search Console is a great tool for monitoring your website’s performance in search results.

You can track the amount of traffic you’re getting from Google and see which keywords are driving the most traffic. You can also get insights into any potential issues or errors that may be affecting your google rankings.

Google Analytics is another invaluable tool. It helps you understand your website’s overall traffic and gives you insights into how users are interacting with your website.

With Analytics, you can see where your visitors are coming from, what they’re doing on your site, and what devices they’re using. With these insights, you can identify any potential issues and make changes to improve your ranking drop.

By monitoring and analyzing your Google Search Console and Analytics data, you can get a better understanding of why your organic traffic is dropping and make the necessary changes to get it back on track.

Step 2: Check the Google Analytics Tracking Code

One of the common reasons for the drop in traffic could be a problem with the Google Analytics Tracking Code implementation.

This is the code that’s installed on your website so that Google Analytics can track and report your website’s data.

If it’s not properly installed or configured, you won’t be able to get accurate data or insights. So if you’re seeing a sudden drop in organic traffic, it’s worth taking a look at your tracking code.

First, make sure the code is installed on all pages within your domain.

Then, check to see if your code has been updated with the latest version.

Finally, double-check that it’s properly configured for the data you want to collect. If any of these steps are not completed, you won’t be able to get reliable insights, and your organic traffic may suffer as a result.

Taking the time to ensure your tracking code is properly installed and configured is essential to getting the most out of Google Analytics.

Plug Ins: MonsterInsights, Google Tag Assistant

Step 3 – Increase in Page Speed

Google crawls your website, reads all the text, images, and other assets, and then makes an analysis of your website based on the data it collects.

Once it’s done that, it ranks the website in the results on the basis of the data it has collected. Websites that take too long to load don’t get ranked as they are considered as not user-friendly.

The indexing time of your website is an important factor for SEO. If the loading time is high, Google might not be able to finish crawling your content and might drop your site from its index.

TCS Page Speed Checker, GT Metrix

Step 4: Check Google Algorithm Update

Another common reason why your organic traffic is suddenly dropping, could be due to a Google algorithm update! Google regularly updates its algorithms in order to ensure that its users get the most relevant and up-to-date search results.

If you don’t keep up with the latest updates, it can have a negative impact on your organic traffic. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on them. The best way to do that is to work with an eCommerce SEO agency.

They can help you understand how the updates work, and how they affect your website. They can also help you optimize your website and content so that you stay ahead of the game.

So if your organic traffic is suffering, don’t hesitate to contact an agency. They can help you boost your websites rankings and bring in the traffic you need.

Step 5: Check for Technical SEO Issues

While drops in organic search traffic can be caused by a number of different things, technical SEO issues are often the culprit.

Technical SEO refers to optimizing websites for search engine crawlers, which crawl your websites to index them for search results. If there are any technical issues that prevent these crawlers from indexing your site, it could lead to a drop in organic search traffic.

Fortunately, there are plenty of agencies which perform a Free SEO Audit to help you identify and fix any technical SEO issues.

It’s advisable that you perform a complete SEO audit on your website to check for any errors or broken links, as well as any inconsistencies in titles and meta descriptions.

You can also use tools to check for any duplicate content or pages, which can cause the search engine crawlers to get confused and lead to a drop in organic traffic.

By taking the time to address any technical SEO issues, you can ensure your site is properly indexed and your organic traffic remains healthy.

TCS Free SEO Audit, Screaming Frog

Step 6: Check Changes on Google Search Engine Result Page Layout

Search engine result page layout changes can significantly impact website traffic. Google’s recent changes have affected the visibility of websites, causing drops in website traffic.

This is because the changes have altered the way websites are listed in the search results pages, resulting in fewer websites appearing per page. As a result, websites that were previously high on the list are now lower in the rankings.

This means that they’re not as visible, leading to fewer clicks and less traffic. Fortunately, this situation can be remedied.

By optimizing your website’s content and making sure it’s up to date, you can help ensure that your website appears higher in the search rankings. This can help to increase traffic and bring in more customers.

Step 7: Check Competitor Performance.

If you’ve noticed a drop in traffic due to competitor performance, don’t despair. Take the opportunity to invest in some eCommerce SEO services, and you’ll be well on your way to boosted traffic and increased revenue.

With more and more businesses entering the digital space, your competitors are likely doing everything they can to increase their visibility and reach. They may be investing in SEO, running PPC campaigns, or optimizing their website content to draw more customers in.

All this can lead to an increase in their traffic and a drop in yours. But don’t panic! All is not lost. You can hire eCommerce SEO Experts to analyze your competitors’ performance, to use it to your advantage and make changes to your own strategy.

You can also use keyword research to see what words they’re targeting, and then adjust your own website accordingly. With the right tweaks, you can use your competitors’ success to your advantage and boost your own web traffic.

Spyfu, sproutsocial, Socialblade

Step 8: Poor Quality or Lost Backlinks

You can experience a drop in traffic caused by lost backlinks. Backlinks are links that other websites link to yours, and they play an important role in getting your site seen by more people.

Lost backlinks can happen if the websites linking to you delete or change the link, or if they are “spammy” backlinks from untrustworthy websites. In either case, it can lead to a drastic drop in your website’s traffic. But don’t despair – there are ways to recover from this.

The first step is to identify which links have been lost and which are spammy. You can do this using tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs. Once you have identified the links, you can reach out to the websites to get them to restore the backlinks.

Or, if they are spammy, you can disavow them and get them removed from the search engine’s index. It may take some time and effort, but it’s well worth it in the end.

So if you’re dealing with lost backlinks, don’t give up! With the right off-page SEO strategy, you can get your website traffic back on track.

Ahref, Majestic

Step 9: Check for Manual Actions

Drop in your website’s traffic could also be due to a Manual Action taken by Google.

Manual Actions happen when Google manually looks at your website and finds it doesn’t meet its guidelines. It can take many forms, from thin content to deceptive practices.

How to check your website for any Manual Actions? sign in to your Google Search Console account and go to the Manual Actions report.

Here you can see any Manual Actions applied to your website and what steps you need to take to fix them. Once you’ve done that, you can submit a request to have the Manual Action revoked.

Once the Manual Action is revoked, you should see your traffic restored. Incase of not able to do the same from your end, hiring an eCommerce SEO company can help you identify these issues and work to get your website back to where it should be.

They can also develop a strategy to ensure that your website remains in good standing with the search engines and doesn’t run into any more issues in the future.

Step 10 -Website Migration or redesign

Website migration or redesign can be a great way to give your site a fresh new look and feel. However, it can also cause a sudden drop in traffic if not done correctly.

To avoid this, it’s important to create an SEO checklist before beginning any migration or redesign. This should include things like checking for broken links, ensuring that 301 redirects are in place, and making sure that all relevant keywords are still present on the new version of the site.

Additionally, it’s important to monitor your website’s performance during a migration or redesign to ensure that traffic is not affected and all the changes you make are reflected in the search engine rankings.

By taking the time to go through a thorough checklist and consulting an eCommerce SEO agency, businesses can ensure that their website migration or redesign is successful and their traffic remains high.

Step 11: Content quality of the website

The quality of your content is the key factor to determine how successful your website is. If you don’t post quality content, you may find yourself in a situation of a traffic drop.

That’s because search engines and readers both prefer good quality content. When people search for something on a search engine, they expect to find what they are looking for.

If your content is thin and lacks depth, it won’t be able to satisfy the reader, and it will also be devalued by search engines.

Thin content is one of the top reasons for a drop in website traffic. It is any content that is unpolished, uninformative, and lacks any real value.

This could be content that is too short, too generic, or simply not well written. If you want to avoid a traffic drop, make sure that you create content that is well researched, well written, and informative.

The more valuable your content is, the more readers and search engines will appreciate it, leading to an increase in website traffic.

Surfer SEO Tool

Step 12: Indexing and Crawlability issues

The importance of indexing and crawlability cannot be overstated when it comes to improving website traffic.

Without indexing, search engine bots won’t be able to find your website and it won’t show up in search engine results, resulting in a decrease in traffic. Similarly, if your website is not crawlable, the bots won’t be able to read your content and you won’t show up in search engine results.

This is why it’s so important to make sure your website is properly indexed and crawlable. Fortunately, this isn’t too difficult to achieve.

SEO experts can help ensure that your website is properly indexed and crawlable, so the search engine bots can find and read your content.

With the right guidance from the SEO experts, you can get your website where it needs to be and start getting the traffic you deserve.

Search Console Tool – Allied Motor Parts case

Step 13: Site architecture issues

Site architecture is an important factor in keeping your website’s traffic flowing. Issues with your site architecture can lead to a drop in traffic if not addressed properly.

Poorly organized menus or confusing navigation can make it difficult for visitors to find what they are looking for. If the page structure is confusing, visitors will leave without ever finding what they came for.

Additionally, slow page load times can cause visitors to leave before they have a chance to take in the content.

To keep your website’s traffic up, make sure your site architecture is organized, your navigation is intuitive, and your pages load quickly. Fortunately, there is help available.

An eCommerce SEO Agency can help you design a site that is both user-friendly and optimized for search engines.

Step 14: Internal linking issues

Internal linking is a powerful tool when it comes to optimizing your website for search engine rankings and increasing website traffic.

But it’s also easy to overlook, and if you’re not careful, it can cause serious issues. If you’ve noticed a traffic drop on your website, it could be due to internal linking issues.

The first thing to check is whether you have broken links on your website. This means links that lead to pages that no longer exist or that lead to the wrong page.

If you do, they need to be addressed.

To fix the issue, you should audit your internal links and make sure that they are all working properly.

You should also make sure that you are linking to the most relevant pages, and that you don’t have any broken links. If you do, you should update or delete them. With the right internal linking strategy, you can get back on track and start ranking again.

Surfer SEO Tool

Step 15: Check Usage of Wrong Keywords

Organic traffic drop due to the usage of wrong keywords can be a result of inadequate keyword research or an incorrect understanding of the target audience.

The most effective way to avoid this issue is to focus on conducting keyword research and understanding the customer journey.

This will help you identify the keywords that your target audience are using and ensure that these are used in the content on your website.

Additionally, you should always consider the competition in your chosen niche and adjust your keyword usage accordingly.

Finally, you should monitor your organic traffic and use analytics tools to track the performance of individual keywords.

By taking these steps, you can ensure that your organic traffic remains strong and that your business continues to benefit from the increased visibility that comes with using the right keywords.

Tool: Ahref, keywordtool, Wordtracker, Cognitiveseo

Step 16 – “Core Web Vitals” – Failed

The drop in traffic can be attributed to the algorithm change, which now considers the Core Web Vitals score when it comes to ranking pages in search results.

This means that if your website fails to pass the CWV assessment, it could result in a significant drop in traffic.

Thankfully, there are ways to improve your CWV score which can help you to regain your traffic.

The first step is to review the metrics and identify any issues. From there, you can work on making changes to improve the score.

This could involve improving the page loading speed, reducing the amount of render blocking scripts, and making sure the layout is mobile-friendly..

Incase if your attempt didn’t provide any fruitful results, do not worry, an SEO agency can help you to identify the issues, create a plan to fix them, and track your progress.

They can also help you to optimize your site for other aspects of SEO, like keywords, to give you the best chance of success.

Tools: TCS Core Web Vitals Tool

Step 17 – Page Removed 404

We all know that 404 errors are a pain when it comes to websites. Not only can they cause visitors to become frustrated, but they can also lead to a significant drop in traffic.

When visitors come to a page that doesn’t exist, they are likely to leave your website and never come back. That’s why it’s so important to fix any 404 errors as soon as possible.

If you have a page that is no longer relevant or needs to be removed, the best thing to do is redirect the URL to another page that is related to the original.

This way, your visitors won’t be met with a dead end, and you can keep them engaged on your website.

By taking a proactive approach to fixing 404 errors, you can avoid a big drop in traffic and ensure that your website is running smoothly.

Screaming Frog

Step 18 – New Content Edits

If you’ve noticed a sudden drop in website traffic after making recent content edits, don’t panic.

There could be a number of reasons behind it, and it’s up to an SEO expert to diagnose the cause. It could be anything from a technical issue to an SEO strategy gone wrong.

It’s important to first assess the nature of the edits — did you make any changes to the titles or URLs of the pages? Did you alter any meta descriptions or keywords?

Did you add any new content to the site? These are all potential factors that could have caused the traffic drop.

An SEO expert can analyze the edits and determine if the issue lies within the content or if there’s a technical issue to be addressed.

They can also suggest ways to regain the lost traffic, such as adjusting the content for better SEO or revising the site’s structure for easier navigation.

Tool: SurferSEO, Frase

Step 19 – Drop in Keyword Rankings

If you’ve noticed a drop in your website’s keyword rankings, it’s likely that you are also seeing a drop in traffic.

This is because when your keyword rankings go down, so does your visibility on search engine results pages. People are less likely to find your website, and, therefore, less likely to visit it.

That’s why it’s important to have an effective eCommerce SEO strategy in place to make sure that your website is visible to potential customers.

If your website’s keyword rankings are falling, you need to investigate why and identify what you can do to get back on track.

It could be a simple matter of updating your content, or it could require more advanced SEO tactics.

Whatever the case, it’s essential to act quickly to ensure that your website is seen by the right people.

Keyword Tracker Tool

Step 20 – Server Issues: Should not be overlooked.

One of the most common causes of a drop in organic traffic is server issues. When your website’s servers are unreliable or slow, it can lead to a decrease in organic search traffic.

This can be caused by a number of factors, such as outdated server software, bad hosting, or a lack of server maintenance.

If you suspect your website’s servers may be causing a drop in organic traffic, the first step is to check your server logs. Make sure you’re using the latest server software and that your web hosting is up to date.

You should also make sure your site is regularly maintained so that problems can be addressed quickly. With the right server setup, you can ensure your website has the best chance of keeping your organic traffic high.

Also, most hosting providers offer monitoring services that can alert you to any potential issues. By dealing with server issues quickly, you can ensure that your website is back up and running – and that your organic traffic remains high.

Step 21 – Broken Redirects

A broken redirect is when a URL leads to a page that no longer exists. This can have a huge impact on your organic traffic because it can prevent search engines from indexing your pages.

But the good news is that you can easily fix broken redirects. All you have to do is check each page on your site to make sure they’re all pointing to the right place.

You should also use tools like Google Webmaster to detect any broken redirects. This will allow you to identify and fix any issues quickly.

Once you’ve fixed the broken redirects, you should see a dramatic increase in organic traffic.

So don’t let broken redirects stand in the way of your success – take the time to fix them and get your organic traffic back on track!

Tool: Siteliner

Step 22 – Bad Quality Link Penalties

Drops in organic traffic due to poor quality link penalties can be one of the most difficult issues to overcome for any business.

It all starts when a website receives a penalty from Google’s algorithm due to low-quality links. This can lead to a significant decrease in organic traffic and a major impact on the company’s bottom line.

If you’ve been hit by a bad-quality link penalty, it’s important to take action quickly. The best thing to do is to contact a reputable SEO agency and ask them to conduct a full audit of your website.

This will help you identify any links that could be causing the penalty, as well as any other issues that need to be addressed.

With the right help, you should be able to get your site back in good standing and restore your organic traffic in no time.

Step 23 – Changes in Meta Information

Meta information includes things like the title tags, meta descriptions, and headings of your website — and they play a huge role in your overall SEO strategy.

Any changes in meta information could cause a website to lose its ranking and visibility on search engine results pages, leading to a drop in organic traffic.

To avoid this, it is important for SEO experts to regularly review and update meta information to ensure it remains up-to-date and that it accurately reflects the content on your website.

The bottom line is this: if you want to maximize your organic traffic, you need to stay on top of your meta information. Making small changes here and there relevant to the website can lead to big rewards in the long run.

Step 24 – Changes in Internal Navigation

Organic traffic can be greatly affected by changes in internal navigation. It is important to take SEO guidelines into consideration when making changes to the internal navigation of a website.

If proper SEO guidelines are not followed, organic traffic may drop sharply. For example, if the linking structure is changed, it can lead to search engine crawlers not being able to find certain pages.

This can lead to a drop in the visibility of those pages in search engine results, resulting in a drop in organic traffic. It is important to ensure that all pages have clear internal links and that all redirects are functioning properly.

By following best practices for SEO, websites can ensure that any changes to the internal navigation will not negatively impact organic traffic.

With the right SEO strategy in place, you can bring your organic traffic back up and get your website back on track.

Step 25 – Check Mobile Indexing Issue

There are several potential causes for a drop in organic traffic due to a mobile indexing issue. Some possible issues include:

• Google’s Mobile-First Indexing: If your website is not optimized for mobile devices, it may not be included in Google’s mobile search results.
• Site speed: Slow page load times can lead to a poor user experience, which can negatively affect your website’s search engine ranking.
• Responsive design: If your website does not use responsive design, it may not display properly on mobile devices, which can also negatively affect your search engine ranking.
• Blocked resources: Some resources on your website, such as images or stylesheets, may be blocked to Googlebot, which can make it difficult for Google to crawl and index your website correctly.

To fix mobile indexing issues, you should check that your website is properly optimized for mobile devices, has a fast page load time, and uses responsive design. You should also ensure if any resources on your website are blocked to Googlebot and fix any issues that you find.

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