Decline in Google search rankings. What could’ve caused this?

Factors contributing to a decline in Google search rankings

Numerous factors can contribute to a decrease in our website's ranking on Google. While not all may be relevant to our specific case, let's explore the most common possibilities. These include:

Duplicate content. Duplicate content, one of the cardinal sins of content creation, involves copying content within a single website or plagiarizing it from other sites. What's worse, we can unknowingly commit this error by writing overly generic content, lacking in detail or providing identical descriptions for multiple products in an online store. Moreover, duplicate content negatively impacts user experience and is generally a harmful practice that should be avoided at all costs.

Keyword stuffing. It's possible to overdo anything, including SEO. The primary sin of keyword stuffing is forcefully inserting keywords into content for quantity rather than quality.

Domain change. Changing a domain itself is neither good nor bad; it's simply a fact. However, what's worse is failing to implement a proper 301 redirect.

Slow page loading speed. We need to ensure that our website loads quickly. Otherwise, users will leave, increasing the bounce rate, which is a strong signal to search engines that the page does not meet user expectations.

Changing category or subpage names. Especially if done without proper knowledge, this can have very unpleasant consequences. Search engines may stop "seeing" our pages, meaning our content will not appear in search results. It's as if we accidentally hid our site from the world. Furthermore, such changes can disrupt the normal functioning of the entire site.

Okay, so we know what we could have done wrong. But there are also things out of our control that can affect our rankings. For example:

Google algorithm updates. Google continually updates the algorithm that powers its search engine. Not all updates are announced, so specialists analyzing website performance often conclude that Google has released a new update that has affected thousands of sites only after some time. It may turn out that the new update focuses more on the mobile-friendliness of websites, for example, and if our site doesn't meet all the requirements, the system may lower its position in SERPs.

Depositioning. This is a very unpleasant situation. It involves deliberate actions taken by those behind site X to lower the ranking of site Y. This is known as negative SEO, an illegal practice that is severely punished by Google. Examples include fake negative reviews, content theft, site reporting, DDoS attacks, and malicious software.

Competition. Other websites may simply have outperformed us in the race for top positions on Google. Perhaps they have better-matched keywords, more natural backlinks, or more valuable content? A competitor analysis should provide answers to these questions.

Seasonality. Certain keywords are only searched for during specific seasons. For example, "Christmas gifts" will be very popular in November and December, but the rest of the year, especially summer, is a dead period for these terms. Additionally, user interests change over time, influenced by trends and fashions. The solution to this issue is to provide evergreen content — if your industry allows for it. Evergreen content is content that remains relevant regardless of the season, such as "how to boil an egg" or "how to change oil in a car." As for content that doesn't fall into this category, you should provide content that will be popular in a given month or season.

Our website may have also been penalized by Google with a filter. Filters are not applied without reason; they are imposed for specific violations, often associated with black hat SEO practices. We should be able to identify any filters through Google Search Console. Filters significantly lower a website's search engine ranking. While it's possible to remove a filter, it requires a series of corrective actions.

Strategies for recovering from a Google ranking drop

Optimize your website. Refine your text (improve the readability and relevance of your content by using clear and concise language), optimize images (add alt attributes and ensure file sizes are not too large), and improve the visual design and user interface.

Create valuable content. Always provide value, offer something unique, and prioritize originality.

Monitor Google algorithm updates. Stay informed about changes to Google's algorithm and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Optimize meta tags. Craft compelling meta titles and meta descriptions that accurately reflect your page content, include relevant keywords, and encourage clicks in search results.

Implement proper redirects. This is especially important when changing domains and helps prevent duplicate content issues.

Build high-quality backlinks. Backlinks from reputable websites are a strong signal to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Focus on earning backlinks from authoritative websites within your industry.

And most important of all - be patient. Changes take time.

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