Google has updated its page on troubleshooting issues related to a drop in traffic from Google Search.
They have added more reasons that could explain a decline in visits, helping website administrators understand why their site's traffic from Google Search might be decreasing.
When a website admin notices a sharp drop in free traffic from Google Search, the first question that comes to mind is what caused this decline.
Is it a small or large drop in ranking? And grades from 1 to 5 from highest to lowest with arrows in between indicate the types of ranking drops.
While a website admin may be able to identify the main reason for the traffic drop, it is not an easy task. It requires in-depth analysis by reviewing data and referring to the website’s logs.
Since Google's ranking systems are continuously updated, Google has highlighted a new main reason for the drop in traffic from search results, which is:
Algorithm Updates
Algorithm updates can cause a website’s pages to rise or fall in search results.
Google says that if you suspect the drop in traffic is due to an algorithm update, it's important to understand that there may not be any fundamental issues with your content. To determine if you need to make any changes, review your top pages in Search Console and assess how they rank.
Google categorizes ranking drops into two types:
- Minor Ranking Drop: For example, a page dropping from rank 2 to rank 4.
- Major Ranking Drop: For example, a page dropping from rank 4 to rank 29.
1. Minor Ranking Drop
A minor ranking drop happens when there's a slight shift in position among the top results (e.g., dropping from position 2 to 4 for a search query).
In Search Console, you might notice a significant drop in traffic without a big change in impressions.
Minor position fluctuations can happen at any time (including moving back up without needing to do anything). In fact, Google recommends avoiding drastic changes if your page is already performing well.
2. Major Ranking Drop
A major ranking drop occurs when there's a noticeable decline in top results for a large group of pages (e.g., dropping from the top 10 results to position 29).
In such cases, evaluate your entire website generally to ensure it is useful, trustworthy, and prioritizes users.
If you make changes to your site, it may take some time to see the effects: some changes may take a few days to take effect, while others could take several months.
For example, it could take months for Google’s systems to determine that your site now produces long-term useful content.
Generally, you will need to wait a few weeks to analyze your site in Search Console again to see if your efforts have had a positive impact on your ranking.
You can find more details on the "Troubleshooting a Drop in Traffic from Google Search" page in the Google Search Services documentation.
