Businesses and digital marketers share a common dread: sudden drops in search engine rankings. Both invest significantly in search engine optimization in the Philippines to maintain visibility and competitiveness. However, these efforts can seem futile when rankings decline unexpectedly. This fear is warranted, as strong search rankings are crucial for visibility and potential sales. Various factors can trigger such declines, from algorithm updates to user experience issues.
Fortunately, there are SEO services in the Philippines to address these challenges. Tag along as we examine the actionable steps you can take when faced with a sudden ranking drop.
1. Identifying The Causes of Rank Drops
When your search ranking declines, it’s crucial not to panic. Remedying the situation promptly is essential for boosting your ranking and safeguarding it from further drops. Business owners and digital marketers must carefully analyze the root causes of their ranking drops to determine the appropriate actions.
Here are the following factors that contribute to ranking drops:
Algorithm Updates: Search engine algorithm updates occur periodically, without a fixed schedule, making it impossible to predict and gain an advantage over competitors. These updates involve adjustments to the weighting of ranking factors, the introduction of penalties for SEO malpractices, and the prioritization of specific content. They aim to assess the relevance and ranking of web pages in search results. Websites that no longer meet the standards may therefore experience a steep drop in ranking following an algorithm update, which could significantly impact their business.
Technical Issues: It is possible for a variety of technological problems to significantly lower search engine rankings, even if they are often encountered. While a website that isn’t mobile-friendly doesn’t address the increasing number of mobile visitors, slow page loads also lead to higher bounce rates. Duplicate material exposes users to duplication fines and worsens the user experience due to broken links. Furthermore, indexing problems keep websites from showing up in search results, security concerns can result in a website being flagged as hazardous, and missing or erroneous meta tags fail to convey important information. Your search rating may drop if you ignore any of these elements.
ALSO READ: A Guide to Fix Common Errors in Technical SEO Issues
Content Quality: High-quality content is extremely beneficial to business owners since it encourages user engagement and complies with search engine ranking algorithms. Contrary to popular belief, higher quality information does not necessarily rank higher in search results; rather, content quality is more significant than quantity. Inaccurate, unclear, and poorly researched material typically results in high bounce rates, which reduce traffic to a website.
Furthermore, search engines do not provide websites lacking in E-A-T—expertise, authority, and trustworthiness—high rankings. Stuffing keywords into search results is a pointless attempt that can lead to penalties and lower rankings for websites. Prioritizing content quality is paramount; neglecting it can lead to significant losses and numerous obstacles in achieving success.
Backlink Profile: Backlinks serve as strong indicators of a website’s authority and trustworthiness, making them a significant factor in sudden drops in search rankings. However, links from low-quality or irrelevant sources can be perceived as spammy and manipulative.
Additionally, the loss or removal of backlinks, or their inactivity, can diminish a website’s authority and trustworthiness. Competitors may also resort to negative SEO tactics, such as creating spammy backlinks or removing quality ones, to gain an advantage. In the end, these strategies are harmful, regardless of whether you are the one using them or the victim. As a result, preserving a formidable backlink profile is essential for raising search engine ranks and increasing organic traffic.
Google Search Central: It’s crucial to recognize that Google’s automated ranking systems are primarily designed to offer pertinent and reliable information to assist individuals, rather than solely aiming for top search results to benefit companies. Google Search Central has even established criteria to assist businesses in monitoring their content for adherence to Google’s policies. Here are the factors businesses should consider to assess their compliance and stay ahead of the competition:
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- Meaning: Google’s language models are engineered to discern the intent behind user queries and align the results with pages or websites offering relevant processes and services.
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- Relevance: The most straightforward yet reliable indicator of your content’s relevance to your audience’s queries is whether your keywords align with what they enter into the search bar.
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- Quality: The quality of content can be determined by assessing whether it adheres to the criteria of EAT: expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. An important factor that Google considers is the presence of links or references from other prominent websites to your content.
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- Usability: Google assesses content usability, particularly focusing on its page experience elements, including mobile compatibility, fast loading times, and other related aspects.
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- Context: To guarantee that the search results are both beneficial and pertinent to users, Google takes into account their location, past search history, as well as search settings.
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2. Assessing the Damage
The next stage is to determine the extent of the damage after you’ve determined what caused the reduction in your search engine rankings. Thankfully, there are several suggested tools available for tracking SEO effectiveness and determining the degree of damage caused by a ranking decline. These industry-standard tools include Google Search Console, Google Analytics, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz Pro, and SE Ranking. They not only help monitor your website’s SEO performance but also enable you to identify sudden drops in ranking and take proactive measures to mitigate any negative effects. Each tool offers unique features tailored to specific needs, so exploring them can help you determine which best suits your requirements and budget, especially for paid services.
3. Immediate Actions to Take
Now that the root cause and severity of the drop are identified, it’s time to address immediate problems within our control.
Priority is given to SEO services in the Philippines, such as Google Search Console analysis, content review, backlink audits, and technical audits. Carrying out an extensive technical assessment guarantees enhanced user experience, simpler website crawling, and compliance with search engine guidelines. Content review ensures user engagement and SEO optimization. A backlink audit removes any spammy backlinks hindering adherence to search engine criteria. Lastly, Google Search Console Analysis helps identify crawl errors, penalties, and other critical issues requiring attention. Once all of these are conducted, an improvement in the ranking drop will take place.
These measures are essential for addressing immediate issues and enhancing the overall SEO performance of the website.
4. Analyze Competitors
In the event of an unforeseen and abrupt decline in SEO ranking, it’s critical not to dismiss the significance of competitor analysis. By examining the strategies, content, methodologies, and backlink frameworks, you can gain invaluable insights, especially from those who have a competitive advantage over you. Doing so will give you a vantage point to see beyond, enabling you to identify industry benchmarks and discover opportunities to enhance innovation and uniqueness within your business compared to competitors.
5. Comprehensive SEO Recovery and Long-Term Optimization Plan
Now that actionable steps have been taken, consistency is vital. Diligently following the outlined steps ensures that your website is prepared for the next update, minimizing the risk of a significant drop in rankings.
Developing a recovery plan and implementing long-term strategies are essential for sustained SEO success. Setting realistic goals, prioritizing work according to pressing demands, and developing a timeframe are all crucial elements in this process. Staying abreast of industry advancements, modifications, and trends is also essential. Finally, continuous monitoring and adjustment based on critical metrics ensure the effectiveness and adaptability of the steps taken.
Conclusion
Employing a proactive approach proves more advantageous than reacting after the fact, as it minimizes the challenges one faces. By pinpointing the root causes of ranking drops, adhering to search engine policies and standards, evaluating their severity, taking immediate action, scrutinizing competitors, strategizing for the long term, and continuously monitoring and adjusting, businesses and digital marketers can mitigate the effects of ranking declines. This approach bolsters visibility and authority against competitors. Remaining abreast of trends and updates is vital for sustained effectiveness. While ranking drops are inevitable, conscientiously following these steps can notably diminish their impact, thereby enhancing the overall performance of a business’s website.
For professional digital marketing expertise and optimal results, contact OOm PH at (02) 8283 3168. We are ready to assist with any digital marketing concerns or needs.
