Website traffic can come from different sources, such as search engines, social media sites, paid advertising, etc., among which search engines are the cheapest but also more difficult to control. Sometimes we may encounter situations where search traffic drops. What are the reasons behind this and how should we deal with it?
Generally speaking, there are several main reasons for a drop in search traffic, including changes in Google’s algorithm, technical issues on the website, seasonal factors, and faults in data reporting. You can get a rough idea of the most likely factors from the shape of the chart below.
The first scenario is a sudden drop in traffic that then remains low. In this case, it is likely due to changes in Google’s algorithm, security issues on the website, or the presence of low-quality content.
When facing this situation, you can check Google Search Console for insights. Firstly, look for any security issues that may have caused Google to issue warnings due to malicious software or other security threats, leading to a decrease in search traffic. Additionally, check for any ‘manual actions’ to see if Google manually penalized your site for low-quality content. After ruling out these reasons, you can recheck your rankings in Search Console. If the drop is minor, there might not be a need for concern. However, if there is a significant drop, you may need to review any recent changes made to the website in the past few days or months to see if they have affected the content or site structure.
The second scenario involves a gradual decrease.
This could be due to technical issues on the website that prevent proper indexing, such as errors in robots.txt or incorrect no-index settings. You can check the indexing status in Search Console for any issues.
Another possible reason could be a shift in user interests. You can identify high-traffic search terms in reports, check for changes in clicks and impressions for these terms, and compare them with Google’s search trends.
The third scenario involves search fluctuations following a specific pattern, with periodic ups and downs.
In this case, you need to understand whether the website’s content and target audience are affected by seasonal factors. If they are, then minor drops might not be a cause for concern, but instead, you should capitalize on the upward trends.
The fourth scenario is a sudden drop in traffic that later returns to normal after some time.
This could be due to data reporting glitches or issues that have been fixed since the initial drop. In such cases, it is advisable to observe for a period to ensure that the problem does not recur.
