If you have been involved with SEO for even just a few months or years, then you have probably gone through periods where things are going really well and other times where it seems like your site is being punished by Google. However, these swings typically aren’t as extreme as they are sometimes reported to be. Sometimes the changes are so subtle that you might not even notice them.
If you are starting to feel like your normal SEO practices are no longer working, then you aren’t alone.
Every time Google updates their search algorithm, there is some degree of fallout for many webmasters and online marketers. This is especially true if they depended on black hat methods that the search giant may have frowned upon. But don’t fret, the landscape is constantly changing, and there are still many things that you can do to improve your rankings or at least reduce your risk of being punished by Google.
If you are starting to feel like your site has been demoted (and even if it hasn’t), then here are five possible signs that you need to begin working on a new SEO plan:
Your Rank Is Dropping In Long Tail Searches
The long tail of search results consists of phrases that include three or more words. These longer keywords have been proven to be more likely to get clicks from users.
If a site is doing well with top three-word phrases, but the rank is slipping for longer keywords, there’s a chance that Google’s algorithm has changed. Sites need to be up-to-date on all of the latest changes so they can adjust their content and techniques accordingly.
There Are Several Competitors Ranking Higher
There can be several causes for this. It’s possible that your competitors have higher Domain Authority, better internal linking, or their content is more relevant to people’s search.
The latter can happen when a site hasn’t been updated in a while and gets fewer search results than competing sites with similar backlinks and domain age.
You Aren’t Getting As Many Referrals From Social Media
This is another sign that the algorithm may have changed. If these social media websites are sending you fewer visitors, it’s possible that the newest changes to their system include something you aren’t doing correctly.
Sites need to keep up with all of Google’s latest updates, as well as those from social media sites that send a lot of their traffic. If you’re working with a digital marketing agency, make sure it’s proactive and knows how to keep up with Google’s ever-changing trends and updates.
Your Rank Is Decreasing In Local Searches
Google My Business is a great tool for ranking in local searches because it allows your site to be listed right at the top of the results page. When you suddenly see a drop-off in the number of people clicking through to your site, it could be an indication that you aren’t optimising this feature.
Google’s algorithm takes many different things into account when determining who should rank first for local searches. For example, if your website just isn’t up to date with all the latest updates, then it might not show up as high as others that are.
Your Rankings Were Great, But They Suddenly Aren’t
If your website’s rankings were in the top three for several keywords and then you noticed they’d taken a nosedive, there could be any number of reasons why. You might have changed something on your site or not done anything to get rid of possible spam links.
Regardless of the reason, it’s important to figure out why this is happening so you can get back into the rankings. There are many different potential fixes for this situation, but here are a few common ones:
- Reworking your site’s content or structure can be effective if you aren’t changing things too dramatically.
- Ongoing site optimisation is vital in keeping it at the top of SERP (Search Engine Results Pages).
- Link building is the key to getting higher rankings, but you need to make sure that any new backlinks are coming from relevant sources.
If you aren’t doing these three things on a regular basis, it might be time to consider hiring an SEO specialist from a reputable digital marketing agency.
You can avoid even having these issues by regularly checking your rank on Google, especially if you run a small business that relies on customer traffic. It’s better to check it frequently rather than wait until something goes wrong.
Takeaway
The more you know about the latest changes in the SEO world, the easier it is to avoid falling behind. Keeping up-to-date with the most recent changes, as well as knowing what to look out for, can help you easily identify any problems before they impact your site too much.