Don’t Panic: 7 Steps To Take if Your SEO Rankings Dropped

It’s a situation you have probably faced as a content marketer: You publish a piece of content—perhaps a blog post—on your website. After a while, it hits page one in the SERP. It drives traffic, and everything goes according to plan. And then, possibly out of nowhere, your SEO rankings drop dramatically—and with it, your site traffic begins to fall.

While this can be disappointing, know that the solution may involve fixes or updates that could benefit your content (and your business) in the long run.

Why organic search matters when publishing content

The importance of SEO to a content strategy cannot be overstated. Even as algorithms evolve and Google launches new features (example: the AI Overview), consumers and businesses continue turn to search engines for quick-and-easy answers to whatever questions or problems they have.

For content strategists across industries, SEO can attract potential customers—whether consumers or businesses—to your website. It’s possible that organic search may even be the primary driver of visitors to your blog or site, and yes, it may (ideally) even help generate leads and drive sales.

Your page’s organic SEO rankings dropped. Now what?

Don’t panic if your search rankings suddenly or gradually dive because there’s probably something you can do to resolve the issue. So take a deep breath and follow this action plan.

1. Verify that your search rankings truly fell (and by how much)

There are several reasons why this may happen. Before you take action, benchmark the webpage’s new position from its last-known ranking to confirm that your ranking truly fell.

To confirm a search ranking drop of any degree, you can do keyword ranking analysis on standard SEO tools (think Moz or Semrush). Also, find additional information on Google Search Console, which automatically tracks your average search rankings over time.

Assuming you know what the ranking was before the drop, you can also search for a relevant query on your web browser using Incognito Mode (which doesn’t track your search history) and see where your ranking now sits. Remember: Google can personalize search results based on your search history, web history, or location, so using Incognito Mode is especially important here.

A drop in page traffic may also be your first signal that a search ranking has taken a dive.

2. Wait two weeks

While an SEO ranking drop (especially on a page that drives a lot of traffic) can be disappointing, the first step may very well be to simply wait it out. You might be able to trace the change back to a major Google algorithm change or another update, and the change could be temporary.

After roughly two weeks or so, check whether your ranking returns to its original spot or close to it. But if that’s not the case, continue to Step 3.

3. Place the Google ranking drop in context

Before you panic, ask yourself (or your colleagues) how this drop in ranking might realistically impact your business and whether it might eventually correlate with a decrease in sales or profit or negatively affect another KPI.

Start by analyzing the extent of the situation by taking a page-by-page approach: Did a few blog posts on your site receive 10 percent less traffic year-over-year? Or is it a bigger issue, like traffic to your homepage falling 80 percent from last month, which can directly impact sales?

Also consider whether the keyword you were previously ranking for is truly aligned with your business goals and whether it was bringing the right customers to your site. You want traffic that will lead to conversions—not just any traffic. It all ties back to understanding your target audience. Google is only becoming smarter; it’s prioritizing content in the SERP that leverages keywords tied to the user intent behind a query. Consider: Is your keyword aligned with what your customers are looking for?

Having as clear a picture as possible of what’s at stake will help you determine the urgency behind correcting it and how much time, energy, and funding you should invest in taking action.

4. Research recent SEO updates and check competitor SEO

There are many SEO tools to help you identify the cause of a ranking drop. However, there may be various factors causing the slide, and they are not always immediately apparent.

An update to Google’s algorithm could be the culprit, so start there. Many SEOs saw rankings drops, for example, with the rollout of the AI Overview tool earlier this year. Search engine changes happen regularly. And while the powers that be often announce more significant updates, that’s not always the case for more minor updates.

You can also check your competitors’ SEO results to see whether they made any noticeable changes that may have bumped up their ranking to overtake yours.

5. Address any technical issues

Ask your colleagues in IT whether any major changes were recently made to your company’s website that may have contributed to a sudden or gradual ranking drop. Some solutions may be more technical in nature. Historically, these improvements have taken many forms, like getting more backlinks, adding more list items to a blog post, or upping the word count. You may also want to check on SEO in alt text for images, or you might need to address a keyword density issue.

While these measures are still relevant, step 6 is even more important given Google’s focus on quality content created for humans (not machines!).

6. Focus on overall content quality

A recent drop in search rankings may also be a matter of needing to refresh your content to improve its overall quality. For example, in its March 2024 core update, Google announced that its algorithms will filter out content assets that are deemed unhelpful or “feel like they were created for search engines instead of people.” It’s out with unoriginal content and in with content that is viewed as trustworthy, well-researched, and authoritative.

Nowadays, you should also aim to improve overall trustworthiness and authority. This may look like making sure any research hyperlinked on the page is up-to-date and comes from credible sources, for example, or making sure your author’s credentials (especially if they are an expert in their field) are detailed in a blog post.

Ensuring factual accuracy and taking the time to enhance the user experience (by adding interactive elements, for instance) may also help you re-boost that search ranking. Gartner predicts a 25% decline in traditional search traffic by 2026 due to the rise of generative AI and other emerging technologies, so really take the time to consider how you can make your content stand out—to both search engines as well as your customers.

Once these changes are made, you may want to ask Google to crawl your site so that your page is reindexed.

7. Keep a close eye on the data and search trends

Remember that it could take some time for Google to reindex your page after making changes. Once you finish with your updates, go back and check whether your SEO ranking improved a few weeks later.

Continuously monitoring your page rankings on Google Search Console or other rank trackers can also be worthwhile. And just as importantly, keep a close eye on the latest trends in organic search and how you can stay ahead of them. By doing so, you avoid coming late to the game, and you can rank higher more quickly.

Ask the Content Strategist: FAQs about search rankings

What role do social media signals play in search rankings?

Social media signals, such as shares and likes, can indirectly influence search rankings by increasing content visibility and driving traffic. Engaging content on social platforms can enhance its reach and authority.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when trying to recover from an SEO ranking drop?

Common mistakes include over-optimizing content with keyword stuffing, neglecting technical SEO aspects, and failing to address deeper site-wide issues like poor site architecture or low-quality backlinks. Avoiding these pitfalls can lead to a more effective recovery.

How can businesses ensure their content aligns with user intent?

Analyzing search queries and understanding the different stages of the buyer’s journey can help align content with user intent. Creating content that directly answers common questions or solves specific problems can improve relevance and SEO rankings.

For more tips on staying ahead of SEO trends and updates, subscribe to The Content Strategist and follow us on Instagram.