Introduction
Mark Roemer Oakland believes that before you start panicking about a drop in SEO, you must diagnose the problem. To speak in simple words, you need to investigate the organic traffic drop. If you are wondering how to diagnose a drop in SEO, have a look at the points mentioned below:
The Details
- Check whether it is just a glitch– The first thing you need to do is make sure whether the drop in organic traffic is just a glitch or something serious. Sometimes, the metrics go up and down for no discernible reason, and there remain no issues with SEO.
- Rely only on trusted data- To check that the organic traffic is accurate, you need to make sure the data you depend on is reliable. It will keep you safe from wasting your time unnecessarily.
- Check if the drop is due to a recent Google algorithm update- Sometimes, you can find it challenging to understand the exact nature of a Google update. Still, it is crucial to track down all related information and update your site accordingly.
- Segment the data- To analyze the data correctly, you need to look for the data segment that has shown a drop in traffic. It is often considered by SEO experts as the first step in identifying the root cause of the drop. The two most valuable segments are- Device type and Page Type. However, you can consider other segments, too, like the product categories.
- Note if there is any significant site change- Changes in the site can occur in many forms like migrating URLs, shifting to a different JavaScript framework, removing the navigation menu, or any such changes. If you have brought changes to your site, try to identify how it can impact the organic traffic.
- Consider your competitors- During the analysis, it is also essential to note if you have lost your rankings to one of your competitors. If you notice such changes, you need to do your research and ensure that you are using the trending keywords. You can look at the competitor’s site and make changes accordingly to boost your ranking.
- Search Engine Result Pages- You must note the SERPs to check if there is any change in designs. You should check if any new features have resulted in the drop in your site’s rankings and if so, you need to revamp your site.
- Branded or unbranded traffic- You can use Search Console Data to view the number of branded clicks and unbranded clicks in a specific period. You can also use AdWords for this purpose. If there is more impact on the branded clicks, you don’t need to worry because it has no issue with SEO on your page.
Conclusion
According to Mark Roemer Oakland, the points mentioned above will help you get to the root cause for the drop in SEO. However, SEO is a long-term process, and you need to be calm and patient to enjoy the results.