In improving website performance, sometimes website owners don't know what causes traffic to suddenly drop. In fact, traffic on the site is the main weapon for business people to continue to exist in digital marketing.
If you experience something like that, you should immediately identify the problem that is causing website traffic to drop. Once found, immediately make improvements so that the website can compete again with competitors on Google search pages.
Why is Web Traffic Decreasing?
I wonder what mistakes have been made in recent times, resulting in a very noticeable decline in visitors. Blog traffic, which was previously stable, suddenly decreased drastically, even plummeted, like a parachute, in free fall, even though all this time it had been diligently updating articles.
This is one of the topics that is asked quite often, the decline in keywords. What is meant by descending keywords here are 2 types:
- Unit keyword
- Keywords overall
For this unit keyword, for example, I optimized the keyword selling koko clothes, which previously was rank 3 then dropped to rank 7. This decline can be checked directly on the SERP or in tools like Ahrefs.
Meanwhile, overall keywords mean all the keywords that are included in 1 website. Previously vatih.com (when checked on Ahrefs) had 23,548 keywords entered, then it decreased to 21,723 keywords. This overall decrease can only be checked through audit tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, and the like.
In this post, I deliberately discuss both at the same time, because the answer is that there are many similar reasons. There are various reasons why keywords are decreasing, just gas it up.
1. Search Engine Algorithm Changes
Changes in search engine algorithms are one of the most common causes of decreased website traffic. When a search engine like Google updates its latest algorithm, there is always a tendency for the entire website to be affected. The impacts felt by web owners vary, some benefit and others suffer losses. This algorithm change is also not without reason.
Google is constantly changing its algorithm to improve its strategies and ensure its users get the most relevant and good results from every search. To overcome this, here are several methods recommended by SEO experts:
- Check Google Analytics data and compare current and previous performance.
- Make changes both in terms of on-page and off-page SEO.
- Avoid relying on organic traffic first. On the other hand, maximize social media marketing and various other marketing channels to gain profits again
- Take advantage of other marketing channels, such as email marketing, direct marketing, and others.
It cannot be denied that marketers often experience this cause. Because at any given time, Google always changes the algorithm to improve their strategy. If you understand Google's algorithm changes, immediately make changes to your website, whether in terms of on-page or off-page SEO.
2. Cannibal Content
Many SEO clients come because traffic has dropped even though previously they had abundant traffic. Why is traffic down? Yes, it's simple, because the keywords are also down.
Why are keywords down? This is what we are discussing. After I audited it, it turned out there was a lot of cannibal content.
3. Competitors Increase
Too long in the comfort zone, not realizing that a new competitor has arrived. It's still better if there are only one or two new competitors, what if there are a lot? Not to mention, it turns out that competitors immediately create 2 or 3 websites at once. I myself have a client who asked for direct optimization of several websites.
So, routinely carry out a general checkup for the website, at least every semester. What needs to be checked every semester? Yes, all the points discussed in this post.
4. Competitors Are Getting Stronger
Don't really care about competitors, suddenly you're on page one of Google. It could be that this is what competitors are doing:
- Learn about SEO
- Use SEO services, or...
- Buy quality backlinks
Information about SEO is everywhere, competitors learn. There are also more and more agencies providing SEO services, competitors are using their services.
Those who sell quality backlinks are also getting easier to find, competitors are strengthening their websites by regularly adding backlinks. It's normal if your website's keywords eventually drop.
5. Website is not Mobile-Friendly
A website display that is not mobile-friendly is one of the reasons why traffic can decrease. It's no secret that Google prioritizes websites that are not mobile-friendly to get good rankings.
Reporting from Think with Google, 79% of people prefer to open a website and share it via cellphone. To overcome this, start considering improving website performance when opened via mobile devices. Start buying hosting with large storage and fix things that make the website load for a long time.
6. Backlink Drop
Have you ever bought/installed a backlink somewhere, not long after that it had a good effect on the website (rank increased).
Buying/installing backlinks was done a year ago, which could be 404 or not found today. I don't know why, just drop it.
Previously there were 100 backlinks, so there are only 84 left. This could be one of the reasons keywords are decreasing.
7. There is a Problem on the Server
When I first bought hosting, it went smoothly normally, but in the middle of the road (after several months), suddenly there was a problem.
Some of the clients I handle, when they come to me, are at hosting providers that are less SEO friendly. Problems on this server can vary, generally there are 2:
- Frequent downtime, uptime less than 95%
- Slow, usually on shared hosting
Somehow, website owners also make mistakes by installing too many modules/plugins and other things which end up making the website slow. This kind of thing Google doesn't like. Make sure the score is above 80 when checked on Google PageSpeed...
8. Changing Domain Name
Some webmasters change domain names with certain considerations. New domains that are truly fresh take longer for the indexing process. Because this domain still has minimal authority.
Carry out intense SEO optimization to build domain authority and website traffic. And also set a redirect or redirect to ensure that those who access the old URL will be automatically redirected to the new domain.
9. Changes to Website Design
Website redesign can also affect website traffic. Because crawler robots need to learn the new website structure. However, this usually only lasts a short time.
Website traffic can return to normal within a month or even faster. Embedding too many scripts in the source HTML template can also cause website traffic to decrease suddenly. Because crawl robots need to relearn programming commands on the website.
10. Excessive SEO optimization
To be able to get the best ranking for your blog in Google search results, do SEO optimization, be it on-page SEO optimization or off-page SEO optimization, both must be able to get the right and appropriate measurements. If not, then most likely the results will not be optimal.
However, whatever optimization is currently being carried out, it should not be done excessively. Because when it involves SEO optimization on a blog, the popularity of the blog will start to creep up and will continue to rise.
However, if you continue to optimize excessively, this can cause the popularity graph to decrease further and in the end the blog will get a penalty and be difficult to find in Google searches (SERP). So, never involve excessive SEO optimization for your blog. Because it's not good for the blog.
There are no definite rules regarding what a good optimization dose should be, both for off-page SEO optimization and on-page SEO optimization, as long as you don't over-optimize. Just enough, many people even suggest that if a blog article is 3 months old, we no longer need to build backlinks. Let the article get backlinks naturally.
11. Keyword Stuffing and Lots of Spam Comments
Writing repeated keywords and placing them in post sentences without relevant vocabulary will be considered spam by Google. The worst risk is that the article will be de-indexed (not indexed by Google), this also applies to other black hat SEO applications.
And Google also really doesn't like spam, which is one of the causes of the decline in the number of visitors. So moderate the comment box to address this.
12. Blogs are dominated by articles with seasonal keywords
If an article uses seasonal keywords, it usually won't last long. And at certain times, blog traffic that discusses topics with seasonal keywords will decrease over time. There are many keywords that can be used as article titles, depending on the niche or blog topic being discussed, they can be keywords that are considered eternal or seasonal keywords.
They are said to be eternal keywords if the popularity of the keyword used is able to last forever without being limited by time, which means will continue to remain as a keyword that is always sought after by netizens who need relevant information according to the keywords discussed.
For example, keywords that are always associated with discussions of SEO, keywords like this are unlikely to become obsolete as long as search engine technology is still used by internet users.
Meanwhile, seasonal keywords are keywords that can only survive at certain times, keywords like this generally become obsolete when they are no longer appropriate for the season.
For example, keywords that discuss ornamental plants, keywords like this can be called seasonal keywords, because they can only be popular at a time when the phenomenon of various kinds of ornamental plants is on the rise.
However, over time and as the popularity of ornamental plants fades, these keywords will become obsolete and articles discussing them will no longer be popular. The impact is that search volume and blog traffic will decrease.
How do I fix Traffic to my Website?
1. Follow up on analysis results
Check Google Analytics and Search Console to find out where the error is. Are there errors on the page, searches have decreased, or rankings have decreased.
From the results of this analysis, take action to restore website traffic. For example, by fixing error pages and improving the quality of content so that rankings can rise again.
2. Be consistent in updating content
Update content regularly, 1 to 3 articles per day or per week, as long as they are consistent. Also make sure the content written is useful and original.
Although it is not stated how long the recommended article is, articles with good depth have more value in the eyes of Google. And will maintain the stability of website traffic in search engines.
3. SEO optimization
Re-optimize SEO to boost overall website performance in search results. Focus on improving content quality, and improving other factors in On Page and Off Page SEO. When SEO optimization shows improvement, you will start to see good traffic performance.
4. Don't depend on one traffic source
Traffic from search engines is very good. But it is not recommended to rely on just one traffic source. Optimize quality traffic sources that can drive traffic to the website. If one day there is an algorithm change or a competitor manages to take a position in the SERP, the impact will not be too significant for the website.
Closing
A decrease in website traffic is something that is almost impossible to avoid. But even so, that doesn't mean this fact is a reason for you to ignore it.
An in-depth analysis regarding the decline in website traffic is still needed in order to find out the cause and formulate the right strategy to overcome it.
You can do some of the steps above as an initial analysis of the decline in traffic on your website. Of course, you can do deeper analysis, for example by finding out the seasonal trends of the keywords you are optimizing, or finding out whether there has been a search algorithm update recently by search engines.
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With the help of website creation services, it will help you to create the website you dream of. Thank you and hope it is useful... Good luck to all of us?