Have Your Rankings Dropped? 7 Things to Do
Your search engine rankings can make a big difference on how much business you receive, so it’s alarming when these rankings fall. However, it’s important not to panic and get down to the bottom of the issue immediately. Here are six things you should do if your search engine ranking have dropped.
Check SEO Basics
One of the first things you should do is check basic SEO elements on your website, such as meta descriptions and title tags, for possible issues. For instance, if your home page’s title tag is similar to many other sites, it can negatively affect your rankings. Try to come up with a more creative title to make your site stand out from all the rest.
Look at Your Content
The content on your site matters big time. If your content is generic and doesn’t provide value for readers, you may likely receive low search engine rankings. Take the time to create content that is unique and helps your readers learn something new. If you are having trouble coming up with content ideas, don’t hesitate to ask your readers what topics they want to read about on your site.
Check Your Site’s Speed
Most online users don’t have the patience for slow loading websites, so it’s important to check your site’s speed. If your site takes more than three seconds to load, it’s definitely time to speed things up. You can use free tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to find out how fast your pages are loading and how to improve load times.
Look at Mobile Compatibility
With more and more people browsing websites through their smartphones, it’s important for your website to be mobile friendly. If your website loads slowly or is difficult to see on mobile devices, users may stop visiting it. It’s a good idea to run your website through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to find out if your website has good mobile compatibility. If it doesn’t, this tool will provide suggestions on how to improve your mobility.
Pay Attention to Google Algorithm Updates
It’s essential to stay up to date on Google’s algorithm updates and see if any changes will affect your website’s search engine rankings. It’s helpful to look at SEO news sites, like moz.com, to be in the loop on any algorithm updates.
Look at Your Backlink Profile
Backlinks are important when it comes to your search engine rankings. They show search engines that your site is important and provides value to readers. If your website doesn’t have many links from many authority sites, it can negatively affect your rankings. Consider using tools like Open Site Explorer or Majestic to find out what sites are linking to your website and which pages they have linked. This can provide great insight on your backlink profile and what sorts of changes you should make.
Use Google Analytics
Google analytics is a useful tool for anyone who has a website. It provides insight on how users find your site, what they do on your site and what causes them to leave your site. If Google Analytics shows a drop in traffic when you’ve made changes to your site, you may want to revert those changes.
If you follow these tips, your site’s ranking are more likely to rebound.
