Website slipping down the rankings? Don’t panic; here are 4 things you can do to turn things around and save the day and get back on top:
1. Check Google Search Console to See Which Pages Are Dropping Down the Ranks
Google search console can help you see which pages are suffering on the search results pages and those you don’t need to worry about yet. Search console shows graphs and displays that can show you the average position of your keywords and phrases and also the average position of each page you are trying to rank. If these graphs are trending upward then you are on good footing. If they trend downward, then you have your work cut out for you.
Once you have zeroed in on which keywords and pages are floundering on the results pages, you can then go over to competitor websites that are doing better in the rankings to find out what they doing. The chances are high that the difference will boil down to content.
2. Spy on Your Competition’s Content
Because Google is bent on presenting the best experience for their users, the pages with better content invariably end up on top. When you look at a competitor that is ranking for your keywords, what are differences do you notice between their content and yours?
Is their content more in-depth? Do they use better keywords? Are they using keywords and ideas you missed entirely? What about their meta-tags?
You’re not looking at all these in order to become a fan; you want to take this information back to your falling webpage and implement changes that will make your content better than theirs in every respect.
3. Adjust Your Keywords and Meta Tags for the Falling Page and then Submit to Google Search Console
Once you have done the changes to your content, you don’t want to let things lie and hope Google crawlers eventually notice the changes you have made. Take matters into your own hands and submit the page URL to Google search console so that the page gets indexed.
After that you can turn to other things that are important for your business. Within a week to month your rankings should do and about turn and start climbing back up the rankings. Remember, better content usually translates to better rankings.
4. Keep Checking and Updating Your Content
SEO is never a one-off process. Things are never cut and dried. Expect to lose your rankings again as others up their game in order to justify moving into the spotlight. So keep repeating this process from time to time: check your rankings, see where problems lie, find out who is getting all the love from Google, and then make appropriate changes. It is worthwhile to remember that search engines love fresh content and always go for what is shinier and better, so never stop updating your content regularly if you want to keep your rankings.
At Eternity we understand how agonizing it can be to realize your website is slipping down the ranks—it’s hard enough to get noticed the first time. That’s why we would love to talk about your website and how we can help to make it your best ROI. Simply reach out and let's talk.