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Most of us would freak out if we logged into Analytics and saw a clients’ traffic taking a nosedive But not Tory Gray She looks that traffic drop dead in the eye… AND SHE LAUGHS Because she’s seen it all in her 15 years playing SEO private investigator And along the way, she’s developed 13 questions that help her sniff out the root cause of declining organic traffic quicker than a hiccup in a library So, grab your deerstalkers, folks: We’re about to get our Sherlock Holmes on by diving into 13 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤 for Search Engine Land by Tory Gray… 🎯 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 Tory shows us how to methodically work through all the potential causes of an organic traffic drop to pinpoint – and fix – whatever’s causing the problem in record time 💬 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲 “Generally, the sources of the greatest conversion loss should always get attention first. If the site is losing organic clicks from keywords or URLs that don’t contribute to conversions in any meaningful way, it could be OK not to take any action.” 🗝 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 Has your traffic suddenly dropped off a cliff? Then something’s probably broken. Search Console will help you find what needs fixing. For example, if most of the losses come from a specific site directory, there might be something broken on the page template used to create those URLs. Looking at a more curved and gradual drop in traffic? You’ve probably got a content problem. Time for a content audit! Bookmark 13 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤 by Tory Gray to always know what to do when a site your working on starts dropping traffic like its hot 📉 👇 https://lnkd.in/evMafmvR

You know what sucks? Watching your organic traffic take a nosedive and having no clue why. I've been there. It's frustrating as hell. But after years of diagnosing SEO issues, I've learned a thing or two. Just read this killer article by Search Engine Land: "13 questions to diagnose and resolve declining organic traffic". https://lnkd.in/gfiTuJ-w Here are some key takeaways: • Check for tracking issues first. Could be a problem with your Analytics or Tag Manager setup. • Look for drops in branded searches. Might be a broader brand visibility issue. • Dig into non-brand performance. Analyze patterns in URLs, keywords, SERP features, etc. • Consider the conversion value of lost traffic. Not all traffic is created equal. • Examine the trend line. Sudden drop? Could be technical. Gradual decline? Might be content quality. • Audit your content. Get rid of outdated stuff that doesn't meet search engine standards. • Check for technical issues. Indexing, crawling, site structure. • Look for backlink or referral losses from high-authority sites. • Stay on top of algorithm updates. They can really shake things up. • Evaluate SERP changes. New features could be pushing organic results down. • Make sure you haven't been hit with a penalty. • Analyze the competition. They might be outperforming you in content, UX, authority, backlinks. • Consider shifts in user behavior and market demand. The key is to be methodical. Weigh the impact of each issue and prioritize actions. Document everything and build a strong case for stakeholders. Happy Thursday! Let me know your thoughts. Casey Jones CJ&CO Digital Marketing Agency #SEO #organictraffic #contentmarketing #digitalmarketing #googleanalytics

Noticing a decline in your organic traffic? You’re not alone. A recent study highlights that understanding the timing and source of this drop is critical for businesses. More specifically, Google Search Console is an essential tool that can help you pinpoint where traffic is dwindling, whether it's a single blog post or an entire section of your site. The implications of organic traffic drops can be serious, affecting overall visibility and engagement. It's vital to regularly compare your current traffic trends to historical data and investigate further into branded and non-branded queries. Is your traffic decline localized or widespread? Understanding these details can guide your next steps in recovery. This situation isn’t just about spotting a problem but takes on the path of devising a strategic approach to improve your site’s performance. How often do you analyze your organic traffic trends? Share your insights below! #DigitalMarketing #SEO #OrganicTraffic #GrowthStrategy #Analytics https://lnkd.in/gxhWTt8z Searcht

Interesting to see that organic traffic now accounts for 53% of all trackable website visits. It's a testament to how much we've come to rely on search engines for relevant information. 🎯 A while back, I focused on optimizing a few blogs and was amazed by the uptick in visitors—just from tweaking SEO and adding micro-content. It really reinforced how vital organic search is in driving traffic, especially in a digital landscape that changes so fast. 📈 The more I dive into this, the clearer it becomes: mastering organic search is no longer optional. Understanding search intent is crucial if we want to stay ahead. Have you noticed changes in your website traffic? What strategies have worked for you? Let's chat! 💬 #SEO #OrganicTraffic #DigitalMarketing #UserExperience https://lnkd.in/e5xPE-mk

Google just removed a key line from its documentation on ranking drops. 🤯 Here's the old version: “A drop in organic Search traffic can happen for several reasons, and most of them can be reversed. It may not be straightforward to understand what exactly happened to your site” And the new version: "A drop in organic Search traffic can happen for several reasons, and it may not be straightforward to understand what exactly happened to your site." Notice what's gone? It's that reassurance that most reasons for a drop in search traffic can be reversed. Does this mean that Google is telling us we can no longer reverse a drop in search traffic? Not necessarily. Maybe it just means that Google doesn't want to offer that reassurance anymore. In order for this to make sense, it's important to understand the many reasons for a traffic drop. In short, your Search traffic might drop if: 1. Your site is not ranking as well in organic search as it used to (or it's not showing up as often as it used to) 2. Your rankings stayed the same but the search volume for the things you are ranking for has decreased 3. Your rankings stayed the same but the clickthrough rate decreased 4. Your site was removed from Google's index That's pretty much it in terms of the literal reasons why your search traffic dropped. Diagnosing which of those things happened should be relatively easy. You should be able to do it with the simple combination of Google Search Console and a rank tracking software like SEMrush. The much more difficult thing is going to be figuring out WHY that happened. Depending on the issue that's impacting you above, there could be many causes. For example, if your site isn't ranking as well, it could be because: 1. You have new competitors that are outranking you 2. Your competitors are investing more in SEO and outranking you 3. There are technical issues impacting your site 4. Google has devalued your content 5. Google has started emphasizing other types of sites over yours (such as Reddit or directory listings) 6. You have lost backlinks 7. Your backlinks were devalued 8. You generated tons of crappy AI content 9. Your site was hacked 10. Google updated its algorithm and now prioritizes something new 11. You haven't updated your content in awhile and your site is viewed as old and stale 12. Dozens of other reasons Figuring out which of these issues is impacting you can be challenging. And it's often more than one issue. If you are dealing with a decrease in organic traffic, then don't wait for it to correct itself. You need to determine the cause and fix it as soon as possible. Even though Google has removed the line about most causes being reversible, I still believe most of them can be fixed. You just have to know what you're doing. #seo #organicsearch #trafficloss #google

🚀 The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) has undergone a significant transformation, rendering it nearly unrecognizable from the era of the traditional "10 blue links." - A generation ago! 🔍 In fact, our analysis has unveiled over 1,200 distinct SERP features. 💥 These densely packed SERPs wield a profound influence on click-through rates, often not for the better. The relationship between rank position and traffic is in a constant state of flux. 🔍 Dive deeper into our latest blog post: 🔗 "Help ! - My Rankings Haven't Dropped but Organic CTR Tanked" https://rb.gy/g2ut6u ⚡️ With each addition of new features to the SERP, two distinct outcomes emerge: 1️⃣ Organic listings find themselves either pushed further down the page or, at the very least, disrupted by those new SERP features. 2️⃣ These additional elements serve as distractions, drawing users' attention away from organic web listings. Stay ahead of the curve by understanding these dynamics and their implications for your online presence! #seoclarity #SEO #SERP #OrganicCTR #DigitalMarketing

Are Google's organic search results a casino? One thing is sure: the house always WINS! All while small businesses are CRUSHED I wish I could show you all the Google Search Console and Google Analytics graphs that companies share with me. If you saw the BIG picture, you'd probably conclude that Google's SERPs are a lottery, where the odds are always stacked against small businesses. Why? Because the traffic of large brands with good SEO teams is surging, or at least remaining stable. But organic traffic is a roller coaster for smaller, more vulnerable companies. It is a game of chance, where the rules are constantly changing. I see UPTRENDS and DOWNTRENDS I've never seen before. Google's inconsistent treatment of smaller businesses is unfair. There's a lack of transparency. Results are unpredictable. And smaller companies face inherent disadvantages compared to large brands. 📉 This graph show the organic traffic of a corporate website. It is a small but highly reputable U.S. company. ✅ They have a decent website with an exceptional physical location. Of course, the site could be better, but this is often the case for SMBs. ✅ Glowing reputation: people love them based on reviews from Google, FB, Yelp, and TripAdvisor! Customers book half a year in advance! ❎ No serious technical SEO or content issues. Their in-house digital marketing team is skilled. They recently saw a nice surge in organic traffic. See that 55% increase? It looks great, right? Well, nothing changed in the past month! Google first boosted them arbitrarily. Google then crushed their visibility. Hope and despair in 45 days! Organic traffic divided by almost 10. Again, absolutely nothing changed. How do I know? I'm monitoring the situation free of charge. Could I create an SEO strategy that would change this graph in a matter of months? Yes, but the cost would be totally out of reach for a small company. 🙄 Suppose I mentioned a drunken digital dictator, ruling over the internet with a tyrannical reign and crushing small businesses under its boot. What's the first name that would come to mind? ➟ More seriously, are you also seeing erratic organic traffic moves for small companies? 💔 I'd love it if you could publicly share valuable details such as: - industry - country - screenshot I'm sure I would not be the only one! Thank you!

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗜'𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝘆 45.5%. (In 7 days) But first: Last week I showed you a powerful SEO strategy that works fast. And that strategy is: improving your site's click-through-rate (CTR) in Google. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀: How do you improve your organic CTR? Well, if you're like me, you like to learn from real-world examples. That's why today I'm going to walk you through a case study... ...a case study that led to these results: How did I do it? I improved that page's CTR. (Seriously, that's it). Specifically, here's what I did to improve that page's CTR: First, I increased the emotional sentiment of the title. Emotions get people to buy things. Emotions get people to fist pump when their team wins. Emotions even get you to talk to that cute barista at Starbucks :-) And yes, emotions get people to click. The old title tag for my page was: "SEO Campaign Case Study: 1,117 Social Shares and 15% More Traffic (In 2 Weeks)" Sure, that title isn't bad. But it definitely doesn't stir up your emotions. So I changed the title to: "Awesome! This SEO Campaign = 15% More Organic Traffic" Adding the word "Awesome" (with an exclamation point) increased the positive emotional sentiment... ...which made more people click on my page. (Pro Tip: Both positive and negative emotional sentiments can improve CTR. As long as your title doesn't have a neutral emotional sentiment you're all set). Next, I optimized my title tag length. My old title tag was waaaaaay too long. In fact, it was getting cut off in Google's search results. (Not good) So I cut out the fat. I took the title from a whopping 80 characters... ...to 53 characters. And you want your title tag to be between 50 and 60 characters. Why? A study by Outbrain found that longer titles get the best CTR. However, Google cuts your title tag off at (approximately) 60 characters. A title tag between 50-60 characters gives you the best of both worlds. At this point you may be wondering: "How did you know that these changes would actually work?" You may also be thinking to yourself: "How did you track the performance of the new title tag?" I'll have more details for you next week. Talk to you then.

Ever spun your wheels, plagued by the question: “Why does my organic traffic fluctuate so much?” You’re not the only one. Even seasoned digital marketers might panic when traffic numbers plummet seemingly out of nowhere. Understanding why these fluctuations happen is your key to getting organic traffic back where you want it. 🚦 Here's a glimpse into the reasons why organic traffic fluctuates, straight from a Google Premier Partner marketing agency: - Google Search Console Difficulties - Website redesign and migration halts traffic - Your site has lost or broken links - Content quality falls short - Competition is getting fiercer - Technical SEO changes limit visibility - Content cannibalization is eating your rankings - You have unaddressed technical errors Sudden drops in traffic can bring stress and uncertainty, but don’t panic. We’ve got a contingency plan to help you restore and rebound your organic traffic. Let's delve into the nuances of organic traffic fluctuations and how to tackle them head-on. https://lnkd.in/gWwybX-c

What Should I Do After a Google Algorithm Update or Google Organic Traffic Drop? By Mark Spera / February 10, 2023 Author Recent Posts Mark Spera I'm a marketing guy, a pizza enthusiast, and a San Francisco resident. I co-founded Growth Marketing Pro and the industry-leading AI writing tool, GrowthBar. Ended soon Companies focused on SEO catch a tough break when their traffic falls out of nowhere. Your traffic is doing great, your rankings are going up…and then suddenly you see a big drop in organic traffic from Google. Source What happened? A common culprit is a Google algorithm update. Google updates its algorithm thousands of times per year. And it releases 3-5 large algorithm updates every year. Depending on the update and how you’ve optimized your site, your domain may no longer be what Google prefers. This has been the reality for many small sites in the “your money, your life” (YMYL) search verticals, which include finance and healthcare. But it’s been true of so-called “expert”s sites as well. Though it’s frustrating, there are a few ways you can get your traffic back to normal after a Google algorithm update. In this post, I’ll detail the most important steps you can take to recover. Table of Contents What is a Google Algorithm Update? Why Does Google Update Their Algorithm? What Do You Do After a Google Algorithm Update that Leads to a Drop in Organic Traffic? 1. Remain calm! 2. Did your Google Analytics break? 3. Are there certain keywords or pages that fell off? 4. Check out your competitors 5. Do you have toxic backlinks or spammy content? 6. Get new, authoritative backlinks 7. Hire an SEO agency 8. Other possible issues How Does Google Search Work? How Many Times Does Google Change Their Algorithm? Why are YMYL Companies Affected by Google Algorithm Updates? Conclusion What is a Google Algorithm Update? Every time someone makes a search, Google must be able to retrieve data from its search index and instantly deliver the best possible results. Google uses a combination of algorithms and ranking signals to find these resulting web pages and deliver them ranked by their relevance to the query. When Google first began, it only made a few algorithm updates. Now, like I said, the search engine makes thousands of changes to its algorithms every year.