Here you are, just having received your ranking report which was sent a few days ago, but you failed to check it the day it was sent. You start your browser, type in a search phrase that you ranked higher for previously, and BOOM! You notice that your website no longer holds the position indicated on the report – and the move isn’t quiet in the right direction… hmmm. If you are new to SEO you will probably panic, get discouraged and even think of changing your SEO company – well I am here to ask you not to panic, but to persevere because no matter what online marketing strategies you are using, it is normal for your rankings to drop occasionally. But why does it happen?
To be honest, there are many reasons why a site will drop in the rankings especially if you don’t have a well optimised site, but if you do and experienced ranking drops then this is for you. This article will elaborate on the two most common causes of rank dropping down the ladder in Google.
1. Search Engine Algorithm Changes Effects on SEO
SEO is a moving target. Google, as well as most of the other major search engines, constantly changes methods/algorithms. The aim of this is to detect violations of their guidelines in order to help maintain the quality of the engine’s search results for any given query. So when that happens, there are always winners and losers. Your page can be pushed out of the top 100 results, and this all depends on the marketing strategies you are using.
2. Competition
The more competitors you have, the more you will see your keyword rank moving up and down over time. It is important to realise that the competition is also spending some money on SEO, even if they aren’t, they will be adding content, building new links and updating their websites. All of these things can push their rankings up and yours down. For this reason, clients are encouraged to continue with their strategy to sustain their results.
Conclusion
Keyword drops in Google happen to everyone, in most cases it’s a temporary glitch and nothing to worry about, these are simply bumps on the road. Even if they’re not so small, don’t panic. There are a lot of things you can do to get your website right back up there.
