Picture this: it’s Monday morning and you log into Google Analytics expecting to see your usual traffic levels, but instead, you’re greeted by a sharp decline in visitors. Panic sets in, and you’re left wondering what went wrong. You’ve got your resignation drafted, and you’re ready to go… but don’t worry—you’re not alone, and it’s not the end of the world! Traffic drops can happen to any website, and the good news is, they’re usually fixable.
In this post, we’ll walk you through how to identify the root cause of a traffic drop, why it may have happened, and—most importantly—how to fix it. We’d recommend blocking a couple of hours out in your calendar to really dig into what’s happened.
1. First Things First: Is It Really a Traffic Drop?
Before diving into a solution, let’s make sure you’ve really experienced a drop in traffic and that it’s not just a seasonal fluctuation or a temporary blip.
Step 1: Check Google Analytics
Head over to Google Analytics and pull up your website’s data. To get a clear picture, compare your traffic over the past 6 to 12 months.
- Go to Acquisition > Overview and set the date range to compare current traffic to a previous time period.
- Look specifically at organic traffic (the visitors coming from search engines). Is this where the drop happened, or is it affecting other channels like direct, social, or referral traffic?
Step 2: Identify Patterns
- Is it a sudden drop? If your traffic plummeted overnight, it might indicate a technical issue or a penalty. A sudden drop can be considered a reduction in traffic that’s happened over the space of 1-3 days.
- Is it a slow decline? This could mean your content or SEO is becoming outdated or your competition has stepped up their game. These declines usually happen over the space of 10+ days, such as the drop pictured below.
2. Why Is My Website Traffic Dropping? Let’s Diagnose
Once you’ve confirmed a traffic drop, the next step is to figure out why. There are several common culprits, but we’ll walk you through how to diagnose the issue.
2.1: Google Algorithm Updates
Google is constantly tweaking its algorithm. If your traffic drop coincides with a major update, it might be affecting your rankings.
What You Can Do:
- Check if your drop lines up with a recent Google algorithm update using the Google Search Status Dashboard. This outlines official changes and updates to the Google Search algorithm.
- If an update hit you, there are 2 things to consider here:
- If you’ve recently made major changes to your website, such as adding/removing pages, or updates to site speed, check to see if the dates line up with those changes.
- If not, review your content. Google’s recent updates favour high-quality, in-depth content that answers user intent.
Summary: If your traffic drop aligns with a Google update, your content may need improvement. Focus on creating valuable, comprehensive pages that align with search intent.
2.2: Technical Issues
Technical SEO problems can be sneaky but are a major cause of traffic declines. If search engines can’t properly crawl or index your site, they won’t send users your way.
What You Can Do:
- Run a crawl audit: Use tools like Screaming Frog to find broken links, missing pages, or errors.
- Check for indexing problems: In Google Search Console, go to the Coverage section to find pages that are not indexed or have errors.
- Improve page speed: Slow sites drive users away and hurt your rankings. Test your website’s speed with Google PageSpeed Insights, and fix any issues that arise.
Summary: Technical issues can cause a big traffic drop. Use crawl audits, fix broken links, and improve site speed to get your site back on track.
2.3: Content Issues
Outdated, thin, or irrelevant content can cause your rankings to fall over time. Google loves fresh, relevant content that answers users’ questions better than anyone else’s.
What You Can Do:
- Update outdated content: Refresh older articles with new insights, statistics, and information.
- Check for thin content: If you have pages with very little substance, beef them up! Aim for at least 1,000 words of high-value content that addresses the reader’s needs.
- Avoid keyword cannibalisation: If multiple pages on your site are targeting the same keyword, they might be competing with each other. Consider merging these pages or changing their focus.
Summary: Content that’s old or lacks value can cause traffic to drop. Update your content and ensure it’s better than your competitors’.
2.4: Backlink Issues
Backlinks (other sites linking to your website) are a big ranking factor in SEO. Losing valuable backlinks or accumulating toxic ones can lead to a drop in traffic.
What You Can Do:
- Monitor your backlinks: Use Ahrefs to track your backlink profile.
- Reclaim lost links: If you’ve lost a valuable backlink, reach out to the site and ask if they can restore it.
- Disavow bad links: If your traffic drop is due to toxic backlinks, use Google’s Disavow Tool to clean up your link profile.
Summary: Backlinks are crucial to your SEO success. Regularly monitor your link profile and disavow harmful links while reclaiming valuable ones.
2.5: Competitor Actions
Sometimes, the drop isn’t due to anything you did wrong—it’s because your competitors have upped their game.
What You Can Do:
- Analyse competitor activity: Use tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs to see if your competitors have made changes that are impacting your rankings.
- Outdo their content: If they’ve published new, more in-depth content, create something even better. Add visuals, case studies, or a unique perspective to provide more value.
Summary: If competitors are outranking you, step up your game. Create more valuable content to attract visitors back to your site.
2.6: Seasonality and Trends
If your business experiences seasonal fluctuations, traffic drops during certain times of the year might be completely normal.
What You Can Do:
- Compare year-over-year data: In Google Analytics, compare your traffic this year with the same time last year to see if the drop is seasonal.
- Check Google Trends: Use Google Trends to see if interest in your industry fluctuates throughout the year.
Summary: Some industries have natural ups and downs. Compare last year’s data to this year’s to spot any seasonal patterns and adjust accordingly.
3. How to Fix Your Traffic Drop
Once you’ve diagnosed the issue, it’s time to take action and recover your traffic. Here’s what you can do:
3.1: Update and Improve Your Content
Your content is the heart of your website. Regular updates keep it fresh and valuable for your audience and search engines alike.
What You Can Do:
- Update older content: Add new statistics, improve readability, and include relevant internal links.
- Add multimedia: Use images, videos, or infographics to make your content more engaging.
Summary: Keep your content up-to-date and engaging by regularly refreshing it with new information and visuals.
3.2: Fix Technical SEO Issues
A technically sound website will keep users happy and search engines coming back for more.
What You Can Do:
- Optimise for mobile: Make sure your website looks good and functions well on mobile devices.
- Fix broken links: Regularly audit your site for broken links or slow pages that need improvement.
Summary: Technical issues can hurt your traffic. Regularly test and improve your site’s mobile-friendliness, page speed, and link structure.
3.3: Rebuild and Strengthen Your Backlink Profile
Quality backlinks signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative.
What You Can Do:
- Reclaim lost links: If you’ve lost backlinks from trusted sites, reach out to the webmaster and ask for a re-link.
- Build new ones: Guest post on relevant blogs or collaborate with other businesses in your industry.
Summary: Focus on reclaiming lost backlinks and building new, high-quality ones to strengthen your site’s authority.
In Conclusion
A traffic drop can be alarming, but with the right approach, you can diagnose the problem and fix it. Whether it’s a technical issue, outdated content, or algorithm changes, identifying the root cause will guide you toward recovery.
Feeling overwhelmed? We are here to help and offer full SEO audits from just £250 to identify issues across your website. Schedule a call today >
