Why has my search engine ranking dropped?

Google has been known to penalise websites for a range of factors related to poor quality content, user experience, and security, among others.

Some of the most common reasons for SEO penalties in the past have included keyword stuffing, duplicate content, low-quality content, thin content, slow page speed, broken links, low-quality backlinks, and security issues like malware and hacking.

Google’s algorithm is designed to prioritise high-quality content that is relevant, engaging, and informative to users. Low quality content, on the other hand, can be seen as irrelevant, unhelpful, or even spammy, which can cause Google to downgrade a website’s ranking.

In addition, low quality content can lead to a high bounce rate, which is when a user clicks on a website but quickly leaves without exploring other pages. This indicates to Google that the content on the website may not be valuable or relevant to users, which can also result in a lower search engine ranking.

To avoid being penalised by Google for low quality content, it is important to focus on creating high-quality, original, and engaging content that provides value to users. This can include in-depth articles, videos, infographics, and other multimedia content that is both informative and visually appealing. By taking a strategic approach to content creation and prioritising quality over quantity, businesses can improve their search engine ranking and attract more traffic to their website.

Google’s wants most relevant and valuable content to be delivered to users, and thin content pages do not meet this requirement. Websites with thin content may experience a drop in rankings, or Google may not even index the pages.

Thin content can harm a website’s SEO in many ways. First, Google may view a website with thin content as low-quality or irrelevant to user searches, resulting in lower search rankings. Thin content also reduces the amount of information a website provides to its users, decreasing engagement and reducing the likelihood of visitors returning.

Google’s algorithms take into account several factors when ranking websites, and load time is one of them. Google wants to provide its users with the best possible experience, which means showing them websites that are fast and easy to use.

When a website takes too long to load, users are likely to get frustrated and leave, which results in a higher bounce rate. This indicates to Google that the website does not offer a good user experience, and the search engine may penalise the website accordingly. Google’s algorithms also take into account the time it takes for a website to become interactive, known as the “time to first byte” (TTFB), which measures the amount of time it takes for the web server to respond to a user’s request.

In addition to user experience, website load times also impact other factors that Google considers when ranking websites, such as mobile-friendliness and page speed. Websites that load quickly and are mobile-friendly are more likely to rank higher in Google SERPs. In fact, Google has announced that page experience signals, including load times, will be a more important ranking factor starting in 2021.

There are several tools available to website owners and developers to help improve website load times. These include optimising images and videos, minifying CSS and JavaScript files, using a content delivery network (CDN), and reducing server response time. By taking steps to improve website load times, businesses can not only improve their search engine rankings but also provide their users with a better overall experience.

According to Google, over 50% of users will abandon a mobile page if it takes longer than three seconds to load. This underscores the importance of fast load times for mobile users, and reinforces the need for websites to be optimised for mobile devices in order to deliver the best possible user experience.

When search engines crawl a website, they follow links to other pages on the site and to external websites. If a broken link is encountered, the search engine may view the site as less valuable and reliable, which can result in lower rankings.

From a user perspective, broken links can be frustrating and can negatively impact the user experience. If users click on a link and encounter a 404 error page or a page that does not load properly, they may quickly leave the site and look for information elsewhere. This can result in a high bounce rate and low engagement, which can also negatively impact search engine rankings.

To avoid broken links, it is important to regularly check all links on a website to ensure they are working properly. If a broken link is identified, it should be fixed as soon as possible by either updating the link or removing it altogether. By keeping a website’s links up-to-date, search engines will view the site as more trustworthy and valuable, which can result in higher rankings and better user engagement.

Backlinks are considered as one of the most important ranking factors in Google’s algorithm, and a high-quality link profile can help a website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). On the other hand, low quality or spammy backlinks can harm a website’s credibility and rankings.

Google’s algorithms are designed to identify and penalise websites that have low-quality backlinks or engage in link schemes. This includes paying for links or participating in link exchange networks that are created solely to manipulate search engine rankings. In some cases, Google may even issue a manual penalty to websites that are found to have violated its webmaster guidelines.

To avoid the negative impact of low quality backlinks, it’s important to focus on building a high-quality, natural link profile. This can be achieved through creating high-quality content that others are likely to link to, engaging in guest blogging, and reaching out to other websites in your niche for backlink opportunities. Additionally, regularly auditing your link profile and disavowing any low quality links can help to maintain a strong link profile and improve your website’s SEO performance.

Google takes website security seriously and ranks secure sites higher in search results. Websites with security issues, such as malware, phishing scams, and other vulnerabilities, are penalized by Google and can be blacklisted, resulting in a significant drop in traffic and revenue.

Hackers and cybercriminals often target vulnerable websites, exploiting security weaknesses to steal sensitive information, install malware, or launch other malicious attacks. This can result in serious consequences for the website owner, including lost revenue, damage to reputation, and legal issues.

To prevent security issues on a website, it’s essential to take proactive steps, such as implementing strong passwords, using secure hosting, keeping software up to date, and using SSL certificates. Additionally, regular security audits and monitoring can help identify and address any security issues before they become a problem.

Conculsion

Google’s algorithm is constantly evolving, and the search engine is constantly looking for ways to provide users with the most relevant, high-quality results possible. It’s important for website owners to stay up to date with the latest best practices for SEO and to prioritise creating quality content and providing a positive user experience.

If you would like us to conduct an SEO audit of your website, please get in touch.