3 Reasons Rankings Can Suddenly Drop

Search engine rankings fluctuate. It is natural to see your rankings go up and down from week to week. However, have you noticed an objective, major drop in your rankings? This can have several causes, some of which are not related to you or your website at all. Luckily, you do have options if you notice your rankings drop. Here are 3 reasons rankings can suddenly drop.

#1: Google Update

During major Google updates (not just routine ones), the rankings will often move around quickly and dramatically. Google will let you know about this as long as you have a Google account you use to manage your presence. In this case, wait it out. The rankings will eventually stabilize within about a week or so.

#2: Google Penalties

Something Google will not tell you about are if you incurred any Google penalties. This can happen if you use black hat SEO tactics or other methods that Google does not condone. There is no definitive way to know if you have a penalty, but the best thing you can do is clean up your website and undo any black hat techniques you may have used.

#3: Toxic Backlinks

A new method that competitors and spammers use is pointing many toxic backlinks toward your website. These backlinks come from known spam sites, low quality websites, and untrustworthy sources. While you are bound to rack up a few of these naturally, if you notice a large influx, this could account for a rankings drop. Disavow these links and you should see the rankings slowly recover.

A big rankings drop usually has more than one cause. Our marketing experts can provide a free marketing consultation. To schedule, call us at 206-787-0784 or reach out online via chat or contact form.