Is your search traffic from Google starting to dwindle? Have you noticed that your search rankings for important keywords are dropping… and that sales are falling at the same rate?
We meet with at least a dozen business owners and executives every year who are facing the same kinds of problems. The first thing they want to know is why their websites aren’t generating sales opportunities like they used to, especially if they’ve been using search engine optimization for years.
Every situation is different, but below are some of the common reasons we see search traffic dwindle or even dry up completely.
1. Google Has an Issue with Your Website
The most common reason for disappearing search traffic is a technical problem with a business website. Slow web hosting, broken links, and duplicate content can all cause Google to ignore your pages. Additionally, outdated plug-ins and other non-visible issues can cause you big search visibility headaches.
These kinds of problems can be difficult to identify with the naked eye, but a good web design team can audit your HTML to spot these issues and resolve them quickly.
2. Your Web Content is Stale
Google and the other search engines like fresh content. That’s because searchers are always looking for new ideas and posts. Does your website need a fresh new update? Does a more reputable website contain the same text as your website? Then your pages may not have much value as a search result.
This is another problem that’s best sorted out with a website audit. If stale content is the culprit, you might be able to improve your search visibility by posting new text, images, and video.
3. You’re Following an Old SEO Strategy
Google has released several major algorithm updates in the past few years, along with monthly tweaks and alterations to the way it ranks websites. And yet, we often hear from business owners who haven’t changed their approach to search engine optimization when it comes to search traffic in the past decade.
Are still reliant on old tactics like keyword stuffing and link- farming? There is no surprise that your SEO campaigns may stall. Likewise, if you aren’t taking advantage of the bonuses you get for having a fast and responsive website with SSL connections, it’s virtually assured you’ll fall behind your competitors.
4. You are Focusing on Outdated Search Phrases
In some cases a company’s approach to search engine optimization is fine, but they are aiming at the wrong targets because customers are searching for different terms or phrases. For example, in our business, “web design” used to be the top search term, but now many buyers look for “online marketing” instead.
Current keyword research should be the cornerstone of your search engine optimization campaign. If you and your web design team don’t do your homework you could end up chasing search terms that aren’t going to help you win new business.
5. Your Competition is Working Harder
Competition for the top search positions can be intense. If you have one of them – and are receiving hundreds of visits from potential customers through Google each week – then you can bet some competitor is working to eat your lunch.
If you get complacent with SEO it’s only a matter of time before someone else catches up. In some situations that can occur in a heartbeat, particularly if there are several companies with active SEO efforts on your heels. If you’re losing traffic because of their work it’s time to audit your website and then double down on creating more content, links, and engagement.
Is It Time to Bring Your Website and Online Marketing Plan Back to Life?
Usually, by the time you notice something is wrong with your website, the underlying issues are becoming urgent. The worst thing you can do is wait and hope things will get better on their own (they usually don’t).
If you need help turning things around, it’s time to generate a game plan that’s customized for your business and situation. Contact us today to set up a free consultation so we can review your website and strategy step-by-step.
At The Marcom Group, we know from experience that clients are best served when they can call one phone number for anything–which is why we own all of our own hosting equipment and have on-site staff ready to handle everything from design and development, to management and marketing, to the ongoing security maintenance and hosting of your website.