Oct 6, 20237 min read

Why is My Website Traffic Going Down? - [9 Potential Reasons]

Updated: Sep 17

Why is My Website Traffic Going Down?:

Worried about website traffic down? Seriously anxious thinking about 'why is my website traffic dropping?'. Don't worry; this blog post covers everything you need to know.

There could be several reasons why your website traffic is going down, and in fact, things can vary from website to website.

It's important to investigate and address these issues to improve your website's performance.

The nine most likely causes of the drop in website traffic are discussed below, so you may make plans to fix them. Also, don't forget to read FAQs at the end.

Website Traffic Dropping:

1. Technical SEO Issues:

Start by checking if there are any technical issues with your website. Make sure your website is accessible, loads quickly, and is mobile-friendly.

Issues like broken links, server errors, or outdated plugins can negatively impact your site's visibility and user experience (UX). Make sure a thorough technical SEO audit is conducted.

Causes for Drops in Organic Search Traffic:

2. Algorithm Changes:

Search engines like Google frequently update their algorithms to provide users with the most relevant and high-quality content. If your website's ranking has dropped suddenly, it could be due to an algorithm update.

Stay updated with the latest SEO trends and make necessary adjustments to your website accordingly.

It is advisable to wait for a minimum of one month to observe the website traffic trends before making any additional decisions, as there are instances where the situation may reverse.

Fix for website pages that may perform well after Google Update — Image Content Source - Semrush

3. Content Quality:

Evaluate the quality of your website's content. Is it engaging, informative, and well-structured? Poorly written or irrelevant content can discourage visitors from staying on your site and coming back for more.

Ensure that your content is unique, valuable, and optimized for relevant keywords. To increase your chances of ranking, adhere to Google's EEAT content quality requirements.

If necessary, consider deleting obsolete or unhelpful content.

Explore opportunities to refresh your content with new insights, stats, data, and firsthand visual experiences to enhance user engagement and establish authority.

Content Quality as per Google:

4. Competitor Analysis:

Analyze your competitor's websites to see if they have made any significant changes that might be attracting your audience away from your site.

Look for new features, improved user experiences, or better content strategies you can learn from and implement on your website.

5. Backlink Profile:

Review your backlink profile to determine if there have been any negative changes. Low-quality or spammy backlinks can harm your website's reputation and lead to a drop in traffic.

Disavow any toxic backlinks (avoid doing this as best as possible) and focus on building high-quality, relevant links from reputable sources.

If your website naturally earns backlinks, although other strategies are available, you can expect to see positive results gradually.

Expert's recent views on backlinks:

quality backlinks, quality content over quantity of backlinks — Image Content Source - Search Engine Land

6. Social Media Strategy:

Evaluate your social media presence and strategy. Are you actively engaging with your audience? Are you sharing valuable content on social media platforms?

A strong social media presence can drive traffic to your website and increase brand awareness.

Remember - “Many hands make light work, and one way to get more people involved in spreading your content is to put social sharing links on post pages” – Siege Media

7. Seasonal Fluctuations:

Some industries experience seasonal fluctuations in traffic. For example, a website selling summer clothing may see a decline in traffic during the winter months.

Take into account any seasonal patterns that may affect your website's traffic based on your specific business niche or business model. You may check Google Trends data to support your efforts.

“What’s trending today might be obsolete tomorrow. By keeping an eye on seasonal fluctuations and emerging trends, you can position your content to ride the wave of popularity while also avoiding dated or fading topics” – Search Engine Land

8. User Experience:

Consider the overall user experience on your website. Is it easy to navigate? Are there clear calls to action [CTAs]? Are site pages loading fast? Have you made any website redesign recently?

A positive user experience can encourage visitors to spend more time on your site and explore further. The more they stay, the better engagement, and also reduce the bounce rates.

Do you know? - "In an era where competition is fierce, a seamless and enjoyable user experience can set your digital presence apart from the rest” – Greenspeake C&S

9. Manual Action from Google:

Regularly review the status of manual action reports in your Google Search Console (GSC).

This will help identify any issues that Google may have detected on your site, potentially violating Google's Search guidelines or policies. If so, examine them and take corrective actions as early as possible.

Pro-Tip: Analyze your website's analytics data [GA-4] to identify any patterns or trends that may explain the decline in traffic.

Look at metrics such as bounce rate, average session duration, traffic sources, most and least engaged pages, conversion rates, and any others to gain insights into user behavior.

Spending some time on analytics helps you to make informed decisions because the data doesn't lie!

“Strong topical authority improves search performance, as Google trusts authoritative sources and ranks them higher in its search engine results pages (SERPs)” – Semrush

So, remember that improving website traffic is an ongoing process that requires continuous SEO monitoring and optimization.

By looking into these potential issues and implementing effective strategies, you can gradually improve your website's visibility and attract more visitors over time.

Additionally, it's important to understand that taking such actions may not yield immediate results in terms of website traffic.

It typically requires some time [a few days to a few months] for traffic to return to its normal levels.

Currently, some bloggers, publishers, and website owners affected by the Google updates of September 2023 and March 2024 are yet to recover.

Predicting AI's Impact on Website Search Traffic:

In conclusion, when your website traffic takes a dip, it's essential to diagnose and resolve the underlying issues promptly.

With strategic efforts and monitoring, you can regain your website's momentum and continue to drive success online. Patience is definitely a must.

Here's an information that you may find helpful – Is Digital Marketing Safe?

FAQs:

Why My Website is Not Getting Traffic?:

Your website may not be getting traffic due to atleast one or more of the following reasons:

SEO issues or poor content optimization,
Low-quality content or thin content,
Lack of promotion or content distribution,
Technical problems,
Higher competition in your niche,
Ineffective keywords,
Weak social media presence,
Poor mobile compatibility,
Lack of quality backlinks, or
Not reaching your target audience effectively or poor understanding of the target market.

Should You Optimize a Single Page for Multiple Keywords?:

Yes, you should optimize a single page for multiple keywords. This helps improve content visibility and rank better. But make sure to avoid keyword stuffing.

What is the Approximate Number of Google’s Ranking Factors?:

Google uses over 200 ranking factors to determine search result positions. These factors include content quality, user experience (UX), backlinks, site speed, mobile-friendliness, and many others.

While the exact number and weighting of these factors are not publicly disclosed, SEO experts generally agree that at least 200 elements are influencing Google's ranking algorithms.

How to Check SEO Ranking of a Website?:

You can check the SEO ranking of a website through a manual Google search, external SEO tools, or Google Search Console (GSC).

“Content is essential to driving organic traffic to your website, but you need to adjust your strategy as times change, content loses relevancy, and topics get more competitive. Your site is never finished, and needs continuous attention to make sure it’s at its best” – Conductor

What’s the First Step in the Search Engine Optimization Process for Your Website?:

The first step in the search engine optimization process for your website should be doing detailed keyword research based on your business niche.

Which Element of a Website do Search Engines value the Most?:

The aspect or element of a website that search engines do value the most is content quality.

What Impact do Meta and Title Tags have on the Search Engine?:

Meta and title tags significantly impact search engine optimization (SEO):

Title tags: Primary factor in determining page topic; displayed in search results.
Meta description: Influences click-through rates (CTR); provides a summary in search results.

Both help search engines understand page content and relevance to user queries.

What is the Most Important Thing to consider when Optimizing a Search Engine Marketing Campaign?:

The most important thing to consider when optimizing a search engine marketing campaign is relevance.

Yes, ensure your keywords, ad copy, and landing pages align closely with user intent and search queries to improve quality score, click-through rates, and conversions.

When Planning Your Website, What is One of the Key Things You Should Consider?:

When planning your website, one of the key things you should consider is optimizing your website thoroughly by conducting detailed SEO keyword research tailored to your business niche, while also analyzing your competitors.

What Best Practice will Encourage People to Link Back to Your Website?:

The best practice that will encourage people to link back to your website is to create helpful, high-quality, unique content, backed by research.

What are Three Key Considerations when Evaluating Keywords for Search Engine Optimization?:

The three key considerations when evaluating keywords for search engine optimization are:

Search volume: Popularity and frequency of searches per month.
Relevance: Alignment with your content and user intent.
Competition: Difficulty of ranking for the keyword.

How can Businesses Benefit from using Analytics on their Website?:

Here is how businesses can benefit from using analytics on their website:

“Align SEO and CRO goals in your marketing strategy. So you are more likely to increase organic traffic. And conversion rates” – Semrush

When Should You Consider Updating your SEO Plan?:

You should consider updating your SEO plan under the following circumstances:

Algorithm changes.
Shifting market trends.
Competitor actions.
Website redesigns.
New business goals.
Performance decline.

Regular reviews (quarterly better or at least annually) ensure the strategy remains effective.

Here's related information that you may also find helpful – How to Increase Traffic to a Website? [7 Proven Successful Strategies]

P.S: Ready to [unlock the power of digital marketing] and drive [your] business forward? – Access my forum today

P.S.S: Please don’t forget to forward this blog post to your network so they can get the best tips, practices, strategies, education, resources, and tools to help their businesses grow [sharing is caring].