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Lost Keyword Rankings? How to Identify & Fix the Problem

Losing keyword rankings can be devastating for your website’s traffic and revenue.

In a study conducted by Ahrefs, 90.63% of web pages get no organic traffic from Google, highlighting how competitive SEO is.

A similar SEMrush study found that 62% of websites experience ranking drops after Google algorithm updates, while 38% suffer losses due to technical SEO issues.

If your rankings have suddenly dropped, don’t panic. This guide will help you identify the root cause and provide actionable fixes to recover your positions.

How to Identify & Fix Lost Keyword Rankings

1. Check for Google Algorithm Updates

Google rolls out hundreds of updates annually, some of which can significantly impact rankings.

How to identify:

  • Use tools like Google Search Console to track ranking declines.
  • Check SEO news sites or Google’s Search Liaison Twitter for update announcements.

Example:
After the Helpful Content Update (2023), many AI-generated or low-quality pages lost rankings. Websites that improved content depth and expertise recovered.

Fix:

  • Analyze if your content aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guidelines.
  • Remove or rewrite thin content.

2. Assess Technical SEO Issues

Technical problems can cause sudden ranking drops.

How to identify:

  • Run a site audit using Screaming Frog or SEMrush.
  • Check for:
    • Crawl errors (404 pages, broken links)
    • Slow page speed (use PageSpeed Insights)
    • Mobile usability issues
    • Indexing problems (blocked by robots.txt or noindex tags)

Example:
An e-commerce site lost rankings because its category pages were accidentally set to “noindex”—fixing this restored visibility.

Fix:

  • Ensure all key pages are indexable.
  • Improve Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS).
  • Fix broken internal links.

3. Analyze Competitor Changes

Your competitors may have overtaken you with better strategies.

How to identify:

  • Use Ahrefs or SpyFu to track competitors’ backlinks and content updates.
  • Compare their on-page SEO (better headings, keyword usage, multimedia).

Example:
A blog lost rankings because competitors added video tutorials—incorporating videos improved dwell time and rankings.

Fix:

  • Strengthen backlinks (outreach for high-authority links).
  • Improve content with better formatting, examples, and multimedia.

4. Review On-Page SEO Factors

Poor on-page optimization can hurt rankings.

How to identify:

  • Check if:
    • Title tags & meta descriptions are missing or weak.
    • Keyword stuffing or unnatural content exists.
    • Content is outdated (e.g., “Best smartphones in 2020”).

Example:
A tech site lost rankings because its meta titles were too generic—rewriting them with target keywords improved CTR and rankings.

Fix:

  • Optimize title tags (include primary keyword, under 60 chars).
  • Update old content with fresh data.
  • Add FAQ sections and structured data for rich snippets.

5. Investigate Backlink Loss or Toxic Links

Lost backlinks or spammy links can harm rankings.

How to identify:

  • Use Ahrefs’ Lost Backlinks report.
  • Check for toxic links in Google Search Console’s Manual Actions.

Example:
A site lost rankings after a high-authority backlink was removed—replacing it with guest posts on similar sites helped recovery.

Fix:

  • Disavow toxic links using Google’s Disavow Tool.
  • Build new high-quality backlinks via guest blogging, HARO, or skyscraper technique.

6. Check for Core Web Vitals & UX Issues

Google prioritizes user experience (UX).

How to identify:

Example:
A news site lost rankings due to poor mobile responsiveness—switching to a faster, mobile-optimized theme improved rankings.

Fix:

  • Optimize images (use WebP format).
  • Reduce server response time (upgrade hosting if needed).
  • Improve navigation for better UX.

7. Look for Manual Penalties

Google may penalize sites for black-hat SEO tactics.

How to identify:

  • Check Google Search Console → Manual Actions.
  • Look for unnatural link schemes or cloaking.

Example:
A site using PBNs (Private Blog Networks) was penalized—removing spammy links and submitting a reconsideration request fixed the issue.

Fix:

  • Remove or disavow bad links.
  • Submit a reconsideration request if penalized.

Outro: Key Takeaways & Recovery Plan

Losing rankings isn’t permanent—most drops can be fixed with a structured approach.

Action Plan to Recover Rankings:

✅ Audit for algorithm updates – Stay informed about Google changes.
✅ Fix technical SEO – Improve site speed, mobile UX, and indexability.
✅ Enhance on-page SEO – Optimize titles, content, and internal linking.
✅ Monitor backlinks – Remove toxic links and build high-quality ones.
✅ Improve Core Web Vitals – Speed up your site for better rankings.

Pro Tip: Track progress using Google Analytics & Search Console—ranking recovery can take weeks or months, so be patient and persistent.

By systematically diagnosing and fixing the issue, you can regain lost rankings and even surpass your previous performance.

Need help?

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