The Google core update of August 2024 caused a decline in organic search traffic for many websites. While some sites performed better, many others experienced a decrease in visibility. It is essential to understand how this update has impacted traffic, rankings, and organic performance.
Establishing traffic counts
When there is a decline in search traffic, it is important to first identify the cause. This can vary depending on the type of website, target market, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Investigating site-wide trends such as traffic, conversions, and content health provides valuable insights. Additionally, analyzing specific pages that have been most affected is crucial to determine where the largest losses are occurring.
In many cases, a decline in organic traffic may also be related to changes in the search results pages (SERP), such as the rise of new players like Reddit or AI Overviews, which have gained a larger share of search queries. As a result, traditional websites lose visibility, even if their content remains relevant.
Analysis of content and technical SEO
The health of content plays a significant role in SEO performance. Utilizing tools like Screaming Frog to identify near-duplicates and technical SEO issues can aid in improving search results. For many websites, a review of internal links, content structure, and the use of structured data is necessary to perform better in search results.
Additionally, a decline in traffic can be caused by a misinterpretation of search intent. Aligning content with user expectations, such as providing multiple options on template pages, can make a substantial difference in performance.
Quick improvements and strategic adjustments
To quickly restore search traffic, it is important to focus on quick wins. These can be small adjustments, such as improving content quality according to E-E-A-T guidelines (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) and implementing schema markup to increase visibility in the SERP.
Long-term strategies must take into account the changing search results, such as the role of AI and user-generated content. Reevaluating keywords and expanding SEO metrics to include brand KPIs and micro-conversions are essential for continuing to achieve success in the future.
This overall approach demonstrates that with the right optimizations and a strategic focus, lost search traffic after a Google core update can be effectively restored.