Every business’s website may experience a drop in traffic (i.e. visitors) at any given time. It’s surprising to say it, but that is a more normal occurrence than you may even realize. Some businesses sell better in certain seasons of the year than others; others may be experiencing maintenance issues that, once addressed and fixed, helps the traffic go back up.
What’s less than normal is if your business’s traffic is doing great one day, but then when you examine the analytics the day after, the traffic has dropped overnight! There are several reasons why a sudden decrease in traffic can happen, some more regularly than others.
Reason 1: Changes in SEO
Any change made to your SEO—even when it’s done for the sake of improving your website—can result in lowering your organic search traffic. This happens to everyone’s website and while it’s scary to see at first, it’s normal. Traffic is likely to go back up over time, but it does take exactly that—time. SEO is a gradual process, and change always has to occur in order to keep up with Google’s ever-fluctuating rules and regulations.
Google may also be responsible for your website traffic dipping, specifically:
Reason 2: Google’s New Algorithm
With every new algorithm update that Google releases comes a change of order in the results it presents. These updates don’t just impact your website either; they impact every website that was benefiting from high organic search traffic volume. So, any rank changes in search engines are one potential cause to look for.
Reason 3: Low Value Content
Content marketing is a great way to get traffic to your website. However, it has to be done correctly or it can drive people away as opposed to inviting them in. All too often we’ve seen companies create a high volume of content without even considering the value of that very content. Thankfully, this reason is one of the easier ones to spot—provided your audience isn’t finding it first!
Reason 4: Site Back-end Issues
Another one of the most common reasons your site traffic has dropped is a technical issue with the website itself. Slow loading speeds, pagination issues, poorly connected links, and extra-long times to be redirected can all accumulate into one bad site! If a technical bug or poorly designed feature from the back end is noticeable from the casual visitor’s perspective at the front, it will be the last time they decide your site is worth another visit.
Reason 5: The Wrong Metric is Being Considered
Your website is not the only source of traffic to your business. People will visit your Facebook page, your YouTube channel, and even your Google My Business profile without clicking on your website to contact you. There are lots more ways to interact with a brand than simply clicking on a website, which is why considering the insights and analytics of each of these platforms can help you better understand your digital footprint as well as determine real causes and issues.
Like every problem in life, whether it’s medical or technical, diagnosing the problem before you go applying a solution is the best way to determine what exactly is causing your site’s traffic to drop. Here’s the best way you can diagnose these top reasons that traffic dropped in the first place: simply ask your professionals at V3. If any traffic does drop, we’ll be the first to let you know and understand the reasoning why, especially if you’re already signed up with one of our plans. If you’re new to our services though and want some professional insight, then give us a call and let’s figure out together what needs to be done for your site.