You notice something strange when you check your rankings. Over the past few days, keywords have fluctuated between a few and several positions.
"But why?" You might be feeling your stress levels gradually rising, you wonder. This could be a sign of something more.
These are the reasons your keyword rankings may fluctuate. These factors are explained in detail. I also provide tips for troubleshooting SEO strategies if your rankings suddenly shift.
Let's take a look!
Why do keyword Rankings Fluctuate?
There are many factors that can influence every keyword. However, these seven reasons should be the most important in most cases.
Let's take a look at each one and discuss some characteristics you should look for in order to identify which factor may be in play if your rankings suddenly drop or rise.
Factors that can cause your keyword search rankings fluctuate:
Google algorithm updates often every day and occasionally over the course of a year. This is how Google updates their Algorithm ranking websites.
These updates are intended to improve Google's understanding of pages and their relevance - and to ultimately provide better and more targeted content for the user.
These updates allow Google to change the value it considers your website for every query it ranks for. Google can therefore judge your website as more valuable for certain queries and less valuable for others.
This is an example. Google may show your website for queries other than informational, if you rank high for these queries Google will often misunderstand the meaning of the query and display it for you.
Google updates their Algorithm with more information. This allows Google to determine if your site is not relevant for these queries.
The Algorithm then adjusts your keywords positions.
Other times, the Algorithm may introduce a more general update to ranking factors. Google, for example, can determine whether your web page has enough authority on a topic by determining how many backlinks it has in one update.
However, algorithmic updates that improve the Algorithm's understanding can result in you losing ranks for keywords you shouldn't be ranking for.
Google, among others, can determine that website speed is an important factor. You could lose your ranking if your website is slower than your competitors.
Is it an Algorithm Upgrade?
This pattern of behavior is most often observed in search engines during algorithmic updates.
You will see many keywords moving in one direction while others are moving in the opposite. You might notice that your blog articles are losing rank while landing pages or product pages are rising in rankings.
We don't understand why it behaves this way. Also, algorithm updates can happen on many aspects of the Algorithm.
And we cannot foresee exactly what the update will be about. Professional SEOs begin to reverse-engineer the updates shortly after it is released.
They are able to come up with logical conclusions and suggestions for improvements.
This has been the case for most updates so far. There are checklists that you can follow and steps to recover.
The best way to keep track of algorithm updates is to visit the major websites that cover the SEO industry. If you are unsure whether an algorithm update has been released (e.g., when your rankings suddenly change as described above), it is a good idea for you to visit SearchEngineJournal and SearchEngineLand.
Manual or Automatic Actions
Manual Actions are another reason your rankings could fluctuate, and in particular go down or disappear completely.
Google has thousands of employees that monitor the internet for scammers and other bad practices. They can rise quickly to the top of the search engine results pages.
They are Googles "get rich quick" police. They manually review any websites their algorithm flags as suspicious.
This is especially true for website owners who try to get many backlinks quickly in order to build trust for their site.
Google monitors signals like links and anchor text to identify bad practices.
Many people don't need to worry about manual actions. We are well-aware of how and when links are built and are therefore conscious of not destroying our site's authority.
Is it an Automated or Manual Action?
It's worth checking your Google Search Console account, especially if you are unsure, for any items listed under "Manual Actions." You can see if Google has penalized or not.
Google Servers Adjust
This happens most often when you publish a new post, but it can also happen for older posts. Google has thousands upon thousands of servers around the world.
Many of them are within reach, while others are farther away. It takes extreme engineering to get Google all servers to sync.
They have, fortunately, mastered this feat. Google may store your website on one server during the initial publishing of a page.
It is possible that you may "simply" open Google and be redirected to another Google server, which could cause your rankings to fluctuate.
This is how your user experience will be affected. It's best to not consider rankings as absolute numbers but as relative positions.
If you rank #10 you are likely to appear at the top of page 1 results or at the bottom of page 2.
This depends on the time of day and which servers you reach.
Similar to the above, if your search query ranks at the top, it is more likely that you are reaching as many people as possible.
These server fluctuations are normal and should be expected, especially for publishing new posts or around algorithm updates.
Are Google's Servers still Adapting?
To determine if there are any changes due to sync in the server, you can open Google on two different devices. You can, for example, Google your site using your mobile device/mobile users and then again from work via an incognito tab.
Google may be still updating its servers if you notice large changes, such as pages not appearing at all.
Your Content will be Constantly Updated
Your website's changes are an important factor in causing rankings fluctuations. Now, don't get me wrong. To avoid rankings fluctuations, you should not make site changes.
If your rankings are dropping for keywords that you once ranked well for, then it is time to make changes. However, if you rank high, there may be good reasons.
Users find your content relevant and useful, which is why you are at the top.
You will lose your ranking quickly if you don't comply with the strong user signals that tell Google your website is not satisfying.
Google will eventually record every modification you make to your website. Google will index any changes you make to your website, including changing your hosting provider or fixing page titles, URLs and content.
Google can consider all of these changes to be sufficient factors to change your rankings. This usually begins with a quick check of your page higher in the results.
Are there Website Changes?
Keep track of the dates you update or change parts of your website. This will help you determine if it is those factors or something else that causes your website rankings to fluctuate.
Websites of Competitors Changing
If you talk about manual actions, Google can suddenly penalize your bad behavior and website changes. The same scenario can also occur to your competitors.
All other factors can also affect them. This is why we conclude that even changes made by your competitors can have an impact on your rankings.
However, this does not mean that rankings will change. They can swing both ways, because your rankings could change over time.
Your rankings will fluctuate as a result. Other websites also change. Some websites get better while others become worse.
Some become extinct, while others are created. This is a good analogy for having a job. New colleagues are hired, while the old ones go.
Some colleagues become managers quickly, while others fall behind.
This is how it works - and why site rankings fluctuate.
Read More: 7 Important SEO Tips to Rank Your Digital Products
Are your Competitors Updating their Websites
Fluctuating rankings as a result of competitor changes are characterized by "nothing having happened," "you've not done anything," but rankings are still moving.
If this is the case and you've confirmed that no Google update is being released, it might be a good idea for you to look at your competition to see if their pages are more impressive than yours.
If they have updated their website and outranked you, it may be time to update yours.
You can also open the source codes of pages (normally, by pressing CTRL+U on Windows in Google Chrome), and you will be able to see the date that the page was published as well as the date it was last updated.
This will give you an idea of how recent changes to your rankings have affected them.
The last way to determine if your competitors are changing search rankings for a specific target keyword is by monitoring their performance on keywords.
It's similar to tracking keywords for your website, but it requires less setup. You can enter the website of your competitor and we will automatically benchmark their ranks based on your keywords.
Google is always Running Experiments
Last, but not least, Google is always running experiments - even though there aren't any algorithmic updates. Google is constantly testing new websites to rank higher in search results because so many people create new content every day.
It could be websites from other people or your website. You might notice a spike in Search Console when you publish a new blog post.
This is because Google indexes it at a certain time. Google uses user signals to rank the page for the most relevant queries.
This can also be true for competitors' websites. For example, smaller or larger websites could publish or update content strategies that target the same keywords as you do.
In this way, they temporarily outrank you in search queries that Google is testing.- Is it a Google experiment
Although there's no way to know if Google was testing something, you can see how many impressions you have in Google Search Console.
You may notice spikes or changes in the usual pattern of your Search Console stats. This could indicate that Google was temporarily testing websites.
Personalize your Search
Google personalizes the search results according to your search history. If you notice a difference when searching for your website in your browser, it is most likely that Google is personalizing them.
It's possible to see personalized results in Incognito mode, as Google holds a lot of information about your website.
Are you Getting Personalized Results?
It's best to use a rank tracker tool or a free rank checker that can use a new IP to provide you with as neutral results as possible.
A 3rd-party tool can help you avoid personalization in Google.
Rankings Fluctuate due to Competition
The most important factor in the change in search rankings is the lack of competition. You might fall to the second or third place if you're at the top.
This could be due to factors such as traffic spikes, another website ranking higher than yours, content that is easier to understand and read, and many other factors.
You will face more competition and minor changes can have a significant impact on your rankings. Google updates its elements frequently, so even publishing new content can cause a slight shift in rankings, up or down.
You can make your content more Google-friendly.
This Site or its Content is Brand New
A new website or piece of content is like a fresher in corporate life. He must learn new skills and persevere to get to the top.
Google drops your content from the search results. Keyword ranking is an indicator of new content. It can go up or down depending on whether it meets the current search engine ranking criteria and answers all queries.
Google Algorithm Changes
Google updates its Algorithm frequently, probably even daily. Manual tweaks and adjustments are done almost daily.
Large updates are made nearly every two weeks, sometimes every few hours. While minor changes are made every day, larger changes are made as needed.
These updates are called Panda, Penguin Hummingbird Mobilegeddon, Fred, Hummingbird, Mobilegeddon and Hummingbird.
Each update is reviewed and approved by Google. Only then is it infused into the Google index. Sometimes, larger changes can take several weeks or even months to settle in.
This affects all sorts of rankings and the keyword rankings for various websites. A SEO company can help you make these changes and keep your website updated.
Sudden Competition
Keyword rankings can be affected by sudden changes in competition. Any sudden competitor could shake up the internet.
There are thousands upon thousands of new websites being launched every day. This means that thousands of content creators can create unique and nerve-wracking content each day that could pose a threat to your ranking.
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Sudden Trends
Rankings will change quickly if something is new and interesting to the audience. It could be news that is shocking, a topic of great interest, something new, or something that has suddenly risen on the internet.
Trends can cause a sudden drop in your keyword rankings.
Temporary Interest
The website's content creators and marketers come up with exciting new deals every day or seasonally. People are tempted by it and fall in love with it.
However, within days the trends begin to drop and people stop being interested in it. Your keyword rankings can be affected by what people like and how sudden it is.
Search Engine Penalty
You can be penalized if you break a Google restriction. Google will notify you if you break a rule in your search console.
If you do, you can be assessed for a penalty. It is difficult and time-consuming to overcome a penalty for search engine optimization.
You should be aware that violating a regulation could affect your keyword ranking.
These are the main factors that affect your keyword ranking.
It can drop sometimes, and rise occasionally. It all depends on Google's mood. Take steps to improve your ranking and use smart strategies.
But don't forget about the unpredicted factors like Google Algorithms or SEO attacks from some morons.
Negative SEO Attacks
A negative SEO attack can wreck your search ranking at most temporarily, until Google discovers the cause and stops ignoring all negative links.
If you notice a drop in search rankings but don't see any changes in your search console, or if there is no sign of a major change in search algorithms, then check your backlink profile.
It is possible that someone has set up a campaign to spam you with spam links.
You can usually remove the links from these cases and get your old ranking back. These fluctuations are normal, as long as Google continues to determine whether you are doing it or not.
People buy spam links from others willingly. This kind of action should be enough to cause a site to go under.
Compromised Sites
A site that has been compromised can cause a dramatic change in search rankings. Hackers can cause a dramatic shift in search ranking by hacking into your site.
This will not only affect your search ranking, but also other aspects. The hackers must be removed from your site.
You also need to secure it again and improve security to close any holes that allowed them in. Finally, you will need to determine if any user data was stolen.
Once you have addressed all the issues, you can start to take care of your search ranking.
Advertising: Stopping or Starting
Paid advertising can have a negative impact on your organic SEO. Your site's ranking can be affected if you have too many ads.
Bad congruence between ads and landing pages can cause you to lose your ranking. Good ads can increase traffic which can lead to more clicks and links, which are excellent organic indicators.
Ads on social media/social networks can help you get more links, traffic and social proof.
All of these are generally positive. It can make a huge difference to start or stop ads, especially high volume/search volume ads.
You will see fluctuations almost every time you make a change to your ranking. Do not worry about fluctuations that only last a few days.
Instead, think about the trends that can carry over for weeks or months.
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Conclusion
Your SEO methods/seo professionals can make a huge impact on your rank. While your ranking may fluctuate and settle in a new place, it will change, either stop, or modify them.
This could be anything, from new keywords and guest posting strategies to site redesigns to link audits. Your ranking will fluctuate if you make any changes or do anything that impacts SEO.
This is normal and should be expected. Once Google has established the cause and whereabouts of your ranking fluctuations, it will settle down.
The California-based online giant Google saw an operating income of over 28.7 billion US dollars in the first quarter of 2024, up from about 21.9 billion US dollars in the previous fiscal quarter, according to Statista.
