Experienced SEO professionals can find themselves confused by the fluctuations in search engine results page (SERP) rankings. Sometimes a page that was on page one can suddenly disappear from search results, only to reappear again in a few weeks. This is known as SERP volatility, and it can seriously impact a business’s online visibility if they are not prepared to manage it.
To effectively deal with SERP volatility, decision-makers must understand its key concepts and implement best practices. SERP volatility is often caused by algorithm updates or changes in competitors’ online marketing strategies and can result in decreased organic traffic and search visibility.
What is SERP volatility?
SERP volatility refers to frequent and significant fluctuations in the rankings of pages on search engine results pages (SERPs). These changes are often caused by algorithm updates or competitors’ online marketing pivots. Such volatility can lead to a decrease in search visibility and organic traffic to affected pages. Businesses that rely on organic search engine traffic must understand and manage SERP volatility to prevent losses of valuable website visitors and decreased revenue.
Factors affecting SERPs
Several factors can cause SERP volatility. These factors include changes in search engine algorithms, shifting emphasis on different types of content, new competitors entering the market, and the creation of similar content by many users. SERP volatility is often an indicator that Google has changed its algorithm, and SEOs who monitor it notice shifts in rankings.
Google frequently rolls out algorithm updates, some of which cause significant fluctuations in search engine results. For example, the Helpful Content update and the October Spam update in 2022 caused much SERP volatility. The former prioritized content created for humans by humans, while the latter discounted spammy content that was aimed only at ranking.
If a page has been negatively impacted by an algorithm update, researching the update can help identify the factors Google looked at. Website owners can compare the best practices recommended by Google against their website’s content strategy to recapture some of their search visibility. For example, if thin content that was not helpful to people caused a decrease in traffic after the Helpful Content update, a change in content strategy could help.
Changes in user behavior & search queries
Google is constantly refining its interpretation of search queries to provide the best experience for searchers. This means that search intent may shift, leading to changes in search results. For instance, if Google detects that searches for a particular keyword are seeking transactional pages rather than information, it may shuffle up the search results to test its hypothesis. If you notice a mix of informational blog posts and service pages in the search results for your targeted keyword, this could indicate that Google is trying to determine the search intent of the keyword, leading to continued changes in keyword rank.
Keeping an eye on competitors’ Content Updates
You may see a drop in rankings for particular keywords if your competitors publish new, high-quality content or improve their existing content. This can impact how well your pages rank, particularly if they are targeting the same keywords. If you notice that only certain keywords are affected, search for them to see if there is new content that could knock your posts down a notch.
Fix technical issues on your website
Technical SEO issues such as broken links, redirect chains, and slow page speed times can impact both rankings and the user experience. While technical errors may initially appear as SERP volatility, continued low rankings could indicate a need for a technical SEO audit. This will enable us to identify and fix any issues that may be holding your website back.
Rich SERP features
SERP features such as featured snippets, knowledge graphs, and people asking questions can impact where your pages rank in search results. Recently, Google has been testing out more and more features, which could result in high-ranking pages dropping a few places. Even though there may not be much you can do about this, you can capture the featured snippet or be highlighted in the people also ask section.
Tracking SERP volatility to understand ranking gains and losses
To identify SERP volatility and monitor changes in keyword rank over time, it’s imperative to track and monitor your keywords regularly.
Monitoring SERP rankings
You can regularly monitor a website’s performance to maintain its ranking on search engine results. You can track keyword performance over time with tools such as:
Experienced SEO professionals can find themselves confused by the fluctuations in search engine results page (SERP) rankings. Sometimes a page that was on page one can suddenly disappear from search results, only to reappear again in a few weeks. This is known as SERP volatility, and it can seriously impact a business’s online visibility if they are not prepared to manage it.
To effectively deal with SERP volatility, decision-makers must understand its key concepts and implement best practices. SERP volatility is often caused by algorithm updates or changes in competitors’ online marketing strategies and can result in decreased organic traffic and search visibility.
What is SERP volatility?
SERP volatility refers to frequent and significant fluctuations in the rankings of pages on search engine results pages (SERPs). These changes are often caused by algorithm updates or competitors’ online marketing pivots. Such volatility can lead to a decrease in search visibility and organic traffic to affected pages. Businesses that rely on organic search engine traffic must understand and manage SERP volatility to prevent losses of valuable website visitors and decreased revenue.
Factors affecting SERPs
Several factors can cause SERP volatility. These factors include changes in search engine algorithms, shifting emphasis on different types of content, new competitors entering the market, and the creation of similar content by many users. SERP volatility is often an indicator that Google has changed its algorithm, and SEOs who monitor it notice shifts in rankings.
Google frequently rolls out algorithm updates, some of which cause significant fluctuations in search engine results. For example, the Helpful Content update and the October Spam update in 2022 caused much SERP volatility. The former prioritized content created for humans by humans, while the latter discounted spammy content that was aimed only at ranking.
If a page has been negatively impacted by an algorithm update, researching the update can help identify the factors Google looked at. Website owners can compare the best practices recommended by Google against their website’s content strategy to recapture some of their search visibility. For example, if thin content that was not helpful to people caused a decrease in traffic after the Helpful Content update, a change in content strategy could help.
Changes in user behaviour & search queries
Google is constantly refining its interpretation of search queries to provide the best experience for searchers. This means that search intent may shift, leading to changes in search results. For instance, if Google detects that searches for a particular keyword are seeking transactional pages rather than information, it may shuffle up the search results to test its hypothesis. If you notice a mix of informational blog posts and service pages in the search results for your targeted keyword, this could indicate that Google is trying to determine the search intent of the keyword, leading to continued changes in keyword rank.
Keeping an eye on competitors’ Content Updates
You may see a drop in rankings for particular keywords if your competitors publish new, high-quality content or improve their existing content. This can impact how well your pages rank, particularly if they are targeting the same keywords. If you notice that only certain keywords are affected, search for them to see if there is new content that could knock your posts down a notch.
Fix technical issues on your website
Technical SEO issues such as broken links redirect chains, and slow page speed times can impact both rankings and the user experience. While technical errors may initially appear as SERP volatility, continued low rankings could indicate a need for a technical SEO audit. This will enable us to identify and fix any issues that may be holding your website back.
Rich SERP features
SERP features such as featured snippets, knowledge graphs, and people asking questions can impact where your pages rank in search results. Recently, Google has been testing out more and more features, which could result in high-ranking pages dropping a few places. Even though there may not be much you can do about this, you can capture the featured snippet or be highlighted in the people also ask section.
Tracking SERP volatility to understand ranking gains and losses
To identify SERP volatility and monitor changes in keyword rank over time, it’s imperative to track and monitor your keywords regularly.
Monitoring SERP rankings
You can regularly monitor a website’s performance to maintain its ranking on search engine results. You can track keyword performance over time with tools such as:
- Mangools: A suite of SEO tools including keyword research, rank tracking, and backlink analysis.
- Google Grump: A tool that tracks fluctuations in Google’s search algorithm and provides insights into potential ranking changes.
- Algoroo: Another tool for tracking Google algorithm updates and changes to search results.
- Cognitive SEO: A suite of SEO tools including content optimization, link analysis, and site auditing.
- Mozcast: A tool that tracks the “weather” patterns of Google’s search algorithm, indicating potential changes or updates.
- Rank Ranger: A suite of SEO tools including rank tracking, site auditing, and backlink analysis.
- Semrush (with Volatility Sensor feature): A suite of SEO and digital marketing tools including keyword research, site auditing, and competitor analysis. The Volatility Sensor feature tracks changes in SERP rankings and provides alerts for significant fluctuations.
- Serpwoo: A tool for tracking SERP rankings and changes over time, with a focus on local and national search results.
Furthermore, you can compare the performance of different keywords to determine which ones are losing or gaining momentum. You will be able to identify any fluctuations in SERP rankings quickly this way.
Analysing Traffic and Engagement Metrics
Another way to identify SERP volatility is to look for spikes and dips in organic search traffic and engagement metrics. Ranking drops lead to fewer visitors, clicks, and conversions. Consistently tracking your traffic and engagement metrics will help you spot changes caused by algorithm updates and competing content.
Best Practices for Managing SERP Volatility
Staying up to date
SEO news sites like Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land report both confirmed and unconfirmed Google updates. Knowing that your website is not the only one affected can help alleviate fears and provide guidance regarding the effects of particular updates. Participating in forums and communities is also an excellent way to gain insights from others in the same field.
Crafting high-quality content
Creating high-quality, relevant, and helpful content is an effective way to stay ahead of SERP volatility. Quality and relevance should be at the forefront of your content creation strategy. Investing in optimization techniques like keyword research, metadata optimization, and internal linking will help you improve your chances of ranking well. Following SEO best practices when implementing your content strategy can help protect it from SERP variability.
Regularly auditing your site for issues
Auditing your site regularly is critical for uncovering issues that may impact performance. Addressing technical issues should be a recurring task on your digital marketing calendar. While an SEO audit takes a small investment in time, it will pay off in terms of improved organic visibility. Regular content audits and competitor analyses can also help you maintain and grow your search visibility while minimizing the impact of SERP volatility.
Keeping your SEO strategy up-to-date
Keeping up with SERP volatility requires proper planning and maintenance of your SEO strategy. Continually updating and adjusting your SEO as needed will help you pinpoint parts of your strategy that need to be improved, deprioritized, or escalated. Using data-driven insights and regularly tracking and evaluating your site’s performance will help you ensure that your strategy is robust.
Working with an SEO agency
Partnering with an SEO agency like Victorious can help businesses remain agile and proactive with their SEO strategies. Victorious can identify where SERP volatility is impacting search engine rankings and develop effective strategies for minimizing further volatility and creating sustainable SEO success over time. With expert guidance, website owners can rest easy knowing that their website performs at its absolute best while staying ahead of the competition.
In recap, SERP volatility can cause anxiety and stress for website owners. However, by monitoring keyword performance, analysing traffic and engagement metrics, staying up to date, creating high-quality content, regularly auditing your site, updating your SEO strategy as needed, and partnering with an SEO agency, you can manage SERP volatility effectively and achieve sustainable SEO success over time.