Podcast Summary: Grumpy SEO Guy – Episode 89: Why Your Website's SEO Position is Dropping (Part 1)
Host: Grumpy SEO Guy
Release Date: January 1, 2025
Duration: Approximately 19 minutes
Introduction
In Episode 89 of the Grumpy SEO Guy podcast, the host delves into a pressing concern for many website owners and SEO professionals: why a website's SEO position might be dropping. With over 14 years of experience running an SEO agency, the Grumpy SEO Guy offers actionable insights and strategies to help listeners navigate the often confusing landscape of search engine optimization.
Notable Quote:
"If you listen to this podcast, you will know more about how the SEO industry works than 99% of people on the planet."
— Grumpy SEO Guy [00:00]
Overview of SEO Ranking Factors
Before addressing the main topic, the host briefly references a prior episode (Episode 51) titled "The 4 Things You Need to Rank," emphasizing the foundational elements required for SEO success:
- Avoid Penalties
- Content Creation
- Authority Building
- Relevancy
Grumpy SEO Guy underscores that neglecting any of these factors can hinder a website's ability to rank effectively.
Notable Quote:
"There are only four. You can't rank with three of them. You can't rank with two of them. You can't rank with one of them. You need all four."
— Grumpy SEO Guy [01:56]
Reasons for SEO Ranking Drops
The core of the episode explores three primary reasons why a website may experience a decline in its SEO rankings:
1. Algorithm Updates
Search engines like Google frequently update their algorithms, which can significantly impact website rankings. These updates may alter the value of certain SEO tactics, potentially nullifying or even penalizing previously effective strategies.
- Impact on Authority: If a website loses authority due to its own SEO practices being devalued or because authoritative backlinks are lost (e.g., a high-authority site linking to you loses some of its authority), the website's overall authority diminishes, leading to lower rankings.
Notable Quote:
"If the algorithm changes, then the things that you were doing either count for more, the same, or less. And that can affect your ranking."
— Grumpy SEO Guy [05:39]
2. Competitors Enhancing Their SEO
SEO is a competitive arena where the performance is relative. If competitors improve their SEO efforts, your website may drop in rankings even if your SEO remains unchanged.
- Continuous Improvement: Success in SEO requires ongoing efforts. Every time a competitor outperforms you, your relative ranking suffers, akin to a race where maintaining the lead demands constant advancement.
Notable Quote:
"SEO is a competition, not a checklist. Every time you do better, somebody else has to do worse. And every time somebody else does better, you will do worse."
— Grumpy SEO Guy [08:15]
3. Penalties
Search engines may impose penalties on websites that violate their guidelines. These penalties can result in significant drops in rankings or removal from search results altogether.
- Negative SEO: The host mentions discussing negative SEO and its implications in a previous episode (Episode 2), which covers what penalties are, their causes, and recovery strategies.
Notable Quote:
"The third reason is you got a penalty. It's pretty clear. Go listen to episode two if you want to learn about the penalties that you will usually see."
— Grumpy SEO Guy [12:50]
Importance of SERPs as a Primary SEO Metric
Grumpy SEO Guy emphasizes that the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) position is the most critical metric in SEO. Other metrics like website traffic and impressions are considered secondary, as they are direct functions of SERP rankings and search volume.
- SERP Monitoring: Regular tracking of SERP positions is essential to gauge SEO effectiveness. Understanding shifts in rankings can help identify underlying issues or the impact of external factors like algorithm updates.
Notable Quote:
"The only SEO metric that matters at all is SERPs is your position. What position are you in?"
— Grumpy SEO Guy [15:12]
Tracking SERPs Effectively
To effectively monitor SERP positions, the host recommends using daily SERP tracking tools that present data in chart formats rather than tables. Charts facilitate quicker and more intuitive understanding of ranking trends over time.
- Recommended Tool: SerpFox (
serpfox.com) is highlighted as a reliable SERP tracking tool offering daily data and user-friendly charts.
Notable Quote:
"There are some SERP tracking tools that will give you weekly data. These are worthless. They will not help you."
— Grumpy SEO Guy [17:25]
- Visualization Preference: Charts are preferred over tables as they allow for rapid assessment of ranking movements without the cognitive load of interpreting numerical data.
Notable Quote:
"It is mind-blowing to me how many bad SERP tracking tools there are. Why would you use a table? Do you know how much longer it would take to get the information that you need from a table where you have to think about the numbers instead of just looking at a chart?"
— Grumpy SEO Guy [18:15]
Conclusion and Next Steps
Grumpy SEO Guy wraps up Episode 89 by reiterating the importance of understanding why SEO rankings may decline. He teases Part 2 of the episode, which will delve deeper into analyzing SERP chart data to diagnose specific issues related to ranking drops.
Call to Action:
- Subscribe and Review: Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast and leave reviews to support the show.
- Engage with the Host: Questions and topic suggestions can be submitted via Reddit or email.
- Support the Podcast: Patreon is available for those wishing to financially support the podcast.
Notable Quote:
"Join us next Wednesday when we talk about why your website's SEO position is dropping Part two and how to tell what's going on from using a SERP chart."
— Grumpy SEO Guy [19:32]
Key Takeaways
- Algorithm Updates: Stay informed about search engine algorithm changes and adapt SEO strategies accordingly to maintain ranking stability.
- Competitive SEO: Continuously improve your SEO efforts to stay ahead of competitors, as SEO success is relative and requires ongoing commitment.
- Avoid Penalties: Adhere to search engine guidelines to prevent penalties that can harm your website's visibility.
- Prioritize SERPs: Focus on monitoring SERP positions as the primary indicator of SEO performance, utilizing daily tracking tools with chart-based data visualization for effective analysis.
By addressing these factors, website owners can better understand and mitigate the reasons behind declining SEO rankings, ensuring sustained visibility and traffic from search engines.