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At some point, every business has experienced that sinking feeling of seeing their website traffic drop off a cliff overnight. You then refresh the analytics page 10x, but all to no avail. No, it wasn’t just a glitch. It’s at this point you realise that you’ll need to find a way to recover from a Google algorithm update. Now, if this sounds like a familiar scenario, we understand how it can feel personal. After all, you’ve done everything right up to this point and suddenly it’s like all your efforts were for nothing. However, it’s important to view these updates, not as a form of punishment, but rather an adjustment to help Google show more trustworthy content. With a few calm and honest tweeks, it’s easily possible to not only recover, but go on to thrive.

Understanding What Actually Changed

Before hitting the panic button, we suggest you take a closer look to see what type of update has been implemented. Sometimes, it’s a massive update that seems to have affected every site. Yet at other times, it might be smaller tweaks that target specific areas of a website. Things like thin content or spam. In order to recover from a Google algorithm update you need to understand what it was designed to fix. Don’t make the mistake of guessing too soon. Wait for Google to announce its reasoning before you start deleting stuff in the dark.

Analyze the Impact on Your Site

As numbers don’t lie, this is a good place to start your analysis. First, head over to Google Search Console or your Analytics to see which of your pages have lost the most traffic. Use up-to-date SEO services to look for patterns such as a specific category, topic or type of page. Sometimes, you’ll discover that only older pages were hit simply because Google was looking for fresh, as opposed to stale, content. In such a case, by updating to fresher content, with improved readability, you’ll see your ranking start to creep back up. Remember, that you shouldn’t take a Google update personally. As such, remain curious as to why it happened.

Check for Content Quality Issues

Though you might have worked hard at producing great content, you need to ask yourself, is my content genuinely helping people? This is because Google likes to reward those sites that provide real value, with content that’s both authentic and credible. One of the major keys to recover from a Google algorithm update is to clean up any thin content. This includes repetitive and outdated pages. Though you might be proud of some blog posts, it’s essential to consider whether they actually offer real insights. Obviously, no one wants to throw away hard work. But getting rid of fluff and irrelevant content will only improve your site in the eyes of Google. The bottom line is that if something isn’t serving your audience, it either needs to go or be rewritten.

Reevaluate Your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

This fancy looking acronym is really about showing you know your stuff and care about your readers. As previously mentioned, Google is happiest highlighting content from web content creation services that’s both credible and authentic. So, begin by adding your name to the article or blog post. Talk about real experiences or examples in the first person. Make sure you link to reputable sources that support your points. This will help readers relate to you, and when they do, you can be sure that Google will take notice.

Improve User Experience and Site Performance

A slow website full of clutter or a messy mobile experience is a sure-fire way to get demoted by Google. Remember, that people are impatient and tend to click away within a couple of seconds. Worse, is that Google is quick to pick up on that. At the end of the day, Google wants your site to feel smooth to use. To that end, ensure you properly compress any images, fix broken links, and clean up any clutter. It’s well worth the time and effort to fix slow-loading pages as this will produce instant results in bounce rates. None of these tweaks are technical in nature, yet can produce dramatic results over time.

Use a Google Algorithm Update to Audit Your Backlink Profile

Although every website needs links, don’t assume that all links are good. Without realising it, you might have picked spammy or irrelevant links that do more damage to your reputation than help. To recover from a Google algorithm update, be sure to review where your website’s links come from. You may well find shady links from random blogs with nothing to do with your topic. Or even outdated or dead links will hurt you. We suggest focussing on local links from creditable sources. This can be done via guest posts or partnerships. Once cleaned up, you should start to notice that traffic begins to climb. 

Strengthen On-Page SEO and Internal Structure

Now we’re heading back to the basics of website building. Things like titles, headings, and meta descriptions should really describe what’s happening on the page. You might be surprised to discover that simply rewriting headings can lead to improvements in ranking. Likewise, be sure to fix your internal links. Also make sure related articles point to each other naturally. In some ways, you can view your site as a small town. Everything should be easy to reach from anywhere. This means having a clear structure. Not only will this encourage people to stay for longer, but also send the right signals to Google.

Monitor, Adapt, and Stay Informed

If you’ve done everything right to recover from a Google algorithm update, you still need to be patient. As an experienced digital marketing agency, we can tell you that recovery doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it can take weeks or even months to see the results of your updates and fixes. Nevertheless, if you keep checking your website data, you should start seeing gradual progress. Make sure you remain consistent and informed. It’s a good idea to follow Google’s own Search Central blog. In addition, we suggest making a spreadsheet of your changes so you can keep track of what works and what doesn’t. 

Final Thought: Turning a Google Algorithm Update into a Strategy

Waking up to discover your traffic has fallen can feel like a punch in the gut. However, it’s essential not to take it personally. Use it as an opportunity to recheck your website from the bottom upwards. Aim to make it more honest and at the same time, a stronger platform. Take a deep breath, but don’t rush into making rash changes without as much data as possible. Remember that Google loves good content and a well-oiled website. If you can be as visitor-centric as possible, with as much genuinely helpful information, then within a few months, you’ll be once again riding high.