Navigating a Traffic Crisis: A Case Study on SEO and Site Audits
In the realm of digital content, a sudden drop in website traffic can be a daunting experience, especially when your site once enjoyed robust monthly views in the hundreds of thousands. In this post, we’ll explore the challenges faced by one website owner after a significant drop in views—from nearly 1 million to just 200,000 per month—and discuss potential strategies for recovery.
A Major Acquisition with High Hopes
Our journey begins with a client who acquired a well-established coloring pages website two years ago. Prior to the acquisition, the site was raking in an impressive 900,000 to 1 million views each month. However, the crucial factor in any website’s performance—its design and functionality—was sorely outdated. Determined to breathe new life into the site, we implemented various improvements, focusing on UI/UX enhancements and added features to enrich user engagement.
The SEO Shake-Up
One of our significant efforts involved revising the site’s URL structure, a move recommended by an SEO consultant. Previously, there was a disconnect between the URL format and the breadcrumb navigation: for instance, the breadcrumb path displayed links that didn’t align with the actual URLs. To correct this, we updated the structure to reflect a more intuitive hierarchy.
Initially, this change led to a dip in traffic, which superficially appeared concerning; however, a few months later, we began to see numbers stabilize and recover.
Expanding Horizons: A Multilingual Challenge
In December, we undertook a bold step by introducing a German language version of the site. Early on, this change seemed promising, bringing in an additional 5,000 views. Yet, as the rollout continued, we encountered substantial SEO hurdles. The English version of the site unwittingly displayed German meta titles and descriptions, leading to a confusing experience for both users and search engines. Following the March Google algorithm update, our site’s performance began to decline sharply once again.
Reverting Changes: A Leap into the Past
Faced with mounting issues, including declining traffic and SEO discrepancies, we decided to roll back to a stable version of the site from April 2023. This meant reverting to the original URLs and removing the recent user interface updates.
Curiously, this rollback produced a noticeable spike in traffic shortly after the change, but unfortunately, the upward trend proved to be short-lived, and the numbers began to dwindle
One response to “From 900K-1M to 200K a month of views, badly needs help.”
This post provides a profound look at the various complexities that can emerge when navigating a traffic crisis, particularly with the impact of SEO and site changes on user experience. One aspect that stands out is the notion of balance between aesthetic improvements and technical SEO integrity. While enhancing UI/UX is crucial for user engagement, it’s imperative to ensure that these changes align with established SEO best practices to avoid unintentionally harming traffic.
Here are a few additional strategies that may further support your recovery efforts:
1. **Conducting a Thorough SEO Audit**: Beyond the URL structure, consider a comprehensive audit focusing on technical SEO aspects like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and crawl errors. These factors can significantly impact your search rankings and user experience.
2. **Content Optimization**: Post-rollback, take a look at your existing content. Are there opportunities to optimize for relevant keywords and add value through updated information or enhanced visuals? Regular content refreshment can help regain lost traffic.
3. **Focus on Localization**: Given your multilingual expansion, working closely with native speakers could ensure that meta titles, descriptions, and content resonate culturally and contextually with your new audience. This might also mitigate SEO discrepancies moving forward.
4. **User Feedback**: Engage with your audience directly to understand their preferences and pain points. This feedback can guide you in making informed adjustments that enhance both user experience and SEO.
5. **Monitoring Analytics Closely**: Utilize tools like Google Analytics to identify traffic sources and user behavior patterns after