Seeking Advice: Major Drop in Rankings
I’ve been developing a web-based tool on my own, and it launched with content I crafted over the past two years. The domain itself is three years old. Initially, I didn’t focus much on it aside from some off-page SEO efforts, but the site gradually gained backlinks and managed to withstand the March 2024 update.
In November 2024, I dedicated myself to the project full-time. I revamped the code, introduced new features, refreshed the design, updated existing content, created additional pages, and added a blog section.
I have a friend whose website ranks quite well in the same niche and is available in over ten languages. Some local keyword pages rank strongly, while others are not even indexed.
In November, I asked him to include a do-follow link to my site using an exact match anchor in the header of the English pages. After this, I saw impressions spike significantly, reaching 20,000 per day from Google until March 16. That’s when I made a mistake.
On March 16, I requested that he place the link in the footer with the same anchor text, sitewide. The result was shocking: my impressions plummeted from 20,000 to just 1,000 in a single day. By March 18, I recognized the drop and asked him to remove the footer link and reinstate the header link, now with a rel=sponsored tag. Unfortunately, my impressions have yet to recover.
I understand that the footer link may have caused the issue, and I should have been more cautious, but I’m uncertain if this drop was solely due to that sitewide footer link or if it coincided with the March 2025 update.
Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
One response to “Please help: rankings lost, need advice”
It sounds like you’ve been through quite a rollercoaster with your site’s performance, and it’s understandable to seek clarity amid the confusion. Here are some thoughts on your situation:
Backlink Impact: The initial do-follow link from your friend’s high-ranking site likely gave you a nice boost, especially if it was placed in a relevant and high-visibility area like the header. However, adding a sitewide footer link can change the perceived relevance of backlinks, especially if the anchor text is exact match and unrelated to the content surrounding it. Search engines can interpret such practices as manipulative, potentially leading to a drop in rankings.
March 2025 Update: Google updates its algorithms regularly, and while it’s possible that changes in their ranking criteria could impact your site, the timing of your drop coinciding with the addition of the footer link could be more than coincidental. It’s plausible that the footer link triggered an algorithmic reaction, especially if it was seen as a blatant attempt to manipulate rankings.
Recovery Steps:
Analyze Competitors: Look at how your competitors are performing following the update. Analyzing what they’re doing right can provide insights into recovering your rankings.
Use of rel=sponsored: Since you’ve added the rel=sponsored attribute to the link in the header, ensure that the rest of your site adheres to Google’s guidelines regarding link practices. This will be essential in maintaining your reputation with search engines.
Consider Professional Guidance: If you continue to struggle with ranking or traffic, consulting a professional SEO expert could be beneficial. They can provide tailored advice specific to your site and situation.
Ultimately, SEO can be unpredictable, but focusing on best practices while continuing to improve your site will help you recover over time. Good luck!