I went from ranking #1 to #40 for my brand name almost overnight! My brand name is completely unique, so there’s little competition or search volume. Initially, I achieved that top spot quickly, and I started getting organic traffic to my site as people searched for my brand on Google, with about 100 clicks a day at an 80% CTR.
But now, just two days later, I’ve fallen to position #40, and I’ve heard from several people on different platforms that they can’t find my page on Google anymore. My on-page SEO isn’t perfect since I’ve been focusing on other priorities, but I’m baffled as to why I was ranking so well before and how I could have dropped so drastically. What could be causing this sudden change?
One response to “suddenly dropped from #1 to #40 for my brand name”
It sounds like you’re experiencing some fluctuations in your search rankings that can be frustrating, especially after initially seeing such success. Here are a few possible reasons why you might have dropped from #1 to #40 for your brand name:
Algorithm Updates: Google frequently updates its ranking algorithms, and sometimes even minor changes can affect rankings significantly. Your quick rise might have been a temporary boost from an algorithm that favors new content or brand mentions, which could have been reversed or adjusted after the update.
Ranking Stability: Achieving a high ranking, particularly for a new brand, may not be solidified immediately. Google often assesses the stability and relevance of pages before assigning long-term rankings. Your initial success could have been due to a surge in interest, but without strong SEO signals backing it up, it may have been viewed as less relevant over time.
Content Comparison: If other pages have since been updated, optimized, or created that better match the search intent or have improved user engagement, Google may favor those over your page. Therefore, closely examining your competition’s on-page SEO, content quality, and other factors could provide insights.
User Engagement Metrics: If a substantial number of users click but don’t engage with your site favorably (e.g., bounce rates, time spent on page), Google may interpret this as a sign that your page isn’t providing satisfactory answers to search queries.
Backlink Profile: If your page doesn’t have a strong backlink profile, it may struggle to maintain its ranks. Building quality backlinks can help bolster your visibility.
Search Behavior: If your initial traffic was mostly from a temporary spike in interest (like social media mentions) and not sustained organic interest, that’s something to consider. As the excitement wanes, so does traffic and ranking.
Given that your on-page SEO isn’t currently strong, this could be a good time to start optimizing your content, improving user experience, and focusing on building backlinks to stabilize your ranking. Monitoring your analytics closely can also help you understand traffic patterns and user behavior better. Don’t be discouraged; ranking fluctuations are common, especially for new sites. Focus on providing value and relevancy, and you’ll likely see improvements over time.