Why are you dropping in SEO results?

Don't get discouraged. Mastering SEO is a hard thing to do. There is so much competition for top-of-the-results placement. But, you also know there are ways to standout. Among those, is making sure your website content is updated and making Google Business Profile is updated are two of the easiest suggestions.

But, because SEO placement ebbs and flows, one day you're high on the results, say in that 0, 1 or 2 position. Then, the next week, you're out of those spots. It happens.

Then of course the question you ask is why did that happen?

Here are some possible reasons:

• Technical issue with website. Possibilities here include any change(s) of URL(s), any recent updates (such as uploading a photo or photos and/or video or videos) that slowed the speed of the site, or any updates in general (maybe something as simple as changing the layout or template) been made that could again slow website loading speed. Several research studies have shown that slow website loading speed not only hurts the ability to track consumers but also has a factor in SEO results. The quicker a site can load, the better. You typically have less than a matter of seconds to get your site loaded before a user will click away.
• Another thing to consider is your CLS. Color changes can hinder website performance as well.
• Ah the ol' algorithm by Google. Google is CONSTANTLY working on keeping its algorithm up to date, specifically making sure users are getting search results relevant to them. One of the top factors in that is localization. Google continually puts a greater emphasis on presenting results to users that are of local interest to them.
• Competition. This has already been mentioned, but bears repeating. Competition is a big factor in search results, especially local ones. Continue to monitor what your competition is doing.
• Link building. If you've changed URLs, that'll means lost links on third-party websites. For example, if you have a URL listed on a Chamber of Commerce page, you need to make sure when you update the URL, that the change is also reflected on the Chamber of Commerce. When you lose a link, you lose some link credibility and accuracy, and those elements can lead to lower website scores.
• Keyword search demand. This can fall into the competition category as well. Not only are you competing with other businesses, but also you're competing for keywords. If you're business' or organization's industry is suddenly in high demand, there's heavy competition there too.

Here are some tips and tools on how to address lags in your search result placement:

• Meta tags and descriptions. Continue to make sure these are accurate and up to date. Make any changes when necessary.
• Sitemap. Make sure your sitemap is updated and accurate with Google. You can do this through Google Search Console.
• Site speed. Check on your website's speed. Google has a free tool for you to check that called PageSpeed Insights.
• Test your site's SEO. There are several resources for that including Sitechecker and Google SERP Snippet Optimization Tool, to name a few.