My Google traffic is dropping; what should I do?

Most traffic drops come from a few known causes. Check the steps below in order; each step has a free tool you can use.

  1. Find where the drop is

    In Search Console, compare the last 28 days with the previous period: is the drop sitewide, on specific pages or for specific queries? The answer largely points to the cause.

    Free SEO analysis

  2. Check indexing

    A mistakenly added noindex tag, robots.txt rule or faulty canonical can cause pages to drop out of search.

    robots.txt tester

  3. Look at recent site changes

    A theme update, plugin change or new design can break headings, internal links and structured data. Check what changed on the site on the date the drop began.

    Multi-page SEO audit
Let’s scan your site in 20 seconds

Free analysis; lists indexing, speed, content and AI readiness issues in order of importance. No sign-up required.

Free SEO analysis

  1. Check speed and Core Web Vitals

    Slow pages affect both visitors and rankings. Check your LCP and INP values, especially on mobile.

    Website speed test

  2. Fix broken links and redirects

    If deleted or moved pages return a 404, both traffic and the value of the links pointing to those pages are lost. Redirect old addresses to the new pages with a 301.

    Broken link checker

  3. Update your content

    If competitors have published fresher, more comprehensive content, your pages fall behind. Update the information, the year, prices and frequently asked questions.

    Content & keyword analysis

  4. Spot the AI Overviews effect

    If your impressions stay the same while your clicks drop, Google’s AI summaries may be giving the answer on the results page. In that case, aim to be shown as a source in the summaries.

    AI visibility check

  5. Check for lost backlinks

    If an important site that links to you removes the link, your rankings can drop. Find out which links were lost and earn new ones to replace them.

    Topic-based backlink network

AutoAiSeo runs these checks every day

  • Monitors changes on your site; alerts you to critical changes like noindex or canonical
  • Runs a technical audit every week and ranks issues by priority
  • Tracks rankings and AI Overview visibility
  • Finds lost backlinks and earns new ones to replace them
  • Refreshes content as it ages
Start free
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the traffic drop caused by a Google update?
Possibly; major updates are announced with dates. If the drop coincides with an update, focus on content quality and freshness. With a technical issue, you usually see a sudden drop on specific pages.
How long does it take to recover from a drop?
After technical issues are fixed, Google recrawls pages within a few days to a few weeks. Recovery can take longer for content-driven drops.
Keep reading

Other comparisons and guides

AutoAiSeo or an SEO agency?

An automated process that moves forward every day, instead of a monthly contract, meetings and reports.

Read Writing with ChatGPT yourself or AutoAiSeo?

The difference between writing an article and a process that runs from finding topics to publishing and measuring.

Read SEO tools or AutoAiSeo?

Tools that measure versus a system that turns what it measures into content, publishing and backlinks.

Read How does ChatGPT recommend your brand?

Which businesses AI assistants recommend and why, plus 5 steps to get your brand into their answers.

Read My site doesn’t show up on Google. What should I do?

A checklist for getting indexed and earning first rankings, for a new or invisible site.

Read

See where your site stands in 20 seconds.

Find your technical issues and AI visibility gaps with a free analysis, then leave the fixing to AutoAiSeo.

  • No card required
  • 5-minute setup
  • Cancel anytime
Analyze for free