Hello. Prior to Google's March update, our website's main page was ranked in the top 1 spot. However, it has since dropped to the top 2 position. From mid-April onwards, our main page has slipped even further to around the top 6 to top 8 ranking. Despite making various edits to the main page including content, page loading speed, schema, internal links, and backlinks, we have not seen any improvement in results. We have also conducted a comparison with our competitors and discovered that despite having lower criteria such as backlinks and page loading speed, our two main competitors are ranking higher than us, with four of the top 5 positions on Google. They are achieving top rankings for key search terms with both their main page and home page. Can you provide any suggestions for other factors we should consider in order to improve our website's ranking? What steps should we take next?
Answer:
It seems that you’ve already addressed many essential factors, but here are some additional areas to focus on:
- Google Search Console (GSC) issues: While there are no indexing errors, the website has experienced a decline in rankings for multiple URLs. Investigating further into why indexed URLs are not showing content in search results is crucial.
- Compelling titles and meta descriptions: Although titles and descriptions were adjusted, they might still not be competitive enough. It’s recommended to compare the snippets against those of your competitors to see what’s working for them and where you can improve.
- Local keywords: Utilizing local keywords, depending on your target audience, could enhance visibility in local searches.
- Bounce rate: The current bounce rate of 56.49% is significantly higher than your competitors, indicating users are leaving your website quickly. Improving navigation, layout, and user experience can help decrease this rate. It’s also important to focus on user engagement by increasing the dwell time on your pages, ensuring users spend more time interacting with your content.
- Mobile optimization: While your website is mobile-friendly and responsive, it’s worth ensuring it meets Google’s latest mobile-first indexing standards and provides a seamless experience for mobile users.
- Google My Business (GMB) optimization: Since your GMB profile is newly updated, give it time to gain authority and contribute to your overall search rankings.