My Website Traffic is Dropping, And I Don't Know Why

When website traffic declines, it’s rarely random. It usually means that something has changed. Whether it’s an algorithm update, a technical issue, or a new competitor, identifying the root cause quickly is key. Below are the most common reasons we find when auditing clients’ traffic drops.

1. Google Algorithm Updates

Google constantly updates its ranking systems to improve search results. If your website isn’t aligned with the latest ranking signals, it can lose visibility overnight. Core updates often target content quality, backlinks, and user experience.

At Fly High Media, we analyse performance before and after known update dates to see if your decline aligns with an algorithm change. We then review your site’s content depth, E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), and backlink profile. Recovering from an update means improving your overall quality score, not chasing quick fixes.

2. Technical or Indexing Issues

Sometimes traffic drops aren’t caused by Google’s algorithm at all, but by something technical on your site. Broken pages, incorrect redirects, or noindex tags can quietly remove key pages from Google’s results. Even something as simple as a robots.txt error can wipe out traffic overnight.

Our team uses advanced auditing tools to uncover crawl and indexing issues, assess Core Web Vitals, and monitor server logs for anomalies. Once identified, we fix the problems and submit clean sitemaps to restore visibility fast.

3. Content Decay or Cannibalisation

Over time, even the best-performing content loses momentum. This can happen as competitors publish fresher articles, search intent shifts, or Google rewards more current data. Another hidden issue is content cannibalisation, which occurs when multiple pages compete for the same keywords and confuse Google.

We map all your URLs, keywords, and rankings to identify overlap and declining topics. Then, we consolidate or refresh pages to regain lost authority and strengthen topical relevance, helping your content climb back up the rankings.

4. Competitors Overtaking You

Digital competition never stands still. If rivals have invested in SEO, improved their UX, or launched new campaigns, they can capture the clicks you once had. A drop in traffic doesn’t necessarily mean your site is performing poorly, but rather that others are doing better.

We benchmark your performance against competitors, analysing backlinks, keywords, content quality, and ad spend. This helps us create a strategy that reclaims market share by targeting high-value gaps and improving your user journey.

5. Tracking Errors or Analytics Changes

Not every traffic drop is real. Sometimes it’s simply a tracking issue. If you recently switched from Universal Analytics to GA4, changed tracking scripts, or added a cookie consent banner, your data might not be recording accurately.

Before making any SEO changes, we always confirm whether the decline is genuine. Our team checks for discrepancies between Google Analytics, Search Console, and server logs, ensuring the problem isn’t just a reporting glitch. Once verified, we focus your recovery plan on accurate, actionable data.