Google has updated its charts and content to analyze drops in organic search traffic.

September 29, 2023: Google has updated its Search Console documentation and charts to make it easier for website owners to analyze organic search traffic drops. The new charts and content provide more insights into the potential causes of traffic drops and how to address them.

The new “Top Search Queries” chart is one of the most important updates. This chart shows the top search queries driving traffic to a website, the click-through rate (CTR), and the average position for each question. This information can help website owners to identify keywords that are performing poorly and to make changes to their content to improve their ranking.

Another important update is the new “Performance by Device” chart. This chart shows how much traffic a website receives from devices like smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. This information can help website owners to identify devices where their website is performing poorly and to make changes to improve their user experience.

In addition to the new charts, Google updated its content on analyzing organic search traffic drops. The new content provides more detailed information on the potential causes of traffic drops, such as:

Technical issues, such as crawl errors or indexing problems

Manual actions, such as penalties for violating Google’s Webmaster Guidelines

Algorithmic changes, such as the recent Google Core Update

Search trends, such as decreased interest in a particular topic

The new content also provides tips on addressing each of these potential causes. For example, if a website owner suspects a technical issue, they can use the Search Console Crawl Errors report to identify and fix the problem. If a manual action has hit a website owner, they can read the Webmaster Guidelines to learn how to correct the violation and have the action lifted.

Updating Google’s Search Console documentation and charts is a welcome change for website owners. The new charts and content provide more insights into the potential causes of organic search traffic drops and how to address them.

Implications of the Updates

The updates to Google’s Search Console documentation and charts have several implications for website owners.

• Website owners can more easily identify the potential causes of organic search traffic drops.
• Website owners can now take more targeted action to address traffic drops.
• Website owners can better track their progress and see how their changes impact traffic.

What Website Owners Can Do

Website owners can take advantage of the updates to Google’s Search Console documentation and charts by:

• Reviewing their Search Console data regularly to identify any traffic drops.
• Using the new charts and content to understand the potential causes of traffic drops.
• Taking targeted action to address the possible causes of traffic drops.
• Tracking their progress over time and seeing how their changes impact their traffic.

Additional Tips

It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to addressing organic search traffic drops. The best approach will vary depending on the specific cause of the drop.

It is also essential to be patient. Seeing results from your efforts to address a traffic drop may take time.

If you struggle to identify or address the cause of an organic search traffic drop, consider consulting with an SEO expert.