{"id":2836,"date":"2025-02-17T16:18:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T16:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/how-to-analyze-a-sudden-drop-in-website-traffic-with-template\/"},"modified":"2025-02-17T16:18:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T16:18:15","slug":"how-to-analyze-a-sudden-drop-in-website-traffic-with-template","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/how-to-analyze-a-sudden-drop-in-website-traffic-with-template\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Analyze a Sudden Drop in Website Traffic [With Template]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>A sudden drop in organic traffic can feel like an SEO nightmare. Rankings dip, visibility declines, and conversions take a hit\u2014leaving you scrambling for answers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But instead of panicking, you need a structured approach to diagnose the issue, take corrective action, and restore your site\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s exactly how to analyze a sudden drop in website traffic using a step-by-step process of elimination.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Grab the full SOP and template to analyze your traffic drop<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1205\" height=\"614\" class=\"wp-image-185590\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/how-to-analyze-website-traffic-down-with-sop-and-t.png\" alt=\"How to analyze website traffic down with SOP and template\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/how-to-analyze-website-traffic-down-with-sop-and-t.png 1205w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/how-to-analyze-website-traffic-down-with-sop-and-t-680x346.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/how-to-analyze-website-traffic-down-with-sop-and-t-768x391.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1205px) 100vw, 1205px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-sops\/\"> step-by-step SEO SOP<\/a> walks you through everything you need to check so you can correctly identify where your traffic drop is coming from. You can also use the report to package your findings for your boss or client professionally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_scb5djj5rijg\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p> 1. Confirm the traffic drop and rule out manual actions\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n<p>Check your analytics software (like Ahrefs <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/web-analytics\">Web Analytics<\/a> or Google Analytics) for changes in organic performance.<\/p>\n<p>Then check Search Console &gt; Performance.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"527\" class=\"wp-image-185591\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of Google Search Console Performance report showing declining traffic\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re.png 1333w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re-680x269.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re-768x304.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"527\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185591\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of Google Search Console Performance report showing declining traffic\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re.png 1333w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re-680x269.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-of-google-search-console-performance-re-768x304.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you do not consistently see a decline in traffic between different tools, it could be a glitch in your reporting setup.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth checking for any manual actions in Search Console.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1906\" height=\"1222\" class=\"wp-image-185592\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu.png\" alt=\"Manual actions in Google Search Console's menu\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu.png 1906w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-663x425.png 663w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-768x492.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-1536x985.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1906px) 100vw, 1906px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1906\" height=\"1222\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185592\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu.png\" alt=\"Manual actions in Google Search Console's menu\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu.png 1906w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-663x425.png 663w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-768x492.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/manual-actions-in-google-search-consoles-menu-1536x985.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1906px) 100vw, 1906px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Although rare, you can save a lot of time auditing your site by checking this upfront.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that the numbers won\u2019t align perfectly across different tools, even between GA and GSC, as they collect data differently. Instead, look for a consistent drop to verify you\u2019re not just seeing a reporting glitch.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_ivckk78kj95k\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p> 2. Check for any Google algorithm updates\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n<p>If you notice an overnight or very sudden traffic drop, check if there have been any recent Google algorithm updates.<\/p>\n<p>Updates are announced on Google\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/status.search.google.com\/summary\">ranking status page<\/a>. So, it\u2019s worth checking if any dates align with your website\u2019s ranking drops.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1189\" class=\"wp-image-185593\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a.png\" alt=\"Google's ranking status page with dates for each algorithm update.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a-680x404.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a-768x457.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a-1536x914.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1189\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185593\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a.png\" alt=\"Google's ranking status page with dates for each algorithm update.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a-680x404.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a-768x457.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/googles-ranking-status-page-with-dates-for-each-a-1536x914.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A faster way to align these dates against your organic traffic data is in Ahrefs Site Explorer. Enter your website, then make sure Google Updates are turned on in this\u00a0menu:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"528\" height=\"449\" class=\"wp-image-185594\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/turning-on-the-google-updates-feature-in-ahrefs-si.png\" alt=\"Turning on the Google Updates feature in Ahrefs Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/turning-on-the-google-updates-feature-in-ahrefs-si.png 528w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/turning-on-the-google-updates-feature-in-ahrefs-si-500x425.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"528\" height=\"449\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185594\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/turning-on-the-google-updates-feature-in-ahrefs-si.png\" alt=\"Turning on the Google Updates feature in Ahrefs Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/turning-on-the-google-updates-feature-in-ahrefs-si.png 528w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/turning-on-the-google-updates-feature-in-ahrefs-si-500x425.png 500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll see \u24bc symbols appear at the bottom of the graphs indicating when there were Google Updates:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"997\" height=\"866\" class=\"wp-image-185595\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo.png\" alt=\"Correlating website traffic drops with Google algorithm updates in Ahrefs Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo.png 997w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo-489x425.png 489w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo-768x667.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"997\" height=\"866\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185595\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo.png\" alt=\"Correlating website traffic drops with Google algorithm updates in Ahrefs Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo.png 997w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo-489x425.png 489w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-traffic-drops-with-google-algo-768x667.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>For instance, in this example, there were two updates on August 15th that could have been responsible for the performance decline a few days\u00a0later.<\/p>\n<p>You can get more information about the algorithm changes by hovering over the \u24bc or, in this case, the \u201c2\u201d:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"807\" height=\"1437\" class=\"wp-image-185596\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' explanations of what each algorithm update targeted.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update.png 807w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update-239x425.png 239w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update-768x1368.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"807\" height=\"1437\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185596\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' explanations of what each algorithm update targeted.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update.png 807w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update-239x425.png 239w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-explanations-of-what-each-algorithm-update-768x1368.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If an algorithm update has led to traffic declines, you\u2019ll need to read any Google announcements to learn what factors were affected.<\/p>\n<p>You can also check out commentary from SEO experts like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariehaynes.com\/resources\/algo-changes-and-more\/\">Marie Haynes<\/a>, who analyze hundreds of affected sites to find patterns:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1318\" height=\"1082\" class=\"wp-image-185597\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments.png\" alt=\"Marie Haynes' algorithm update list with comments on her insights and data about past updates.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments.png 1318w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments-518x425.png 518w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments-768x630.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1318px) 100vw, 1318px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1318\" height=\"1082\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185597\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments.png\" alt=\"Marie Haynes' algorithm update list with comments on her insights and data about past updates.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments.png 1318w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments-518x425.png 518w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/marie-haynes-algorithm-update-list-with-comments-768x630.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1318px) 100vw, 1318px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Then wait for a few weeks to ensure the update has finished rolling out. Assess the damage and start addressing any big concerns once your rankings settle.<\/p>\n<p>Never make changes while an algorithm update is still rolling out.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_h7y54lva6qeo\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p> 3. Check for any technical bugs, errors, or changes\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n<p>There are two types of technical changes to look into if you\u2019ve had a traffic loss that wasn\u2019t linked to an algorithm update:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Planned<\/strong>: Changes you actively made on purpose, like fixing a bug or migrating your\u00a0site.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Unplanned<\/strong>: Changes you were unaware of and that happened without your input, like automated updates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In either case, you should be able to restore a backup from the version of your site before the change that caused a traffic drop.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have a backup, here\u2019s how to diagnose what you need to fix immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Start by running a technical health report in Ahrefs\u2019 Site\u00a0Audit.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1156\" height=\"653\" class=\"wp-image-185598\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score-.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs Site Audit's technical health score.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score-.png 1156w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score--680x384.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score--768x434.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1156px) 100vw, 1156px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1156\" height=\"653\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185598\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score-.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs Site Audit's technical health score.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score-.png 1156w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score--680x384.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audits-technical-health-score--768x434.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1156px) 100vw, 1156px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you already have historical reports, you can compare two reports to see what issues need to be reversed pronto.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"838\" height=\"496\" class=\"wp-image-185599\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs Site Audit feature to compare two crawls to each other.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to.png 838w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to-680x402.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to-768x455.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"838\" height=\"496\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185599\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs Site Audit feature to compare two crawls to each other.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to.png 838w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to-680x402.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ahrefs-site-audit-feature-to-compare-two-crawls-to-768x455.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can also run this audit in a staging environment to ensure you don\u2019t push any technical errors live without realizing it.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_9jzpj2760kla\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p> 4. Check for any design changes affecting SEO\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n<p>If there aren\u2019t any obvious bugs or technical errors, the issue could stem from a design change. You can check these in Site Explorer also using the three-dot menu and selecting Content Changes instead of Google Updates:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"792\" height=\"412\" class=\"wp-image-185600\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in.png\" alt=\"Correlating website changes with traffic drops in Ahrefs Site Explorer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in.png 792w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in-680x354.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in-768x400.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"792\" height=\"412\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185600\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in.png\" alt=\"Correlating website changes with traffic drops in Ahrefs Site Explorer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in.png 792w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in-680x354.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-website-changes-with-traffic-drops-in-768x400.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>For instance, if you redesigned the website and changed some content in the process, there may not be any technical errors with your content, so your Site Audit score may look great on the surface.<\/p>\n<p>However, if the old design layout was optimized for SEO and the new one isn\u2019t, that may lead to ranking losses.<\/p>\n<p>Using this setting, you can correlate any steep traffic spikes, declines, or weird performance drops like the following with changes you\u00a0made:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1157\" height=\"519\" class=\"wp-image-185601\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data-.png\" alt=\"Looking for anomalies in traffic drop data.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data-.png 1157w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data--680x305.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data--768x345.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1157px) 100vw, 1157px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1157\" height=\"519\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185601\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data-.png\" alt=\"Looking for anomalies in traffic drop data.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data-.png 1157w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data--680x305.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/looking-for-anomalies-in-traffic-drop-data--768x345.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1157px) 100vw, 1157px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>In this example, we can rule out an algorithm change. Even though one did happen while performance was dropping, it didn\u2019t change the decline pattern.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"924\" class=\"wp-image-185602\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to.jpg\" alt=\"Analyzing whether a sudden traffic drop is due to an algorithm or content changes in Ahrefs Site Explorer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to-680x307.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to-768x347.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to-1536x693.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"924\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185602\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to.jpg\" alt=\"Analyzing whether a sudden traffic drop is due to an algorithm or content changes in Ahrefs Site Explorer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to-680x307.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to-768x347.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-sudden-traffic-drop-is-due-to-1536x693.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>There also wasn\u2019t an algorithm update around the time performance picked back up again. There was, however, a major content change just before the\u00a0drop.<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-185589-_qpncz6rfp5pl\"\/>\u2192 How to be sure the drop isn\u2019t from an algorithm update\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>In this example, the drop itself is oddly flat before picking up in a big\u00a0way.<\/p>\n<p>This is unusual behavior after algorithm updates, so it\u2019s more likely a change you made that led to the decline.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if an update affects a site so badly it loses all traffic, it\u2019s unheard of for that traffic to magically reappear a few weeks later. This is more likely what it will look\u00a0like:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"956\" height=\"600\" class=\"wp-image-185603\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c.png\" alt=\"Example of a site penalized by Google and how it could not recover lost traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c.png 956w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c-677x425.png 677w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c-768x482.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"956\" height=\"600\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185603\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c.png\" alt=\"Example of a site penalized by Google and how it could not recover lost traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c.png 956w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c-677x425.png 677w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/example-of-a-site-penalized-by-google-and-how-it-c-768x482.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Also, unlike algorithm updates, content changes usually won\u2019t lead to an immediate overnight drop.<\/p>\n<p>It can take Google some time to index major changes on a website which is why there can be a delay between website changes and SEO performance.<\/p>\n<p>So in this example, that\u2019s why the content changes made a couple of weeks before the drop could be the culprit for the traffic loss.<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-185589-_9axdh7p1va13\"\/>\u2192 How to find the exact change that led to the traffic drop\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>In Site Explorer, hover over any green dots indicating major or overhaul changes around the time of the traffic drop:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"405\" height=\"287\" class=\"wp-image-185604\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/viewing-a-websites-content-changes-in-ahrefs-.png\" alt=\"Viewing a website's content changes in Ahrefs.\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"405\" height=\"287\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185604\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/viewing-a-websites-content-changes-in-ahrefs-.png\" alt=\"Viewing a website's content changes in Ahrefs.\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can click on \u201cView Changes\u201d to get a side-by-side comparison of the content before and after a design change:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"929\" height=\"748\" class=\"wp-image-185605\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit.png\" alt=\"Side-by-side comparison of web content changes with Ahrefs' Page Inspect.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit.png 929w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit-528x425.png 528w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit-768x618.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 929px) 100vw, 929px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"929\" height=\"748\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185605\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit.png\" alt=\"Side-by-side comparison of web content changes with Ahrefs' Page Inspect.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit.png 929w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit-528x425.png 528w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/side-by-side-comparison-of-web-content-changes-wit-768x618.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 929px) 100vw, 929px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can also toggle it to HTML mode to assess changes in the page\u2019s code structure:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"879\" height=\"414\" class=\"wp-image-185606\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a.png\" alt=\"Checking both the content and code edits made on a page.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a.png 879w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a-680x320.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a-768x362.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 879px) 100vw, 879px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"879\" height=\"414\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185606\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a.png\" alt=\"Checking both the content and code edits made on a page.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a.png 879w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a-680x320.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-both-the-content-and-code-edits-made-on-a-768x362.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 879px) 100vw, 879px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>To get a visual view of the design changes, check out archive.org and add the page URL to see a history of saved snapshots of a website.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"655\" class=\"wp-image-185607\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o.png\" alt=\"Using Wayback Machine to visually confirm design or content changes that affected SEO traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o-680x290.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o-768x328.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"655\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185607\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o.png\" alt=\"Using Wayback Machine to visually confirm design or content changes that affected SEO traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o-680x290.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/using-wayback-machine-to-visually-confirm-design-o-768x328.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Smaller brands won\u2019t have as many snapshots saved, but you may still get an idea of if there was a major design overhaul without having to dig through code if you don\u2019t want\u00a0to.<\/p>\n<p>If there was a big design change in the weeks before the traffic drop and no (or minimal) impact from an algorithm, then you\u2019ll likely need to undo the design changes you made or reinstate a backup.<\/p>\n<p>Then, in a staging environment, have an SEO professional audit the changes and give you an action plan to prevent these traffic losses in future.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_9bxcewsffqtb\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p> 5. Check for content-related traffic drops\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n<p>In Site Explorer, check out the Organic Search tab:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"775\" height=\"263\" class=\"wp-image-185608\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19.png 775w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19-680x231.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19-768x261.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19-650x220.png 650w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 775px) 100vw, 775px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"775\" height=\"263\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185608\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19.png 775w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19-680x231.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19-768x261.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-image-185589-19-650x220.png 650w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 775px) 100vw, 775px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Start by looking at the Organic Pages graph to see how much content the site was publishing over\u00a0time.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1277\" height=\"526\" class=\"wp-image-185609\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer-.png\" alt=\"Organic pages graph in Ahrefs Site Explorer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer-.png 1277w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer--680x280.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer--768x316.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1277px) 100vw, 1277px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1277\" height=\"526\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185609\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer-.png\" alt=\"Organic pages graph in Ahrefs Site Explorer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer-.png 1277w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer--680x280.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/organic-pages-graph-in-ahrefs-site-explorer--768x316.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1277px) 100vw, 1277px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can sometimes correlate changes in the number of pages with performance changes.<\/p>\n<p>For example, it is possible that the ramp-up of content in August 2023 may have led to the performance declines a few weeks\u00a0later.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1267\" height=\"1126\" class=\"wp-image-185610\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website.png\" alt=\"Correlating changes in organic pages with website traffic drops.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website.png 1267w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website-478x425.png 478w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website-768x683.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1267px) 100vw, 1267px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1267\" height=\"1126\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185610\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website.png\" alt=\"Correlating changes in organic pages with website traffic drops.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website.png 1267w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website-478x425.png 478w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/correlating-changes-in-organic-pages-with-website-768x683.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1267px) 100vw, 1267px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>With such a steep spike in the number of pages, you\u2019d normally expect to see growth in SEO performance, so why was there a decline not long\u00a0after?<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the type of question you need to be asking and investigating.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, your data will be different. The goal is to see if sharp spikes or declines in organic pages may have affected SEO visibility in any\u00a0way.<\/p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-387\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-387 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-720px\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n<th class=\"column-1\">Organic Pages<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2\">SEO Performance<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-3\">What It\u00a0Means<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Increases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Increases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">Your new content is performing well so far. Keep it\u00a0up!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Decreases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Increases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">Content pruning (intentional or not) may have happened, and it\u2019s improving your performance. Nice\u00a0work!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Increases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Decreases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">This could indicate mass low-quality, programmatic, or AI-generated content. Work on improving quality asap.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">Decreases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">Decreases<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">It\u2019s possible that as part of a migration, redesign, or other project, you removed some essential SEO pages. Reinstate them\u00a0asap.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Next, scroll down, past all the graphs, to the Top Organic Pages section. Set this to display results by traffic change, paying attention to the pages that lost traffic:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1984\" height=\"1738\" class=\"wp-image-185611\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs-.jpg\" alt=\"Finding top pages that lost traffic in Ahrefs.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs-.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs--485x425.jpg 485w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs--768x673.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs--1536x1346.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1984px) 100vw, 1984px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1984\" height=\"1738\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185611\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs-.jpg\" alt=\"Finding top pages that lost traffic in Ahrefs.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs-.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs--485x425.jpg 485w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs--768x673.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-top-pages-that-lost-traffic-in-ahrefs--1536x1346.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1984px) 100vw, 1984px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Here, you\u2019ll get the exact list of pages that were most affected. Look at the live page and assess things like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Content structure<\/li>\n<li>Content angle + intent<\/li>\n<li>Topic depth + coverage<\/li>\n<li>On-page optimization<\/li>\n<li>Unique imagery<\/li>\n<li>Use of tables, lists, and sub-headings<\/li>\n<li>Readability of content<\/li>\n<li>Skimmability of content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1466\" class=\"wp-image-185612\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd.jpg\" alt=\"Flowchart for how to do a content audit after sudden traffic drops related to content changes or quality issues.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd-445x425.jpg 445w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd-768x733.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1466\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185612\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd.jpg\" alt=\"Flowchart for how to do a content audit after sudden traffic drops related to content changes or quality issues.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd-445x425.jpg 445w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/flowchart-for-how-to-do-a-content-audit-after-sudd-768x733.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can also do a deep dive on any pages you\u2019d like more SEO data on. Click the little down arrow next to that page and then check out the Overview report:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1308\" height=\"1564\" class=\"wp-image-185613\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics.jpg\" alt=\"Investigating specific pages and their SEO metrics in Ahrefs.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics.jpg 1308w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics-355x425.jpg 355w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics-768x918.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics-1285x1536.jpg 1285w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1308px) 100vw, 1308px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1308\" height=\"1564\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185613\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics.jpg\" alt=\"Investigating specific pages and their SEO metrics in Ahrefs.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics.jpg 1308w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics-355x425.jpg 355w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics-768x918.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/investigating-specific-pages-and-their-seo-metrics-1285x1536.jpg 1285w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1308px) 100vw, 1308px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Check the page\u2019s URL Rating and referring domains to determine whether it lost any important links that influenced performance.<\/p>\n<p>In this example, links are all looking good, but that may not always be the\u00a0case:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1766\" class=\"wp-image-185614\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify.jpg\" alt=\"Analyzing backlinks to specific pages to identify potential issues leading to lost traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify-493x425.jpg 493w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify-768x662.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify-1536x1325.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1766\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185614\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify.jpg\" alt=\"Analyzing backlinks to specific pages to identify potential issues leading to lost traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify-493x425.jpg 493w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify-768x662.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-backlinks-to-specific-pages-to-identify-1536x1325.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You can also look at the Site Explorer &gt; Organic Keywords report for the page to determine the exact rankings it lost. Make sure you set the report to Exact URL\u00a0mode:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1912\" height=\"738\" class=\"wp-image-185615\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode-.png\" alt=\"Setting Ahrefs Site Explorer into Exact URL mode.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode-.png 1912w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode--680x262.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode--768x296.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode--1536x593.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1912px) 100vw, 1912px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1912\" height=\"738\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185615\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode-.png\" alt=\"Setting Ahrefs Site Explorer into Exact URL mode.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode-.png 1912w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode--680x262.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode--768x296.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/setting-ahrefs-site-explorer-into-exact-url-mode--1536x593.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1912px) 100vw, 1912px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Then, set the Position filter to \u201cDeclined\u201d and \u201cLost\u201d. Make sure you also use the date comparison:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1189\" class=\"wp-image-185616\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in.png\" alt=\"Finding the keywords with the most traffic lost in Ahrefs Organic Keywords Report.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in-680x395.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in-768x446.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in-1536x892.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1189\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185616\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in.png\" alt=\"Finding the keywords with the most traffic lost in Ahrefs Organic Keywords Report.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in-680x395.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in-768x446.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/finding-the-keywords-with-the-most-traffic-lost-in-1536x892.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The traffic change column will show you which keywords contributed to the biggest drops.<\/p>\n<p>The position change column will indicate if the change is due to a minor slip in rankings or if there\u2019s a bigger issue with top-page rankings completely disappearing.<\/p>\n<p>Content-related issues can be difficult to spot. Make sure you take your time with each page and look at all the SEO metrics you can. Pair that with a thorough manual review to find the patterns of why performance dropped.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_wfx47c4saenz\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p> 6. Check if competitors are stealing your SEO visibility and traffic\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes, traffic losses are due to up-and-coming or aggressive competitors stealing your SEO traffic<\/p>\n<p>In Site Explorer, search for your website. Then, use the Competitors filter to add competitors to compare against:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1186\" class=\"wp-image-185617\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los.jpg\" alt=\"Analyzing whether a competitor has stolen your lost traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los-680x394.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los-768x445.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los-1536x890.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1186\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185617\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los.jpg\" alt=\"Analyzing whether a competitor has stolen your lost traffic.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los-680x394.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los-768x445.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/analyzing-whether-a-competitor-has-stolen-your-los-1536x890.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If your performance goes down as theirs goes up, it\u2019s likely they\u2019re taking your traffic.<\/p>\n<p>To verify this, you can check the Top Organic Keywords &gt; By Traffic Change for both your site and your competitor\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1113\" height=\"695\" class=\"wp-image-185618\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f.png\" alt=\"Checking keywords your competitor gained traffic for at the same time your traffic dropped.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f.png 1113w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f-680x425.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f-768x480.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1113px) 100vw, 1113px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1113\" height=\"695\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185618\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f.png\" alt=\"Checking keywords your competitor gained traffic for at the same time your traffic dropped.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f.png 1113w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f-680x425.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/checking-keywords-your-competitor-gained-traffic-f-768x480.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1113px) 100vw, 1113px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If your competitor\u2019s winning keywords match your losing keywords, they\u2019re stealing your traffic.<\/p>\n<p>If so, apply this traffic investigation process to your competitor\u2019s site. Start from Step 2 and focus on why their traffic spiked.<\/p>\n<p>The goal is to figure out what they are doing better than you. Until you have these answers, this competitor will continue to threaten your SEO traffic.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_u53gdakp1g0d\"\/>7. Document your findings in a report for stakeholders<\/h2>\n<p>Make a copy of the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/12soMmpCS3SmIwRfgzCSEItJRyrEXyTIZ2Mfc-TFKN0I\/copy\">Traffic Investigation Report Template<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"923\" height=\"646\" class=\"wp-image-185619\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template.png\" alt=\"Sudden traffic drop report template\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template.png 923w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template-607x425.png 607w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template-768x538.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"923\" height=\"646\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185619\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template.png\" alt=\"Sudden traffic drop report template\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template.png 923w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template-607x425.png 607w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sudden-traffic-drop-report-template-768x538.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Then, start filling out all the sections. Take the time\u00a0to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tidy up each section<\/li>\n<li>Delete any instructions in <em>pink, italic text<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Remove unnecessary headings or sections<\/li>\n<li>Attach all related documents to the Appendix<\/li>\n<li>List out your suggested action items<\/li>\n<li>Add a short and sweet summary at the\u00a0top<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can use ChatGPT to help you fill it out. Just give it any insights or raw notes you have from following the process so far and ask it to populate the report template.<\/p>\n<p>You may need to guide it more specifically for each section depending on how much data you have collected.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_nh3ytxdvsfq1\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p> 8. Plan approved tasks and action items\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve finished building the report, the only things left to do are get your boss\u2019 or client\u2019s approval on the tasks you suggested and then plan them\u00a0out.<\/p>\n<p>If the client completes the tasks you\u2019ve suggested, they will add them to their project management tool internally.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you or your team will perform the tasks instead, you may need to add them (with instructions) to your internal task management tool.<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-185589-_oh8fuvalx6f\"\/>\u2192 If you are a team leader or manager\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>Share these tasks with writers, link builders, or your technical team.<\/p>\n<p>Monitor the progress of each task in your project management tool and set up follow-up tasks for you to review their\u00a0work.<\/p>\n<p>Ensure:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The briefs include relevant data from the analysis<\/li>\n<li>Tasks related to major technical, content or design issues are prioritized<\/li>\n<li>The team is effectively implementing solutions to reclaim the lost traffic as soon as possible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a id=\"post-185589-_67a9n7rkgcw7\"\/>\u2192 If you are not a team leader\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>Book a meeting with your manager and share the outcome of your work so far so they can assist you with the next\u00a0steps.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_8epy1sb264mp\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>After you implement the suggested tasks, the last step is to monitor the website\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n<p>If the issue was technical in nature, set up recurring technical crawls in Site\u00a0Audit:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1894\" height=\"462\" class=\"wp-image-185620\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit-.png\" alt=\"Scheduling automated crawls in Ahrefs Site Audit.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit-.png 1894w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit--680x166.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit--768x187.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit--1536x375.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1894px) 100vw, 1894px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1894\" height=\"462\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185620\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit-.png\" alt=\"Scheduling automated crawls in Ahrefs Site Audit.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit-.png 1894w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit--680x166.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit--768x187.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/scheduling-automated-crawls-in-ahrefs-site-audit--1536x375.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1894px) 100vw, 1894px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Next, ensure you add all your target keywords into Rank Tracker.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1087\" height=\"339\" class=\"wp-image-185621\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker-.png\" alt=\"Adding keywords to track in Ahrefs Rank Tracker.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker-.png 1087w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker--680x212.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker--768x240.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1087px) 100vw, 1087px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1087\" height=\"339\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185621\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker-.png\" alt=\"Adding keywords to track in Ahrefs Rank Tracker.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker-.png 1087w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker--680x212.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/adding-keywords-to-track-in-ahrefs-rank-tracker--768x240.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1087px) 100vw, 1087px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you added your keywords to track when setting up the technical crawl, they should already show up in Rank Tracker.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, to track the traffic and links, set up a custom portfolio that only includes the affected pages. You can do this in your Ahrefs Dashboard:<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1418\" height=\"433\" class=\"wp-image-185622\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag.png\" alt=\"Creating a portfolio to monitor performance of pages that had the biggest traffic drops.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag.png 1418w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag-680x208.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag-768x235.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1418px) 100vw, 1418px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1418\" height=\"433\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-185622\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag.png\" alt=\"Creating a portfolio to monitor performance of pages that had the biggest traffic drops.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag.png 1418w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag-680x208.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/creating-a-portfolio-to-monitor-performance-of-pag-768x235.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1418px) 100vw, 1418px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Add the pages you have taken action on to easily monitor them as a\u00a0group.<\/p>\n<p>You can also keep an eye on your analytics tools like GA4 or Ahrefs Web Analytics to verify traffic improvements over\u00a0time.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-185589-_dvxcyj30uqy\"\/>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>A traffic drop isn\u2019t the end. Rather, it\u2019s an opportunity to strengthen your SEO strategy.<\/p>\n<p>By methodically diagnosing the cause, taking corrective action, and monitoring recovery, you can regain lost visibility and protect future performance.<\/p>\n<p>Stay proactive, track trends, and continuously optimize to keep your site ahead of the competition.<\/p>\n<p>Got questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/despina-gavoyannis\/\">on LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\nif(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');fbq('init','1511271639109289');fbq('track','PageView');<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/analyze-sudden-traffic-drop\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sudden drop in organic traffic can feel like an SEO nightmare. Rankings dip, visibility declines, and conversions take a hit\u2014leaving you scrambling for answers.\u00a0 But instead of panicking, you need a structured approach to diagnose the issue, take corrective action, and restore your site\u2019s performance. Here\u2019s exactly how to analyze a sudden drop in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}