4 steps to determine why your page is decreasing in rank on the SERPs

Understanding why your page is decreasing in rank is an important step to correcting the problem and maintaining your SEO results. When a page begins to drop in the rankings, here is how to find out why your page is decreasing in rank.

• Check for algo updates at Google 
• Examine your content for SEO best practices
• Check whether your content is recent or outdated
• Look at the content that outranks you

1. Check for algo updates. See if the Google algorithm has recently undergone any changes that might impact rankings. Sometimes Google makes adjustments without officially announcing anything, so you want to look at popular SEO news sources instead of just the official Google channels. If you see that others have had similar drops in ranking, then that is a good indicator that an update has been made to the algorithm.

Knowing that your page has dropped rankings because of an algorithm update may give you your first steps to correct the problem. Look for any insights regarding what Google wanted to correct with this update, and use this information to help you improve the content you created.

2. Examine your content for SEO best practices. If there were no algorithm updates, then you want to closely examine your content for SEO best practices to see where you might fall short. Make sure that your target keyword has been used in your title, URL, metadata, and naturally throughout the content.

Look at your traffic and engagement rates for this particular piece of content and examine trends on BrightEdge and Google Analytics. This can help you see if people have lost interest in the content. See if you have had any changes in how your brand promotes this particular piece of content, such as a drop in how often it appears in social media posts or your email campaigns. Google looks at people’s engagement with content when determining the interest of customers in the material. If you have changed your promotions at all, try shifting back to your old strategy.

3. Check whether your content is recent or outdated. Look at how recently your content has been created or updated. Particularly with content that is not evergreen, Google will also likely prioritize content that is fresher and contains the latest information for readers. If your content has become outdated, then you will want to take the time to correct that problem. Freshen up the material and update your publication date so that both readers and Google know that your content has been updated.

4. Look at the content that outranks you. Look at the content that has taken your spot. If none of the other steps have given you a good indication of why your content has lost rankings and what to do about it, you want to take the time to look at the content that has taken your spot. See if you can determine why the search engine might have regarded this content more highly than yours.

Look at the length of the content and its depth on the topic. You might also want to look at the rest of the domain. For example, if this site has a big topic cluster, they thus demonstrate greater authority on the subject. Meanwhile, if you only have a blog post, it will become clear why their content outranks yours.

Particularly for content and keywords that play a large role in your organization, you will want to use this insight to improve your own content. Build up your topic further, consider building a content cluster, and look for ways to demonstrate your authority in the industry to Google and to readers.

When you see your content drop in the rankings, it can cause considerable frustration and confusion. Knowing what to do when you see this arise, however, can help you protect other content from dropping and hopefully regain the old positions for your material.

Learn how to create new content from existing content and generate new traffic

Learning how to do SEO content writing from already existing content makes it easy for brands to repurpose material that they have already developed. This can be particularly useful as often different customers like to consume content in a variety of ways.

To do content writing with existing content as your draft, think first about the persona and the stage of the buyer’s journey that this particular customer likely falls when they are interested in the topic at hand. With this information, you can make a list of the types of content that they might want to consume. This will help you develop a plan for taking your existing material and creating new content types. These steps will help you understand how to do content writing with existing content:

• Transition material between written content and video
• Transition material between a blog post and longer content
• Transition material between blog posts and social media content

1. Transforming material between written content and video. Video has become increasingly popular as customers appreciate the opportunity to sit back and consume content with minimal effort on their part. The visuals of a video also help to engage them.

If you have a blog post you want to turn into a video, read the post through and pull out the most important points that you want to make in the video. Take these parts and use them to develop a script that the person in the video can use for guidance. Publishing a transcript alongside the video can also benefit you from an SEO perspective as it allows the search engines to understand the content of the video as well.

If you have a video that you would like to transition to a blog post, see if you have a transcript or script available of the video. This will allow you to review the material covered and begin to adjust the wording to create a written-content style. With the outline available from the video, this will go significantly faster than creating a blog from scratch.

If you do not have a transcript or script available, then simply watch the video a few times and take notes as you go.

2. Transforming material between a blog post and longer content. If you already have a blog post and you want to create a longer piece of content, such as a white paper or an ebook, then take the blog post and open it in a new word document. Pull out each point you cover in the post and use it to begin brainstorming areas where you can expand the material and dive in deeper. You want to think of the blog post essentially as an outline that you can use to guide your ideas, while also taking your new audience much further in the subject.

On the other hand, if you have a long piece of content that you want to use to create a blog post, you will take this process in reverse. Brands often use shorter blog posts of longer research or white papers because it allows them to build an interested audience and then offer them a link to the more in depth content.

Therefore, sit down with the longform material and identify your key points. See if any of the key ideas can be eliminated to leave something unique for the white paper or ebook. For the ones that remain, look for ways to shorten the details you offer. Your blog post should provide valuable information but offer more of a cursory examination of the topic than your in depth publication.

3. Transforming material between blog posts and social media content. Your blog posts can also provide assistance in the creation of social media content. Pull out some of your main ideas and use them to create short social media posts and teasers that can help you attract attention for the full post. Statistics, for example, can make great tweets that encourage people to want to learn more.

Social media can also help you figure out what topics interest customers the most. If you see that posts on a particular topic build a lot of interest, use your posts on the topic to start putting together a full blog post to explore the topic for readers.

How to increase rank on Google for an unranked page?

When you have a page that does not have high rankings that will bring in interested readers or help with your site organization, it can be frustrating. Here is how to increase rank on Google for an unranked page.

1. First examine the content you have on your page. Is it well-written? Does it have a strong opening that pulls in readers? Does it use visuals to help communicate its meaning and engage people further? Is the content itself dated?
2. Next, see how this page stands within the rest of your website. Do you have other pages that link to this page, or does it mostly stand on its own and readers struggle to discover it?
3. Then, look to see what this page has been optimized for. Have you employed SEO best practices to ensure that your desired keyword is prominent on the page? Do you have other pages on your domain that compete for the same keyword?

Once you have gathered this information, you will start to gain a better idea of why your page doesn't link as you desire. You might find that more than one of these reasons contribute to the poor performance of your content. This will give you a starting point of how to increase rank on Google for this particular page.

1. If your page is poorly written or out of date, you must begin by correcting this problem. See if the content can be repurposed, edited, or updated to make it more in line with what your readers want to see. This includes adding images or other visual content on the page, as these images help people engage with the material.
2. If your content is not well-connected with the rest of your site, you will want to correct this as well. Comb through the rest of your site to find other pages that discuss similar content. Create internal links that will bring people from outside pages back to the poorly-ranked page and vice versa. This will help people find and engage with the material, which will boost rankings.
3. If your content has not been well optimized, take a look at your targeted keywords and see which ones will fit well with this piece of content. Edit the piece to ensure that the page has been well developed for this keyword and answers the needs of those searching for this particular topic. Then, fully optimize the page for the topic, including using the keyword in the title, URL, image alt text, meta description, and several times throughout the content. This will help your content catch the eye of the search engines.

Regardless of the reasons that your site initially failed to rank well, throughout your efforts to boost your ranking, you also want to take the time to promote the piece to the search engines and your readers. Drawing traffic to the content is the best way to show the search engines and your audience that the piece has been updated to better fit their needs. This means using the content wherever it fits best. For example, if it fits with your social media campaigns, share it with your followers. If it fits into an email for a targeted persona, use it in your email promotions. Help people discover the content, as traffic and engagement will help search engines themselves pay attention to the material.

Altogether, these strategies should help you raise the ranking of content that ranks poorly.

How to create topic clusters?

Topic clusters will help you target particular topics and ideas on your website. This will help you demonstrate your expertise on the subject and give your readers plenty of resources to dive deeply into the topic at hand. As they start to explore the ideas, they have links and other material to follow and read so that they can continue to learn and see you as the expert.

Google also likes topic clusters because then the search engine easily understands your level of expertise on the subject. Google often uses semantically-related keywords to judge the depth of content produced. When a domain includes a number of related keywords, it judges that the content provides depth and a substantial examination of the topic for users.

To create topic clusters, you want to start by identifying the topic you want to cover. The main topic should focus around a keyword that has a high search volume. It should also be broad enough that there are a number of subtopics that you can identify that would allow readers to go deeper into the material.

Use Data Cube to help you identify your central topic as well as several subtopics. Use the search volume to help you gain a better idea about which topics are popular so you know what will interest readers.

Once you have done this research, organize your material. List your central topic and then your subtopics, or pillars, that you will use that dive into your central topic more deeply.

Then, as you begin writing, we recommend that you begin with the subtopics. This will help you organize your thoughts, determine which content gets covered in the subtopics, and create a better organizational strategies for the reader as a whole. Armed with this information, you will find it easier to then go back and create your main topical page. Overall, this will make the content easier for readers to digest and absorb. It will also help you avoid needless repetition.

Get more backlink opportunities to your website

Backlinks can provide your content with a valuable source of traffic as well as positive factors to increase your opportunity for ranking content. Google looks at backlinks to better understand how content fits into the web. They assume that websites willing to link to a particular site and potentially send their own readers to this outside site must view that particular content as trustworthy. For this reason, sites that have regular backlinks from other quality sites will generally be viewed favorably. The backlinks operate almost as voucher for a particular site, saying that this page has quality content.

To cultivate the best backlinks for your own site, therefore, you want to focus on links that come from other well-regarded sites. Backlinks from major publications for your industry, for example, can benefit your domain. If you can gain backlinks from someone else discussing your original research on one of these publications, it can provide you with an excellent link to your content.

You can also build quality backlinks by creating guest posts that will allow you to link back to content on your own site. This can help you drive traffic towards your pages.

As you build backlinks, you want to think about the anchor keywords you use for the link. If you have any control over the text, such as if you are crafting a guest post on another publication, then target words that have a high relevance for the content on your site.

Strategize around the search volume of keywords using BrightEdge

Knowing how to find keywords with high search volume will help you identify the topics that your targeted readers will most likely find interesting. A high search volume indicates that customers want to read about these topics and thus turn to Google to find answers on a regular basis. Writing about high search volume keywords will increase awareness of your brand and give you the opportunity to increase your rank in the SERPs.

One way to get a sense of the relative keyword volume is to explore in Google Trends. Input two to four terms and it will tell you the relative popularity of the terms over time. If you have a Google Adwords account, you can use Ad Planner to see estimated keyword query volumes. Your Google Search Console account will tell you the query volume for terms on which you rank, but it will not help you explore words on which you do not rank.

To find a keyword with a high search volume using Data Cube, you first need to open BrightEdge and hover over the Research portion of the menu. You can then click on Content Research powered by Data Cube. This will open the Data Cube function for you to get started.

On the Data Cube main page, you will find a search bar that you can use for a variety of functions. To find high search volume keywords, simply type in the main topic you are considering writing about. For example, if you wanted to find keywords related to building homes, you could type in ‘building homes’. This will return a list of keywords related to this topic. For this search term, you will see keywords such as ‘building homes’, ‘building homes cost’, new building homes’. You don't always have to choose they keyword with the highest search volume. Remember to stay relevant to your site and your audience. If a keyword with a search volume of 500,000 doesn't work for you, choose a keyword that does. You can still rank well and improve traffic here.

In the columns next to the list of keywords, you will also see valuable information that will help you select the right keywords. These columns provide data on the search volume for this particular keyword as well as the level of competition and the keyword value.

The ‘search volume’ tells you, on average, how often searches related to this particular keyword occur on Google. The competition, however, gives you information regarding how many other people are also fighting to rank for this same keyword. A keyword that has a high competition rating indicates that many brands fight for the top spot for this keyword, and it might not be the easiest for you to secure.

The column that offers a ranking for the ‘keyword value’ will give you a general ranking for the value the keyword offers if you manage to secure a top ranking position.

As you sort through high search volume keywords, you can also use filters to focus on the keywords that matter the most to your business. For example, if you want to target only the keywords that have a high keyword value or get rid of keywords that relate to a competitor's organization, you can use a filter to weed these out. By clicking on the filters, you can choose filters that either include keywords that only meet certain criteria, or filters that exclude any keywords that meet other criteria.

How to write a press release?

To understand how to write press releases, you must first understand the purpose of the press release. Unlike other types of content that you produce for a modern digital strategy, your press release is not designed to be an informal sales pitch. Instead, they are supposed to be a more formal announcement that helps to broadcast something new and interesting about your organization. They provide you with the opportunity to showcase your organization, hopefully giving your SEO, reputation, and reach all a boost.

Effectively writing press releases will require you to follow the press release formula, but craft content that aligns well with these goals.

You will need to begin with a short, intriguing headline that encourages news outlets and readers alike to keep reading to learn more about what you have to say. This headline will play one of the most important roles as you write press releases, as a good headline can make a tremendous difference in your reach and readership.

In addition to catching people’s attention, this headline should also be direct. It should let people know what they will get when they decide to read further. Think about why people will be interested in what you have to say.

As you move into the body of your press release, you then want to continue with the mantra of ‘getting to the point’. Summarize your main ideas in your opening paragraph so that people get a strong idea of why this information matters to them. This opening paragraph gives you the chance to encourage people to learn more about your brand and subject.

Make sure this opening paragraph uses clear language. If the topic is particularly technical, then try to keep your language as concise as possible to interest people, even those who might not have a direct role in the field.

The rest of your body should go into more detail explaining the importance of this announcement, letting people know why they should care.

Finally, conclude with a boiler plate that provides people with more information about your organization. This boilerplate should include important information such as your name, mission statement, and the year of the company’s founding, but also it should make the value of your company clear.

What should be included in a press release?

When you write press releases, you will want to at least include the main features. Have a well-constructed:

• Date
• Headline
• Lede and opening paragraph
• Body
• Boilerplate
• Contact information

However, to write press releases effectively, you also want to make sure that the information contained therein is interesting for your news outlets and your potential audience. Therefore, before you write press releases, you will need to consider some important points.

1. Begin by thinking of the hook or angle you want to think. Consider who you want to target with this press release. Do you want to attract the attention of potential investors, new customers, or potential partners? This will help you outline the direction you want to take with this particular piece of news.
2. Consider why you think the person reading the press release should care. Think carefully about the interests and needs of your readers and create your content in a way that will attract attention and encourage engagement. Remember that news outlets will get countless pitches to sift through, so you want to have a clear way to get your release to the top.
3. Consider including relevant quotes, if possible. Quotes that come from notable people or that can help clearly articulate the value contained in your press release will help build interest.
4. Do not forget the 5 Ws. It might take you back to journalism 101, but do not forget to include the who, what, where, when, and how in your release. This will ensure that your audience receives the relevant information they need to fully digest the information you offer.

How do press releases work?

Press releases are an important part of a complete digital strategy. A press release works by attracting the attention of people to important announcements made by your organization. You can use press releases to attract the attention of a variety of different types of people.

For example, you might write press releases about a new product or service to attract the attention of potential customers or investors. You might write press releases about new data or research that helps you get attention from publications that can help build your brand reach and reputation.

When you write press releases of quality, you will look for an outlet willing to publish your content. You may find a good platform through major PR sites, which can also help you get your release in front of people across multiple news platforms.

A well-written press release published on these platforms will have a strong hook and an engaging headline that attracts the attention of those you want to target. Through its publication, you will ensure that your release encourages people to learn more about your organization and the work you do.

When it comes to building a strong digital presence, you want to make sure that your brand builds a strong reputation and casts you as an industry leader. This helps attract attention to your products and services while also encouraging potential customers to listen to what you have to say.

Regular press releases that help to broadcast your band as an industry leader who regularly provides industry leading products and services or produces excellent research helps to build this important reputation.

What are the types of press releases?

Brands often find that they need to write press releases for a variety of different situations and purposes. Knowing the different types of press releases can help you determine the type you want to take advantage of. For example, you might want to draft a press release to build excitement surrounding an upcoming event or product release. Another time, you might want to write press releases to draw attention to new research you have produced that has the potential to change important assumptions in your industry.

These different situations will call for a different emphasis in your press release. You will want to construct your hooks and ledes in a way that specifically tailors your content to the intended audience. Here are some of the most common press releases you may encounter:

• News press release
• Event press release
• New hire press release
• Establish a position within a field

1. A news or release press release. These types of press release will announce important news, product announcements, and similar types of news that will interest a wide audience. You will use this style to call attention to the launch of a new company or the release of a new product, for example.
2. An event press release. An event press release will generally have a wider audience than just the media, aiming instead to build attention and anticipation of an upcoming event. You want to make sure that the targeted audience knows when and where this event will take place, as well as why they will want to attend.
3. A press release to announce new hires. Some brands, particularly larger organizations, may write press releases to for important hires-- such as new c-suite leaders. These press releases will have more of a biographical feel to them, as they focus on the person who has joined the organization.
4. Establishing a position within the field. As brands look to build their credibility within the field, they may write press releases that help to establish the expertise of the business or individuals within the organization. This press release may bring in verification of the expertise of the individual from outside parties or use original research to reflect the organization’s position within the field.

Use these different types of press releases to help you better engage with the press and build your brand’s presence within the digital ecosystem.