Ranking well on search engine results pages (SERP) is one of the top aims of search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. It can feel good to reach that top spot and stay there.
From a functional standpoint, ranking on the first page of search results brings more traffic and customers to your website. But your SERP rankings will likely change from time to time.
This phenomenon, sometimes called SERP volatility, can be a significant challenge for businesses and marketers alike.
Keep reading to learn more about SERP volatility and the best ways to manage and mitigate its impact. In this post, we’ll dive into the following topics:
• Understanding SERP Volatility
• Causes of SERP Volatility
• Effects of SERP Volatility on Website Traffic and Search Engine Optimization
• SERP Monitoring Tools
• Best Practices for Managing SERP Volatility
Understanding SERP Volatility
SERPs are dynamic pages, with their content and rankings changing periodically to reflect Google algorithm updates and other factors. These changes theoretically aim to provide search engine users with the best and most relevant content based on their searches.
As the name suggests, SERP volatility is the fluctuation in rankings a particular website or web page experiences in search results. You can monitor these changes through SERP tracking software and other similar tools.
While sometimes uncontrollable, these fluctuations can be detrimental to businesses wanting to maintain consistent traffic to their web pages.
While small, incremental changes are normal, huge, sudden ranking shifts can be cause concern. For example, if your web page ranks 3rd one day and 10th the next, it might be time to reassess your on-page optimization strategy or consider potential external changes that can be made.
What Causes SERP Volatility?
The fluctuations you observe on your SERP rankings don’t come out of nowhere. These results often come as a result of various factors both within and outside of your control.
Understanding the causes of SERP volatility is crucial for SEO professionals and businesses to create more responsive strategies and protect their rankings. Here are the six main factors contributing to abrupt ranking changes.
1. Google Algorithm Updates
Google constantly changes its search engine algorithms, rolling out updates several times a year. These updates aim to make Google’s search engine more effective and helpful by improving user experience and the quality of search results.
While most Google algorithm updates only involve minor tweaks, core search engine updates can cause major ranking fluctuations. For example, Google’s latest core update, released last August, caused high volatility levels across multiple niche markets.
Source: Search Engine Land
Many websites may experience ranking fluctuations during and after these updates as Google reassesses web pages based on factors like content quality, search relevance and user experience.
2. Vague or Mixed Search Intent
Search intent, sometimes known as user intent, refers to a person’s purpose or goal when making a search. This intent is crucial in how Google ranks web pages on SERPs.
When someone uses a broad search query, search engines often pull up different web pages to accommodate various search intents.
For example, when someone looks up “fintech AI,” search engines can find it challenging to pinpoint the user intent. Are they looking for definitions, industry news or service providers? The user will often see mixed results depending on how the search engine assesses their online activity.
Additionally, news and current events can affect intent and, as a result, increase SERP volatility.
“Seasonal trends or news events can impact search rankings, causing fluctuations in user behavior and search intent,” said Ken Romero, Thrive’s Demand Generation SEO Strategist.
3. High Keyword Difficulty
Some keywords are more ‘difficult’ than others. These difficult keywords are highly competitive due to the number of websites trying to rank for them.
Most competitive keywords are often broader in scope and attract high amounts of traffic. For example, a keyword like “healthcare” would be much more competitive than “healthcare news Arizona.”
In highly saturated niches, competitor analysis can show that other websites are continuously optimizing their pages or acquiring new backlinks. For these reasons, rankings for these keywords can be more volatile than others.
4. Indexing and Crawling Issues
For search engines to display your web pages on SERPs, they need to be able to crawl and index your website. If there are issues that prevent crawlers from accessing or understanding your pages, you can end up with low or volatile SERP rankings.
Common factors that can lead to crawling or indexing issues include:
• Recent redesigns
• Missing sitemap
• Poor website structure
• Orphan or unlinked web pages, etc.
5. Penalties
Search engine penalties can be either algorithmic or manual and can cause sudden drops or changes to your rankings. Algorithmic penalties come with Google algorithm updates that might not work in your website’s favor.
On the other hand, manual penalties come from human reviewers who manually assess your web pages for potential violations of Google’s webmaster guidelines. They often penalize websites and web pages that use spam or malicious SEO tactics.
6. Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization happens when multiple pages within the same website are targeting the same keywords.
If you publish a ton of pages competing for the same keyword, it can confuse search engine crawlers and affect the authority of each page. Multiple pages end up fluctuating between different positions instead of having one strong page that consistently has a high ranking.
How SERP Volatility Affects Website Traffic and Search Engine Optimization
As mentioned, getting the top spot on SERPs is a goal for many businesses and SEO specialists.
“The higher your website’s ranking, the more likely it is to appear on the first page, which significantly increases your chances of attracting organic traffic,” said Nanette Taripe, a Thrive Demand Generation SEO Strategist.
In a perfect world, your business would stay in that position and rake in as many site visitors and conversions as possible. However, keywords are competitive, and SERP volatility is a reality many marketers must contend with.
SERP volatility can cause inconsistencies in your website’s organic traffic and conversion rates, especially if you rely heavily on SEO. Rank tracking tools can help you assess your website’s performance and react appropriately.
To work around these fluctuations, you may need to reorient your strategies. In addition to conducting competitor analysis and targeting the right keywords, make sure to embrace SEO best practices and develop a comprehensive strategy that includes technical, off-page and on-page optimization.
SERP Monitoring Tools To Assess Volatility
Staying ahead of fluctuations and creating a responsive strategy requires constant monitoring. Aside from alerting you of your site’s performance or any Google algorithm changes, you can also use these tools for competitor analysis.
Many businesses and SEO professionals use various SERP tracking software and rank tracking tools to monitor volatility. Let’s explore three of them below.
1. MozCast
Developed by Moz, MozCast is one of the most well-known SERP monitoring tools for assessing volatility. It tracks 10,000 keywords across multiple industries daily and analyzes how SERP rankings change.
Source: MozCast
It then presents its findings through a weather metaphor, with SERP volatility measured in degrees Fahrenheit. A calm day with little to no changes can come up at around 70°F. The hotter the temperature, the more volatile the SERPs are.
2. Semrush Sensor
Semrush Sensor is part of the broad Semrush suite of SEO tools that offers a closer look at SERP volatility.
Source: Semrush Sensor
It tracks keywords across a wide range of niches and assigns a score based on the ranking changes it observes. In addition to a generic volatility score, Semrush Sensor also notes the difference between desktop and mobile searches.
3. Algoroo
Algoroo, developed by DEJAN Marketing, is another popular tool that monitors Google algorithm changes and SERP volatility.
Source: Algoroo
This tool monitors selected keywords and looks for fluctuations in their rankings. It then adds each positive and negative movement into their SERP volatility metric called a ‘roo.’ A higher daily ‘roo’ score indicates higher volatility.
5 Tips and SEO Best Practices To Better Manage SERP Volatility
As search engines continue to refine their algorithms and user preferences change, it can be challenging to maintain consistent high rankings for your web pages. Aside from using rank tracking tools to monitor your web pages, it’s essential to strengthen your SEO and digital marketing strategies to attract traffic and conversions.
Here are five tips and best practices from Don Gruspe, one of Thrive’s Demand Generation SEO Strategists, on better managing SERP volatility.
Tip #1: Create High-Quality Content
Quality content is fundamental to any successful SEO strategy. It is also one of the most effective ways to stabilize your SERP rankings, even during algorithm changes or other periods of volatility.
Search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing often prioritize valuable content that addresses user intent and provides accurate, in-depth and authoritative information, regardless of the nature of the update.
Aside from ensuring that your content is well-researched and engaging, it’s also an excellent practice to regularly update your website and blog posts with the latest information. This practice keeps your content evergreen, maintaining its relevance over time.
Tip #2: Refine Your Technical SEO Strategy
SEO doesn’t only rely on on-page optimization and the keywords you use on your content. You also need to focus on your technical SEO and website infrastructure. This foundation helps search engines crawl and index your website effectively, increasing your chances of appearing on relevant SERPs.
Make sure to improve your website’s loading speeds and responsiveness across multiple devices. Adhering to Google’s Core Web Vitals is a safe bet to ensure your website’s technical side helps your SERP rankings.
Tip #3: Focus on User Experience
Search engines mainly aim to provide the best user experience (UX) in their algorithm updates. Prioritizing UX in your web design and content allows you to align with search engines’ expectations and potentially maintain your stability on SERPs.
Some ways to improve your site’s UX include:
• Intuitive navigation
• Readability and proper formatting
• Fast loading speeds
• Accessibility, etc
Creating positive browsing experiences for your users can help increase your engagement metrics, which can serve as a buffer against some instances of SERP volatility.
Tip #4: Target Long-Tail Keywords
While high-volume, short-tail keywords are attractive due to the number of people searching for them, they’re often more competitive and prone to volatility. Targeting long-tail keywords in your strategy can provide stability and create a more balanced approach.
Long-tail keywords usually have lower search volumes. However, they are also less competitive, making it easier to reach and maintain higher SERP rankings. They also indicate higher search intent, which can potentially lead to conversions.
Tip #5: Diversify Your Marketing Platforms
Following SEO best practices is essential for higher SERP rankings. However, relying solely on organic search traffic can leave your business vulnerable to Google algorithm changes and SERP volatility.
Diversifying your choice of marketing platforms helps you maintain a steady stream of traffic and conversions despite possible SERP fluctuations. Try exploring social media, email marketing or paid ads to attract audiences from multiple touchpoints.
Thrive Amidst SERP Volatility
SERP volatility is a sometimes unpleasant reality that businesses and marketers must deal with. While you can’t eliminate it, there are ways you can work with it and manage its effects. Partnering with a digital marketing agency like Thrive can help you navigate these challenges more confidently.
Whether you want to start out on your SEO journey with a site audit or want some help with SERP tracking software and monitoring your current performance, we can offer a tailored strategy that matches your firm’s unique needs and goals.
Keep your business stable amidst search engine volatilities — talk to our SEO experts today.
