Google’s Search Experience Update (SGE) is a major algorithm change that is designed to improve the quality of search results. However, a recent study has found that SGE could also have a significant impact on SEO traffic, with some websites seeing traffic drops of up to 95%.
The study, which was conducted by Search Engine Land, analyzed the impact of SGE on 23 websites in the technology industry. The study found that the aggregate organic traffic drop as a result of SGE was 18-64%. However, there was a large variance inside the sample, with some websites gaining as much as 219% in traffic while others were losing as much as 95%.
The study’s authors attribute the traffic drops to a number of factors, including:
- A decrease in ranking for some keywords
- A decrease in click-through rate (CTR) for some keywords
- A decrease in the number of impressions for some keywords
The study’s authors also found that websites that were more reliant on informational keywords were more likely to experience traffic drops as a result of SGE. This is because SGE is designed to favor websites that provide high-quality, informative content. Quick definitions – Informational content: The user wants to find an answer to a specific question. Commercial (investigating a brand or service, Transactional (completing an action), or navigational (finding a specific page or site).
What does this mean for your SEO traffic?
It is important to be aware of the potential impact of SGE on your SEO traffic. If you are a website that is reliant on informational keywords, you may be more likely to experience a traffic drop as a result of SGE.
If you are concerned about the impact of SGE on your SEO traffic, it is advisable to monitor your traffic closely and make adjustments to your SEO strategy as needed.
Here are some tips for recovering from an SGE traffic drop:
- Review your keyword performance. Identify the keywords that have been most affected by SGE and focus on improving your ranking and CTR for those keywords.
- Improve your content quality. Make sure that your content is high-quality, informative, and engaging. Information that reinforces your brand and services and provides value to the reader.
- Optimize your on-page SEO. Make sure that your website is technically sound and that your pages are optimized for the keywords that you are targeting.
What will happen with your specific website, or anyone else’s for that matter, is still a mystery. We assume that like all historical algorithm shifts, there will be a series of tweaks, and ongoing optimization. By following these tips, you can minimize the impact of SGE on your SEO traffic and recover from any traffic drops that you may experience.
