{"id":6902,"date":"2024-08-28T07:19:16","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T12:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keyword.com\/?post_type=blog&p=6902"},"modified":"2024-12-09T10:21:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T15:21:56","slug":"local-seo-rankings-drop-troubleshooting-guide","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/keyword.com\/blog\/local-seo-rankings-drop-troubleshooting-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Do When Local SEO Rankings Drop: A Troubleshooting Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your local website has been dominating the SERPs for relevant keywords all this time. Suddenly, your SEO fortunes turn, and your website falls in rankings \u2014 from top SERP positions to page two or worse. What do you do?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This article shares a comprehensive troubleshooting checklist to diagnose the root cause behind a local SEO ranking drop and how to combat it.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Drop in Local SEO Rankings?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A local SEO ranking drop refers to a decrease in your business’s visibility in local SERPs for relevant keywords.<\/span><\/p>\n

For many business-related searches with local intent, Google displays three listings in its Local Pack, also known as the Map Pack.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, here\u2019s the Local Pack for a search on \u201cthe best restaurants in Irving.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Local<\/p>\n

A local SEO ranking drop means you’ve likely fallen out of the top three listings in the local pack or lost visibility for searches relevant to your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Technically, this could be due to various factors observed by the SEO community or those directly confirmed by Google that influence <\/span>local SEO performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Do Local SEO Rankings Drop?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are several reasons why you might experience a sudden drop in local SEO rankings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Google Business Profile Listing Issues<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Google<\/span><\/a> clearly states that an inaccurate, incomplete, or unengaging Google Business Profile (GMB) listing can significantly impact your local SEO ranking. Your profile will be affected if essential guidelines such as data accuracy and misrepresentation are violated. In the worst-case scenario, you will be suspended.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take keyword stuffing, for instance. Some businesses try to optimize every relevant keyword into their <\/span>Google Business name, the title tag of their GBP landing page, and even their website content <\/span>to rank higher for search terms,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Using business categories as keywords<\/span><\/a> has also been recognized by Google as an unacceptable practice to avoid.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, keyword stuffing could artificially or temporarily inflate the perceived relevance of your business profile to search queries and searchers. However, it ultimately creates a poor user experience that Google can penalize.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other GPB listing issues that could cause a local SEO ranking drop are w<\/span>ebsite URLs with little authority, inaccurate business categories, and inadequate reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more<\/b>: <\/span>How to optimize your Google Business Profile for local SEO<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Review Issues<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Positive reviews are a local SEO advantage. <\/span>Google\u2019s local SEO guidelines<\/span><\/a> state that more reviews and positive ratings will probably improve a business’s local ranking.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, when you engage in blackhat review practices like buying reviews, posting fake reviews, and using review-gating software, it can lead to a drop in local SEO rankings and affect your website\u2019s performance in the SERPs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other review issues that can affect your local SEO performance include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n