Declined keywords are those that have dropped in ranking but remain within the top 100 search results. Monitoring them helps recover lost positions and optimise traffic.
Declined Keywords refer to the keywords for which a domain has experienced a decline in rankings but continues to remain within the top 100 ranking positions on search engine results pages (SERPs). These keywords are still valuable in terms of visibility but have witnessed a drop in performance compared to their previous rankings.
The term “declined” typically indicates a drop in the keyword’s position, which may be due to several factors such as increased competition, algorithm updates, or changes in user behaviour. Despite the decline, these keywords remain within the top 100, which means the website still receives some search traffic for those terms, but it may not be performing as well as before. Tracking these keywords is crucial for monitoring the health of a website’s SEO strategy, as they can be leveraged to regain lost traffic or adapt to changes in search patterns.
Importance of Declined Keywords
SEO Monitoring and Optimisation: Tracking declined keywords helps identify areas where a website’s rankings may be slipping. If a keyword that previously ranked higher has dropped but is still within the top 100, this is a sign that optimisation may be needed.
Targeting Potential: While these keywords are still ranking, their visibility has decreased. It may be an opportunity to focus on strengthening content and improving other on-page SEO factors to regain higher rankings.
Competitive Advantage: The decline in keyword ranking could be due to more aggressive competition. By monitoring these keywords, you can adjust your strategy to either outrank competitors or find related long-tail keywords to target.
Traffic and Conversion Insight: Understanding declined keywords can provide insights into traffic drops. Even though a keyword remains in the top 100, the shift in ranking may have affected click-through rates (CTR), meaning there may be fewer visitors to the site despite the position still being relatively strong.
Common Causes for Declined Keyword Rankings
Several factors can lead to the decline of a keyword, even though it remains in the top 100 results:
Increased Competition: Competitors may have strengthened their content or improved their SEO strategies, causing your website to fall in rankings while theirs rise.
Algorithm Updates: Search engines like Google frequently update their algorithms. A core update could change how search engines evaluate certain keywords, impacting your ranking even if your content hasn’t changed.
Content Stagnation: If the content on the page is not updated regularly or does not meet the evolving search intent, it can cause a decline in rankings for that keyword.
Technical SEO Issues: Factors such as slow page load speed, mobile responsiveness issues, or poor internal linking can contribute to a drop in rankings.
External Factors: Changes in user behaviour or seasonal shifts can affect how often certain keywords are searched or how much competition exists for those keywords.
How to Recover Declined Keywords
To regain positions for declined keywords, several actions can be taken:
Content Optimisation: Refresh the content to ensure it is comprehensive, relevant, and up-to-date. Incorporate keyword variations and ensure the content aligns with search intent.
Improve User Experience: Work on improving the technical SEO aspects of the page, such as loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and overall site structure.
Competitive Analysis: Monitor your competitors’ strategies to understand why they may be outranking you. This could include better on-page SEO, enhanced user engagement, or stronger backlinks.
Backlink Acquisition: Build high-quality backlinks to your page to improve its authority. Focus on getting links from reputable sources that are relevant to your niche.
Reevaluate Target Keywords: If recovery seems difficult for certain declined keywords, consider targeting related or long-tail keywords that may have less competition but can still drive relevant traffic.
Monitoring Declined Keywords
To track declined keywords and monitor their performance over time, SEO tools like Semrush offer valuable insights. These tools allow you to track the position of a keyword, see how its rank has changed, and identify the possible causes for decline. Regular monitoring helps you to adjust your SEO efforts and address any ranking drops before they have a significant impact on overall site traffic.
Conclusion
Declined keywords represent a critical area of focus in SEO analysis. Although these keywords remain in the top 100 rankings, a drop in position indicates that action may be needed to recover lost ground. Regular monitoring and optimisation can help regain lost rankings and drive more targeted traffic to your website.
Understanding and managing declined keywords can play an essential role in long-term SEO success, allowing you to stay competitive in search results and maintain a solid online presence.
Declined keywords are terms for which a website has experienced a drop in rankings, yet they remain in the top 100 search results.
Declined keywords are identified through SEO tools like Semrush, which track keyword rankings and indicate any decline in position over time.
It means the keyword’s position has fallen, but it still holds a spot within the top 100 search results, indicating room for improvement.
Monitoring declined keywords helps identify opportunities for improving rankings and recovering lost traffic by optimising content and SEO strategies.
Yes, while declined keywords may still drive some traffic, the decrease in ranking positions can lead to a reduction in visibility and clicks.
Recovery can be achieved by improving on-page SEO, creating high-quality content, building backlinks, and addressing any issues that may have caused the decline.
Not necessarily. Some fluctuations in keyword rankings are normal, but consistent declines over time indicate the need for targeted SEO efforts.
Factors include algorithm changes, increased competition, poor content optimisation, technical issues, or a lack of updated content.
Yes, with the right SEO strategies, it’s possible to recover and even improve a declined keyword’s ranking within the top 100 search results.
Declined keywords are still in the top 100 rankings but have fallen in position, while lost keywords have dropped out of the top 100 entirely.
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This glossary post was last updated: 1st December 2024.
