Navigating SERP Volatility: How To Deal With Changing Ranks

SERP volatility can be incredibly frustrating. In some cases, search engine results pages (SERPs) will rank the same websites consistently in the same positions. But, we all know that Google’s SERPs can also be in a constant state of change, with page 1 rankings updating frequently. You may rank in the top positions one day, and the next, you’re not even appearing on the first page. 

In this article, we’ll explain the concept of SERP volatility, explore common causes of volatile SERPs and provide insight into how best to adapt your SEO strategies to minimise the impact of SERP volatility on your website.

What is SERP volatility?

SERP volatility refers to the fluctuation of SERPs, often characterised by unexpected changes or variations in your keyword rankings. Shifting search results and ranking positions is natural in the SEO world, where websites consistently battle for the top spot. However, SERP volatility helps us understand how unpredictable rankings can be. 

In simple terms, queries with high SERP volatility will likely result in sudden and frequent rank changes, whereas less volatile queries maintain more consistent and steady search results. 

What causes SERP volatility?

Many factors contribute to SERP volatility, including Google algorithm updates, website quality indicators, topical events, search behaviours and competitors’ SEO activity. 

Google algorithm updates

Google releases thousands of experimental algorithm changes every year – some are publicly announced, and others are made behind the scenes. Any kind of algorithm update can cause instability in the search results. 

Google updates are made to improve search results by rewarding sites with better, more helpful content. So, ranks will fluctuate as new or different sites move up in the SERPs as a result of being deemed ‘more useful’ to the user.

For example, the recent core updates have primarily targeted ‘low-value SEO content’. Google has released guidelines stating that content which has been made ‘specifically for search engines’ will be penalised in the SERPs, and instead, helpful and quality content will be rewarded. 

Quality signs 

One of the most significant ranking factors is a website’s quality signals. This includes having strong technical SEO foundations, site speed, topical relevance and many other elements. Together these quality signals help Google determine how helpful a site is and how relevant a brand is against the keywords they’re trying to rank for.

As of the latest helpful content update, experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are even more fundamental for organic performance. This concept requires a website to prove to Google that it should be considered a trusted and valuable source of information. Powerful E-E-A-T signals include client testimonials, case studies and credential-rich about us pages.

Strong E-E-A-T signals make a website stand out from its competitors. So, in competitive markets where players are continuously rolling out new and engaging content, websites can add depth by giving more expert insights or unique perspectives from industry leaders, improving the quality of their content and increasing their relevance on the given topic. 

Topical events or news stories 

Something that can have a big impact on SERP volatility is trending news stories or recent events that are closely related to certain keyword phrases. This often causes rapid changes in the SERPs as news reports start to rank highly, typically for a week or so before disappearing. 

For example – with the recent announcement of Oasis returning to the stage, the search results for ‘Oasis’ are now heavily flooded with news stories of their return, the official Oasis website and Oasis’ Spotify & YouTube pages. Whereas, a few weeks ago, before the announcement, the SERPs would have included more links to other brands (like Oasis Fashion) and greater diversity. This shows that Google understands changes in search intent very, very quickly.

Changes in search behaviour  

Naturally, over time Google user’s preferences change and search trends begin to emerge. For example, there may be a shift in interests that impacts the level of search demand for certain queries. Or, users may adopt new variations of keywords that websites are not actively targeting, meaning Google needs to change the search results to satisfy these in-demand queries. Any changes in how users search on Google will have a direct impact on the SERPs. 

Competitor activity  

SERP volatility can also be caused by competitor activity. Remember, just because your rankings have dropped doesn’t mean Google is penalising you. It may also mean that Google is valuing what your competitors are doing higher. This is an important distinction to make.

Competitor Optimisations

As part of ongoing SEO efforts, you can expect your competitors to regularly review their pages for ways to improve keyword targeting and content to ensure it’s up to date. This type of activity can boost their visibility as if they can target additional relevant keywords then they are likely to be rewarded by Google for offering high-quality, topically-rich content. 

Backlinks

Competitors may also have a sudden push on building backlinks, which improve your site’s perceived authority and relevance, therefore, possibly increasing their ranks. If your site has few or low-quality links, this may be an area to focus on in your upcoming digital marketing strategy. 

If your competitors’ activity helps them to gain visibility within the SERPs, your website may be displaced and lose ranks. Likewise, if they make content changes that actually decrease the quality of their content, there is an opportunity for you to steal some of their visibility and climb higher in the search results. Consistent competitor activity makes SERP landscapes very dynamic and means you need to keep your competitive edge. 

Not sure if this is happening to you? Use third-party tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to monitor your competitor’s content changes and new backlinks.

What can you do to protect your ranks from SERP volatility?

SERP volatility is not something that can simply be avoided. Competing in a particularly volatile market requires close attention and flexible SEO strategies. 

Here are some of the best ways to help protect yourself against volatile SERPs:

Stay up to date with algorithm changes 

One of the easiest ways to keep on top of SERP volatility is to take time to understand exactly what Google announces during their core algorithm updates and reflect on your website to identify if any obvious weaknesses will not cohere with new guidelines. This will help to mitigate the impact of the algorithm update as much as possible, ensuring that your website is following Google’s SEO best practices. 

However, it’s also important to note that when it comes to rank fluctuations off the back of algorithm updates, it’s recommended to sit tight with your current strategy for a short period of time, as SERP volatility during Google updates is usually temporary and responding immediately to rank drops may actually jeopardise your position in the long-term. 

Keyword monitoring 

As part of SEO best practice, you should always be tracking your primary target keywords. There are plenty of SEO platforms that have keyword position tracking, such as Ahrefs, Rank Ranger and SEMrush, which allow you to monitor ranking positions for individual keywords. By monitoring keywords daily, you will gain a better understanding of which keywords have more volatile SERPs, so you can anticipate future drops in ranks. You may also choose to adjust your SEO strategy to target less volatile keywords, making it easier for you to rank on the first page results. 

With these SEO tools (and others), you can also keep an eye on the volatility of SERP features, such as featured snippets or local map packs. These snippets can also be volatile, and because of their prominence in the SERPs, have the potential to have an even bigger impact on click-through rates. 

Boost your quality signals 

As mentioned, E-E-A-T has become more important in the Google world than ever. If you notice that the SERPs have shifted so that highly authoritative websites are ranking more frequently in the top spots, it’s likely as a result of them showcasing expertise and experience on a topic. Adding signs of experience to the website through expert opinions, awards, and author bios will all help to highlight your relevance in the industry.

Another important factor here is to consider whether the page has been curated specifically for SEO and whether the quality and precision of the topic are missed as a result of keyword stuffing and over-optimisation. 

Strategic decisions made to improve the quality of your website will increase your ranking stability within the SERPs.

Refresh old content 

One of the fundamentals of on-page SEO is content (re)optimisation. Responding to lost ranks due to SERP volatility involves analysing the top-ranked websites and comparing them to your pages that have lost positions. Ask yourself, are your competitor’s pages covering a topic differently? Are there content gaps in your current page? Are you going after the same keywords? You always need to make sure your content is answering the questions users are asking so you can stay relevant and valuable in Google’s eyes. 

To further minimise the impact of SERP volatility, you should also get into the habit of reviewing your existing articles to ensure they are all still relevant and up to date. Topics evolve over time, so content should also change in line with this. 

Is SERP volatility impacting your organic visibility?

SERP volatility is an ongoing challenge within SEO so it’s fundamental to be proactive and adapt your strategies in line with SERP changes. Some of the key things you can do to tackle volatile SERPs include:

• Stay up to date with algorithm changes 
• Monitor your primary keywords 
• Boost your website quality signals 
• Keep refreshing old content 
• Analysis of your competitor’s activity  
• Watch out for changes in search behaviour  

Has your website been struggling to compete in a competitive SERP or have you been impacted by a recent Google algorithm update? At Distinctly, we have experience in dealing with post-algorithm update recovery and supporting organic growth. Don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out more about our SEO services.