If your organic traffic is down, first panic. Just kidding…kind of. But once your mini panic attack subsides, it’s time to get into the data — because that’s where you can diagnose what’s going on and figure out what you need to do to turn it around.
Many times, the root cause is a more classic SEO issue: a botched redesign, broken redirects, or a Google algorithm update moving the goalposts. Recently, more brands have been seeing AI overviews cannibalizing their blog traffic and creating zero-click searches that chip away at their CTR. And, in a few rare cases, we’ve seen that a dip in traffic isn’t always a sign your SEO is broken. It could just be a simple tracking issue.
Either way, there’s a process to figure it out and start to address it.
What Data Do You Need To Diagnose an Organic Traffic Drop?
The fastest way to diagnose traffic loss is to analyze your data with GA4 and Google Search Console.
Start with these key checks:
- Is Google Analytics tracking visits correctly?
- When did the drop begin?
- Which web pages, categories, or keywords were hit hardest?
- Did rankings (a third-party tool like SEMRush can be really helpful for this one) or Google Search Console impressions fall?
- Did paid search suddenly increase branded campaigns?
- Are conversions steady despite the drop?
Google Search Console shows query-level changes, while tools like SEMrush highlight where AI overviews and featured snippets steal clicks. Ahrefs can reveal backlink losses, search volume shifts, and click-through rate declines. Looking at this combined view tells you if the dip is severe or just a natural fluctuation.
What Typically Causes Organic Traffic Loss?
Although the industry is *buzzing* over AI, most traffic decline we see still traces back to classic SEO problems. The main culprits include site relaunches and technical updates gone awry.
Website Relaunches Generally Cause SEO Traffic Dips:
Website relaunches without SEO planning are still the #1 cause of traffic loss. For example, we had a major retailer come to us after a relaunch gone wrong that cost them millions of dollars. Missing redirects, changed URLs, or deleted content can all massively impact your SEO performance. Every brand should protect SEO during every major launch.
Website Development Updates Can Break SEO:
Development updates often break SEO if not checked. Common issues include:
- Re-platforming without redirects
- Changing URLs or folder structures
- Removing content
- SSL errors or mixed content
- Slow site speed after updates
- Robots.txt blocking or rendering problems
Always review dev logs if traffic suddenly drops after a deployment.
Do Algorithm Updates Still Cause Sudden Traffic Declines?
Yes. Google updates regularly shift rankings, and even strong sites can lose traffic overnight.
For example, one publisher saw a 60% drop in April 2024 after a core update. Helpful Content and spam updates especially hurt thin or low-quality sites. You can check the Google Search Status Dashboard to see if your decline overlaps with an algorithm update. In addition, Search Engine Land generally does a great job reporting on algorithm updates.
When Can An SEO Audit Help Diagnose Organic Traffic Decline?
Sometimes the issue isn’t as straightforward. For example, maybe a site was relaunched, but it’s been a few months since the launch, and the team has made multiple development updates since then. In those kinds of situations, it’s a little more challenging to pinpoint precisely what the cause of the decline is because multiple factors might be contributing. A complete technical crawl checks for:
- Crawl and indexation problems
- Broken internal links
- Duplicate content or incorrect canonicals
- Schema, structured data, and Core Web Vitals
- Mobile optimization and HTTPS security
Having a full technical audit performed can be really valuable if you’re concerned that multiple issues are causing the decline of your website.
Does AI-Generated Content Hurt SEO?
It can. Unedited, spammy AI-generated content can lead to significant ranking losses. Point in case, Google launched SpamBrain to target thin or repetitive AI copy. However, Google doesn’t have a full ban on all AI content, and wants websites to stay focused on original, high-quality content. Here are Google’s guidelines for creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.
As you review your content, ask yourself these questions
- Did we use AI to create a bunch of this?
- Does the text feel robotic or generic?
- Are we staying on topic with our brand?
- Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
- Does your content strategy prioritize fresh, user-focused topics?
AI is a great tool to help improve efficiency in writing, but it is not a 100% replacement for writers. One idea is to use AI tools to ideate and create initial drafts, but then edit for originality, clarity, and depth. But at the end of the day, high-quality, human-guided content builds trust with both readers and search engines.
What Happens When AI Overviews Steal Traffic?
AI overviews can cause the SEO “crocodile effect”—rankings rise, but clicks fall. Impressions go up while organic traffic goes down. For example, in one Ahrefs study, top-ranking pages with AI overviews saw a 34.5% lower average CTR.
But not all traffic loss is bad traffic loss. Ask:
- Was that blog traffic converting?
- Does your brand still appear in the AI overview?
- Should you shift strategy to be GEO-friendly and target snippet-style answers?
This is also the time to think beyond “blue links.” Broaden SEO into multi-channel marketing:
- Social media visibility
- Reddit and community engagement
- Digital PR and referral traffic
- GEO optimization for AI platforms
If the traffic wasn’t critical, move on and test new growth channels.
Common Questions
Why is my organic traffic declining even though rankings are up?
This is often the “SEO crocodile effect.” Rankings rise, but AI overviews, featured snippets, and zero-click searches cut clicks. Users get answers on the SERP without needing to click through to your website.
What are the most common technical issues that cause traffic loss?
The biggest offenders we see are:
- Broken redirects
- Misconfigured robots.txt
- Crawl or index errors
- Slow site speed
- Content that was moved or removed
- Duplicate content (especially an issue on ecommerce sites)
Can algorithm updates cause a significant drop in website traffic?
Yes. Core updates, Helpful Content updates, and spam filters can slash traffic. Sites with low-quality or thin content are hit hardest. Always monitor analytics and compare with Google’s update timeline.
How do I optimize my SEO strategy to recover from a traffic drop?
- Start with the data to pinpoint the cause
- Run a full audit and fix technical gaps
- Improve internal links and headings
- Update old content for quality and depth
- Diversify traffic with social, PR, and referral marketing
Are AI-generated articles hurting my SEO?
They can if unedited. SpamBrain flags repetitive, low-value text. AI is safe only if it’s human-edited, unique, and useful to readers.
What metrics should I track to measure recovery after a traffic drop?
Focus on:
- Organic traffic
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Conversion rate
- Search rankings
- Bounce rate
- Referral traffic
Use tools like GA4, Search Console, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to measure progress.
How can I drive traffic if organic search traffic keeps falling?
Diversify your marketing. Use:
- Social media campaigns
- PR and referral traffic
- FAQ and video content that earns snippets
- Community platforms like Reddit