Need help in diagnosing what I may be doing wrong

[SOM24]

I have a site that has been having problems ranking. Initially, spam rate was at 18%. I have since changed the URL and forwarded to the original so now the spam rate is under 5%. Phone calls started picking back up very slowly but then by August 2024 things came to a screeching halt. Phone has been dead and very little business has been written. I did notice on the robots.txt file it had this:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /
User-agent: Googlebot
Disallow:
User-agent: bingbot
Disallow: /no-bing-crawl/
Disallow: wp-admin

and now I have since changed it to this:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php

Sitemap: https://urlishere.com/sitemap_index.xml

My question is what else do I need to do to get this site to start ranking again? We are blogging once a month, writing press releases once a month, updating the social media a few times a week. I feel like maybe there is something on the backend that needs to be done to get this site back to ranking. I am using SEO by Yoast and I have filled in the title and meta description fields for all pages. There is a spot in Yoast where I can validate the site with Google, Bing, etc. I'm trying to figure out how to do that. I do see in the site's Google Webmaster Tools there are several pages not indexing. Any ideas on what else I can do to get this site to start ranking again? Thank you.

[chhamza7853]

@SOM24 I was facing the same problem on my website https://capcutprodl.com/. Check the robots.txt file to ensure that it's not blocking important pages from being indexed by search engines. Also, review your URL forwarding settings to ensure they're properly configured and not causing SEO issues.

[meltingpointgoat]

To get your site ranking again, it seems like you’ve laid a solid foundation, but there are a few additional strategies that could boost your efforts.

You could conduct a thorough technical SEO audit. The fact that some pages aren’t indexing could indicate underlying issues like crawl errors, broken links, or duplicate content. Dive into Google Search Console to identify these problems. For example, accidental "noindex" tags or slow page speeds can block search engines from properly crawling your site. Fixing these can improve your site's visibility a lot.

Also, focus on content refresh and expansion. Monthly blogging is a great start; just remember that Google favors websites that regularly update and expand their content. Go back to older posts and update them with fresh insights or new statistics. Perhaps consider creating longer, in-depth articles that provide real value to your audience, such as detailed how-tos or comprehensive guides. Something that responds to their pain points and offers a genuine solution. This shows search engines that your site is a source of expert information, which can help improve rankings over time.

Don't ignore the strategies that can help indirectly with ranking, for example, try to drive more traffic or improve engagement. You can experiment with QR codes in your marketing efforts. By placing QR codes on product packaging or print materials, you can drive offline traffic directly to your site. Using trackable URLs in these QR codes helps you measure engagement and identify areas where your SEO efforts can be fine-tuned. This gives your site a boost in both traffic and relevance.

Or work on event-based or location-specific marketing if possible. If your business participates in trade shows, events, or even collaborates with local businesses, you can place QR codes in high-traffic physical locations. These codes can direct users to exclusive online content, downloadable resources, or content tied to the location or event. By driving targeted traffic from offline events to these pages, you increase site traffic and improve user engagement and dwell time - both factors that Google considers in ranking. Plus, if the content users access through these QR codes is valuable and shareable, it could lead to natural backlinks, which further boosts SEO.

Basically, all your marketing campaigns add up, contributing to better rankings. One last thing, check the latest Google core update, this could also be affecting your drop in rankings.

[themadrastiffins]

Be specific about the issue. What is not working as expected?

[PurgeDigital]

@SOM24 I highly suggest you run an audit of your current backlinks and try to identify if you have any toxic or spammy backlinks pointing to your site. If so, you can create a disavow file of the toxic links and submit to Search Console. Off-Page SEO is Important!

[pixelsweb]

If you’re struggling with getting your site to rank again, I can help. With extensive experience in SEO optimization, content creation, and digital strategy, I specialize in crafting solutions that drive real results. Whether you need to boost your on-page SEO, fix indexing issues, build high-quality backlinks, or improve your site’s overall performance, I offer tailored services designed to meet your unique needs.

[Atlanta123]

I was facing the same problem, but updating the sitemap solved this problem.

[sarahwalsh]

Hi, have you changed the web design or lost any good links recently?