Andrea Motta moderates the panel: ‘Keep Calm and Stay Ranked: How to Overcome SERP Volatility'
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Ta’ Xbiex, 12 giugno 2024 – Andrea Motta, a seasoned SEO Consultant, had the pleasure of moderating another intriguing roundtable at the Betsson Group offices in Malta, as part of the SEO Lab series.
The focus of the discussion, which involved all members of Betsson Group‘s SEO team, including both Malta-based staff and external consultants who traveled to the Mediterranean for the occasion, was: ‘Keep Calm and Stay Ranked: How to Defeat SERP Volatility.’
The session was inspired by the high instability observed in search engine result pages from late May to early June in highly competitive sectors like iGaming, as reported by authoritative sources such as Search Engine Roundtable and Swipe Insight.
Among the panelists, all highly experienced SEOs, were Maltese colleagues Erika Montebello and John Paul Bonanno, specialising in Onsite and Offsite SEO, respectively.
Let’s take a closer look at the topics discussed during this lively morning in Malta.
SERP Volatility: What It Is and How to Manage It
As mentioned, Betsson Group’s SEO experts gathered to discuss a highly relevant topic: SERP volatility.
What is SERP volatility, though?
In simple terms, it refers to the constant fluctuations in the ranking of websites in search results.
These fluctuations can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Search Engine Algorithm Updates – Google and other search engines continuously update their algorithms to improve the quality of search results. These updates can significantly impact website rankings, especially if they are not optimised for the new guidelines.
- Competition – The SEO landscape is constantly evolving, with new websites being created every day and existing websites competing for the same keywords. This, especially in highly competitive niches, can lead to changes in website rankings, even if they haven’t made significant changes to their content or backlink profile.
- External Factors – This refers to factors such as a drop in traffic or a negative SEO attack, which can negatively affect a website’s ranking.
Why is SERP Volatility a Problem?
As discussed in the panel, SERP volatility can be problematic for website owners for several reasons, including:
- Loss of Traffic – If a website’s ranking drops, it is highly likely that organic traffic will decrease as well. This can negatively impact the site’s revenue and visibility.
- Instability – SERP volatility can make it difficult to plan for the future of a website. If a website’s ranking starts to fluctuate significantly, it becomes hard to predict how many visitors it will receive and how much revenue can be generated through this channel.
- Stress – Managing SERP volatility can be stressful for businesses or agencies managing the website. It can be frustrating to see rankings drop, especially if the reasons are unclear. This is why having an experienced SEO Consultant is crucial during such times.
How to Manage SERP Volatility
Even though SERP volatility is inevitable, there are several strategies that an SEO expert can implement to address it:
- Focus on High-Quality SEO – The best strategy to counter SERP volatility is to focus on high-quality SEO. This essentially means creating useful and informative content, optimizing the website for search engines, and building a strong backlink profile.
- Monitor Rankings – It is important to monitor the website’s rankings to track any fluctuations. This can be done using various tools such as Google Search Console, as well as third-party tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush. The latter, for instance, has a highly useful tool called Sensor, which can detect Google updates and identify SERP volatility caused by these updates.
- Be Flexible – The team managing the website must be ready to adapt to changes in search engine algorithms. This means staying informed and being willing to experiment with new SEO strategies.
During the panel, SEO experts shared a series of tips and tactics for managing SERP volatility. They emphasized the importance of a holistic SEO approach that includes both on-page and off-page optimisation, as well as the importance of keeping an eye on the technical aspects of the sites and creating high-quality content that meets user needs.
In conclusion, SERP volatility is a challenge that all website owners must face. However, by following the advice of SEO experts, it is possible to minimize the impact of volatility on your website and maintain good rankings in search results.
How to Combat SERP Volatility
Just like the unexpected storm at the end of May and the beginning of June, SERP volatility can disrupt your website’s rankings. However, by skillfully navigating through the waves of algorithms, competition, and external factors, you can achieve stability and success.
A Harmony of Factors – The key to combating volatility lies in the synergy between Onsite and Offsite SEO, like two sails working in harmony to navigate the digital seas. An optimised Onsite website, with high-quality content, impeccable structure, and excellent loading speed, provides an engaging user experience that search engines reward.
Together, Inside and Out – But it’s not just the inside of your website that makes a difference. Offsite SEO, like a fleet of friendly ships, strengthens your position. Quality links and mentions from authoritative and relevant websites, obtained through fair and sustainable strategies such as Digital PR, highlighting your authority and value to search engines.
A Winning Design – Don’t forget design, the wind that propels your ship towards success. A user-centered web design that offers an intuitive and pleasant browsing experience increases the time spent on the site and the conversion rate, crucial factors for search engines. It’s well established that a better user experience (UX) means better SEO.
Future Stability – SERP volatility is an ever-evolving sea, but with constant monitoring, updates on the latest trends, and a proactive approach, you’ll be ready to face any storm.
In short, the panelists agreed that the synergy between Onsite, Offsite, and UX is the compass that allows any digital professional to navigate the changing waves of SERP and achieve lasting success in the digital landscape. Always keeping an eye on essential technical and performance improvements that the website needs.
If you want to talk to an SEO Consultant, invite me to participate in your event online or offline, contact me today. Alternatively, you can email me at [email protected].
