September 25, 2025
Your Rankings Dropped. Now what?
You spent hours planning your site, crafting great content, designing a fresh layout, and launching it. Then you checked Google, and your rankings dropped. That stings. Don’t worry, this happens more often than you think. With a few focused fixes, you can get your visibility, traffic, and rankings back on track.
Why Your Rankings Dropped After Launch
When you launch a new site, especially one with a reworked structure, changed URLs, or updated content, Google needs time to adjust. Several factors often cause the drop.
1. URL Structure Changes
If you changed page paths or slugs, Google may not recognize the new versions. Without proper redirects, any SEO value you had gets lost.
2. Missing or Broken Redirects
If old URLs don’t redirect to new ones, users encounter 404 errors, and Google treats those pages as gone. You lose authority that could have transferred to new content.
3. Overhauled Content That Lost Keyword Signals
When content changes heavily, you might remove or tone down the keywords that previously helped you rank. Creativity matters, but it must also incorporate the core terms people search for.
4. Internal Links Were Disrupted
Internal linking helps both users and search engines find your pages more easily. If you removed valuable internal links, Google may have trouble indexing or assigning authority to your new pages.
How to Get Your Rankings Back
Here are step-by-step fixes you can start doing now:
1. Implement 301 Redirects for Old URLs
Create a map of old URLs and match them to their corresponding new ones. Use 301 redirects so Google knows the pages moved. Ensure your development team sets these up promptly.
2. Review On-Page Content
Review your highest-performing old pages. Compare their content to your new versions. Ensure you retain the key terms and intent that contributed to their ranking and update as needed to bring back what worked.
3. Submit New Sitemap to Google Search Console
Your sitemap is Google’s roadmap to your new pages. Submit it to help Google crawl and index your content more efficiently.
4. Fix Technical SEO Issues
Utilize tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs to identify crawl errors, missing meta tags, slow loading speeds, and mobile usability issues. Fix those so your site works well for users and search engines.
5. Rebuild Internal Links
Restore lost internal links that passed value between pages. Prioritize links to pages that convert or are important for your site’s structure. Use descriptive anchor text so both humans and Google understand the connection.
6. Monitor with Analytics and Search Console
Set up dashboards to track organic traffic, bounce rate, rankings, page load times, and index status. Check Google Search Console for crawl errors or indexing issues. Adjust based on what the data shows.
7. Build New Backlinks
Backlinks still matter. Reach out to blogs, partners, or trusted sites to link to your content. Use broken-link building or guest content to reclaim lost authority.
8. Give It Time
SEO recovery won’t happen overnight. Google needs time to re-crawl, reassess, and re-rank. Stay consistent with your improvements. Keep at it, monitor the progress, and don’t be discouraged if the results show gradual improvement.
Final Word: Your Site Will Be Back
Losing rankings after a site relaunch can be frustrating. However, it does not mean you lost everything you built. If you properly redirect URLs, revisit content, fix technical issues, and build links, you will recover. With patience and a data-driven approach, your site can emerge stronger than before.
If you want help getting your site back on track now, we’ve got you covered. Let’s work together to regain your lost rankings.