Search engine result page (SERP) volatility can be defined as the fluctuations that appear in search engine rankings over time. SERP positions can never be predicted as they are not stable, and SERP volatility is representative of this instability. Some common signs of SERP volatility include :
- Significant keyword rankings unexpectedly go up and down on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis.
- The rankings of your competitor sites shoot up or drop behind your rankings.
- The same search query shows different results.
- New entrants are acquiring higher positions, making your site’s ranking go down.
All these signs indicate that your page is indicating SERP volatility. If the degree of fluctuations is high, drastic, or more frequent, then this means that your site is going through high volatility. Similarly, not so-drastic shifts or changes indicate stable SERP.
Understanding the role of SERP Volatility in SEO practices :
In this segment, we will discuss the reasons why monitoring SERP volatility is important for SEO practices. Read ahead to find out :
Find new SEO opportunities :
When you build the habit of monitoring SERP volatility on a regular basis, it helps you identify which pages or keywords are getting higher or lower rankings. As a result, you can keep track of your competitors and optimize your pages accordingly. Such kind of analysis enables you to reclaim lost positions with newly implemented strategies and also boost visibility for uncontrolled keywords.
Identify potential issues :
Drastic negative fluctuations in SERP can be indicative of the fact that your site could be facing penalties, indexing issues, or other competitor’s actions. Hence, keeping a tab on ranking volatility will help you find out the root causes behind the drop in rankings. As a result, you can make early adjustments to resolve the issues before your site experiences any significant, lasting damage.
Monitor the effectiveness of SEO :
In fact, ranking volatility analysis can serve as a very concrete measure of how effectively your SEO practices are working. Therefore, when you track the rate of volatility, it will help you understand SEO ROI and also predict the future performance of your current SEO practices.
Implement new SEO strategy :
As we have established so far, SEO is a constantly changing game. With new competitors emerging regularly and Google updating its search engine algorithms, SEO trends also keep on shifting. This is why tracking ranking volatility is important, as it helps you identify these changes. As such, you can alter your SEO strategy and thereby maintain your SERP rankings and always remain competitive in the market.
Taking advantage of SERP shifts to boost visibility :
Major shifts in algorithms can make changes in search result rankings. Thus, if you want to be ahead of the game, you have to update those strategies according to updates in algorithms. So, keeping a watch on ranking volatility and adapting to the latest ranking shift changes might help you increase visibility on your site even after algorithm changes.
Enhance keyword targeting strategies :
It can be risky to target over-competitive keywords that have low search volume. That is the reason you need to assess SERP volatility. Assessing SERP volatility will guide you in choosing high-value and stable keywords.
Improve Ranking :
If you can identify pages and keywords that show fluctuating rankings, you can address the issues that are affecting their performance and resolve them. Potential reasons for low ranking could be low-quality content, lack of solid backlinks, and technical SEO issues.
Achieve practical SEO goals :
Moving forward with a realistic SEO goal is the first step toward achieving high rankings in search engines. When you analyze SERP volatility and follow effective SEO practices, you can set practical expectations and avoid overestimating SEO gains.
How to deal with SEO volatility ?
Users can minimize the effects of SEO volatility by utilizing its advantages with the following strategic SEO planning :
1. Regular tracking to stay updated with the changes.
2. Improve page as well as content quality.
3. Target long-tail keywords with less competition.
4. Consistent link-building to reclaim rankings and strengthen site authority.
5. Target a greater number of potential keywords and increase visibility.
