Optimizing Local Service Websites Post-Core Update: Strategic Cleanup for Recovery and Growth
In the ever-evolving landscape of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), staying ahead requires diligent analysis and strategic adjustments—especially after significant algorithm updates. Recently, a local service-based website with a solid seven-year track record experienced a notable decline in rankings and traffic following a major Google core update. This article shares a comprehensive overview of the issues identified and the cleanup strategies being implemented to recover and enhance visibility.
Understanding Our Context
Our website functions as a multi-city local service provider across two counties, serving more than 70 towns. Historically, we have ranked highly for localized keywords, benefiting from a well-established SEO footprint. However, recent changes have resulted in broad position drops across multiple city and county-specific searches, accompanied by decreased impressions and clicks over the past 30-45 days.
Initial Assumptions and Challenges
Initially, we suspected schema markup issues within Google Search Console as the primary cause. Nevertheless, further investigation revealed a multifaceted set of challenges:
-
Content Duplication and Thin Pages
Our city landing pages, built with templated structures, risk duplicate content issues. Many pages are near-identical, with only minor local differences. This creates potential doorway pages and cannibalization, diluting our authority signals. -
Redirect and Site Architecture Sprawl
Legacy redirects stemming from past acquisitions and consolidations have led to redirect chains and conflicting 301s, which can hinder effective link equity transfer and indexing accuracy. -
Indexed Non-Qualitative Pages
Test pages, archive listings, and other low-value content created during development remain indexed, competing with our primary service pages. -
Lack of E-A-T and User Trust Signals
Our service pages currently lack depth—missing detailed scopes, policies, team bios, and proof of expertise—which impacts perceived authority and trustworthiness. -
Internal Linking and Keyword Cannibalization
Overlapping content about cities, counties, and services leads to internal competition, undermining rankings for our priority pages. -
Page Experience and Core Web Vitals (CWV)
Technical issues such as iframes, heavy scripts, and unoptimized images contribute to poor CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) and LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) metrics. -
Schema Markup and Sitemap Discrepancies
Inconsistent schema implementations and inclusion of non-indexable pages