Navigating the Challenges of SEO: Seeking Community Advice
In the ever-evolving landscape of Search Engine Optimization, it can be easy to feel lost or overwhelmed, especially when faced with a site that seems perpetually stuck in neutral. Today, I find myself at such a crossroads and would greatly appreciate your insights and advice on how to regain momentum.
The Snapshot
To keep things brief, here’s a condensed version of my situation:
- Traffic Concerns: Currently, my site sees approximately one organic click per day from Google, with around 100 impressions. Interestingly, the bulk of my traffic is generated through Bing. Back in 2020, I enjoyed approximately 70,000 visits per month.
- Content Overhaul: Over the past month, I’ve invested time in revising and expanding my pillar content while eliminating lower-quality posts. Unfortunately, my efforts have yet to yield a noticeable improvement in Google’s Search Console.
- Core Web Vitals: My site is struggling with Core Web Vitals, predominantly hanging around the yellow zone, indicating it lacks the speed required for optimal user experience.
- Indexing Issues: When submitting new and updated URLs in Google Search Console, I’m often met with messages indicating they are “Indexed, not in sitemap” or “Crawled, currently not indexed.”
- Possible Shadowban?: I can’t shake the feeling that my domain may be trapped in a post-Helpful Content Update limbo or an unofficial shadowban.
What I’ve Done So Far
Content Refresh
- I have rewritten around 40 older articles, significantly expanding their word count and incorporating elements that enhance expertise, author credibility, and relevance.
- Consolidation of overlapping topics into strong guide articles has taken place, along with appropriate 301 redirects.
- I’ve also published ten new posts targeting low-competition keywords (KD < 15) according to SEMrush, yet Google continues to overlook them.
Technical Setup
- My site operates on WordPress (using the HybridMag theme) hosted on a Bluehost VPS. Tools include AIOSEO, WP Rocket, and Cloudflare CDN to optimize performance.
Performance Metrics
- Current performance indicators reveal a mobile LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) of approximately 3.2 seconds, a CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) of around 0.25, and an INP (Input Delay) often exceeding 400 ms.
- All images have been converted to Web