Hey there @Lora-Alexander .)
I read that google did a core update in December which could affect ranking so might be this what you are experiencing? As a first step I would go through the page titles (see the last paragraph in my answer) 😉 If you have something like "the best" or "the most valuable" in your titles, anywhere, then this is now frowned upon by Google. I know this is so frustrating and they spring these kinds of updates on all of us out of the blue, but perhaps minor updates to your titles might do the trick 😉
On December 3rd, Google’s Search Liaison wrote on Twitter:
“Later today, we are releasing a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. It is called the December 2020 Core Update.”
First, Google has continued to stress the importance of the E-A-T principle. Specifically, that content has Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
• Expertise: Are you or the author of your content an expert on what you are writing about? If so, make sure you signal this to Google and your readers. Include links to LinkedIn or a bio, mention why you are qualified to write about this topic. Where possible show real facts, numbers, and or data and link to the source. Also, ensure that your writing is top notch and is long enough to fully educate the visitor on the topic. Thin/short articles, especially those lacking Expertise signals, are likely to be viewed unfavorably by Google after this update.
• Authoritativeness: Is your website relevant and an authoritative voice about the topic you are ranking for? For instance, a dentist’s website with an article about “used cars” is not going to be as authoritative as a car dealer’s article about “used cars”. Your authority comes from how Google sees your website. Do you have a lot of high-quality backlinks from other authoritative websites in the space/industry that you are trying to rank for? It is unlikely a dentist would have a lot of car websites linking to his website, while a car dealership probably is mentioned in numerous car forums and directories.
• Trustworthiness: Is your website and/or checkout process secure? Do you have hidden text or links? Does it appear that your website is much more interested in collecting a person’s name and email over providing any real substantive value to them as a visitor. We’ve all seen these types of websites where there are tons of ads and banners and pop-ups but not much real value. Make sure you are not overdoing it and instead focus on providing maximum value and 100% trustworthiness.
Last, Google seems to be getting tougher on page title’s appearing in search results that are overly exaggerated. For instance, if you Google “best plumber” and your title tag shows up in the search results as “World’s best plumber! Guaranteed the #1 cheapest and fastest!” you may be asking for trouble. Google won’t let its advertisers use text like that in ad titles, so it makes sense they won’t want every plumber in town calling themselves the “World’s best plumber”. Lead with facts and then support what you say in your content. Exaggeration appears to be a new negative when it comes to rankings.
@Wassim perhaps the team can plot in a little note on the appdrag SEO section so that people avoid getting into trouble with google for writing a title that is in conflict with their recent focus on title-writing? In May 2021 this change will be in full force so might as well get ahead of the curve 😉
