5 min read

How the change in algorithms can make your website lose traffic

Written by
Kristoffer H. Kingsrød
Published on
March 11, 2024


If you've had a website for a while, you're probably already familiar with the fact that algorithms change. However, it's always worth reminding ourselves of this fact, since it can have serious consequences in terms of traffic to our websites. The main reason why algorithms keep changing is that search engines want to give their users only the best results possible. They are also continuously trying to improve their ranking system and make it more effective at finding relevant information online.

What exactly are algorithms?

When you hear the term "algorithm," you probably think of computers and math, but algorithms are all around us—in the way that people sort their email or the way Netflix recommends movies based on what you've watched.

Algorithms are a set of rules for a computer (or other systems) to follow. For example, an algorithm can help determine if someone qualifies for a loan at your bank; it will take into account things like income level and credit history before deciding whether to approve or deny the loan request. Algorithms are also used in medicine: they can be programmed to decide whether a patient should get an MRI scan or be referred to another specialist for treatment.

In everyday life, algorithms help us make decisions quickly without having to do every calculation manually; they're used by Facebook when deciding which ads will appear on your feed each day, by Netflix when recommending movies based on what you've watched, and even by Google Maps when calculating how long it will take you to travel somewhere using different routes (and telling drivers which route is fastest).

Why do algorithms keep changing?

There are several reasons why algorithms change. The first is to improve the search results for users. Google's algorithm is constantly being tweaked to deliver the best results for users as well as advertisers.

A second reason for an algorithm change is to improve the user experience. This means that if a certain type of result has been getting poor ratings, it may have been removed or demoted in favor of other types of results that have higher ratings.

The third reason is advertising experience improvement—again, if a particular type of ad has been performing poorly, it could be removed from the search engine results pages (SERPs) or demoted in some way to keep advertisers happy and drive more traffic through their ads.

How to deal with algorithm changes?

If you want to keep your website healthy and thriving, there are a few things to look out for. First of all, make sure that you're keeping an eye on your algorithm changes. Many websites have been negatively affected by an algorithm change. For example, if a website was ranked higher than its competitors before the update but now they've been demoted in Google's rankings, they may need to take action immediately.

Secondly, it's important to watch out for changes in traffic stats as well as other metrics like bounce rate and time spent on site. Sometimes these things can be difficult to track but it's crucial that you do so because they'll give you insight into how well (or poorly) your efforts are working out in terms of an SEO strategy or paid advertising campaigns.

In addition to keeping track of the performance metrics mentioned above, I also recommend monitoring how many new followers/likes/views posts receive each month so that there aren't any major drops across several months' worth of content production efforts; this will help ensure future success for one's company or blog!

How can vertical videos help you stay ahead of the changes

Since you can't change the current algorithm, it's time to change your content.

That means more vertical videos. No matter what the new algorithm is, there's a good chance that it will favor vertical video as opposed to horizontal videos. After all, that's where most of our attention goes; we're looking at phones and computers in portrait mode all day long. Vertical video takes up more space on people's devices and allows them to scroll through quickly with their thumbs. It also forces users to pay attention because they have no choice but to watch from top-to-bottom or side-to-side (depending on which way they hold their phone).

In addition, vertical video has been shown to improve SEO results by 30% because Google knows this format is better for its users—and Google wants those users happy. That means if your website uses horizontal videos now, you may want to convert them into vertical ones so you don't lose out on valuable traffic from search engines like Google or Bing (and other platforms).

The best tool for creating vertical videos for your website is using Gobi Stories. With it, you can create beautiful vertical videos with little effort. Once your video is ready, upload it to your website and watch as Google takes notice.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about how the changes in algorithms are affecting your online traffic. It’s important to know what these changes mean for your website and how to handle them. If you have any questions about this post or want more information on how to implement vertical videos into your website, contact us today!

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