In episode #524, Eric and Neil discuss what to do when you get hit by a Google algorithm update. Tune in to hear why diversification is so important. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What You Should Do When You Get Hit by a Google Algorithm Update [00:42] Eric likes to check Search Engine Roundtable, because they talk about algorithmic updates and signals from different SEO tools (Moz Cast). [01:02] He tries to correlate this information with things happening on his site and what steps he can take to fix the problems. [01:17] In December, Eric and Neil noticed their search traffic declining. So, they knew an update was happening. [01:48] They noticed people who were talking about losing their rankings. [01:57] SEroundtable is calling the current algorithm the “Maccabees Update”. [02:10] There is a trend where blogs are getting fewer hits. Sometimes you just have to wait it out and weather the storm. [02:55] Changing too many things in your content, could have adverse effects. [03:10] You don’t want to be reactionary. [03:41] Wait it out and follow the advice of the people at sites like SEroundtable. [04:13] You have to diversify. If you get hit with an algorithm change, that could be the difference between six or seven figures of business. [04:38] Organic traffic at Single Grain is about 60-70%. [05:02] To diversify his website, Eric would focus on emails. [05:20] Neil gets 50% organic traffic. [05:39] Eric tries to diversify further by focusing on the multiple touchpoints you can use to reach out to new followers (YouTube, etc.) [06:23] Neil is getting a million views per month. [06:50] Paid ads is a great way to get your numbers up. Companies wouldn’t keep spending money unless there was an ROI. [07:05] You can use services like Taboola and Outbrain, re-marketing pixels, and social media as marketing channels. [07:20] Tweet ten times per day and see if it increases your website traffic. Experiment! [07:40] Come up with ways to get increased traffic through your different marketing channels. [07:44] Use push notifications. [07:57] Drift or Facebook Messenger are great live chat options to gain followers. [08:07] You can tie Facebook Messenger in with Zapier. [08:21] Use the signals they are using to gauge their traffic and success. [08:41] That’s it for today! [08:43] Go to singlegrain.com/giveaway if you want to get in on a special giveaway opportunity! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.