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Google Ranking Dropped After Changing Meta Description

by SEOMystery
20 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I was newly ranked #4 at Google for my main keyword, 2 months ago I was not ranked at all at Google. In Search Console I noticed that the CTR of the keyword was low (3%), so I was worried that I will not maintain my #4 position, so I decided to completely change the Meta Description, after than I went to Fetch As Google and requested re-indexing for the front page only.

What happened after than is that my ranking dropped to #50 overnight! I wonder if this sudden drop was caused by the re-indexing request, or by changing the Meta Description.

Other than that the only thing that changed at the same time, is that Google discovered something like 284 backlinks from Reddit, all the links came from single Reddit post linking to my website, but apparently Google indexed the post multiple time when it showed in the "recently viewed posts", in the right column in Reddit, for multiple users.

Any advice?

Edit:
This user reported something similar:
https://productforums.google.com/for...rum/webmasters

Indexing Request caused him to get sudden drop, as happened with me, is it a coincidence?
#changing #description #dropped #google #meta #ranking
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  • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
    I absolutely guarantee you that changing you meta description had nothing at all to do with you sudden plunge in rankings.

    More likely, it is because the first time you were signed into Google and saw better results because it is a page you visit often and the next time you checked, you weren't signed in and you saw what real people see. Either that, or something else you did (like getting easy, crappy backlinks) finally caught up with you and just happened to occur at the same time.
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    • Profile picture of the author SEOMystery
      The rank was confirmed using several checking tools, the only new backlinks I found in Search Console are from Reddit (as I explained), but links from Reddit are supposed to be good links not bad cheap links!

      Maybe the re-indexing request caused google to re-evaluate the ranking I don't know.
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      • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
        Originally Posted by SEOMystery View Post

        The rank was confirmed using several checking tools, the only new backlinks I found in Search Console are from Reddit (as I explained), but links from Reddit are supposed to be good links not bad cheap links!

        Maybe the re-indexing request caused google to re-evaluate the ranking I don't know.

        Actually, links from Reddit are mostly crap.

        Doubt that is why your ranking dropped though.

        The meta description would not cause a drop like that (or a drop at all for that matter).

        Without seeing the site, nobody will be able to tell you why it dropped.
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  • Profile picture of the author zelgly2
    Hi

    That is not right. There is no way related to meta description. Actually i think that #50 is your original ranking. When you login with google account in that time may be shown in that rank #4
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    • Profile picture of the author SEOptimization@1
      Originally Posted by zelgly2 View Post

      Hi

      That is not right. There is no way related to meta description. Actually i think that #50 is your original ranking. When you login with google account in that time may be shown in that rank #4
      In addition to this (which is correct), we also have been noticing similar fluctuations on few of our running SEO projects - is because of recent Hawk Google Update.

      Updating meta info has nothing to do with Change in Ranking.

      Don't worry. Keep doing your SEO and you will get your ranking back again.

      Good luck.

      Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author SEOMystery
      The rank was confirmed by several ranking checking tools, and by google search itself using incognito mode in Chrome.
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  • Profile picture of the author Zotek11
    Changing the description is not affecting the ranking. As you said the keyword remain in the ranking for one day and then it drop down to 50. This means that your keyword is never on the first page. It happens sometimes with Google it shows suddenly the keyword on the first page and the next day it drops from the ranking. So wait for sometime and do more backlinking it will come in the ranking.
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    • Profile picture of the author SEOMystery
      Meta Description affects ranking indirectly?
      Could low CTR cause the sudden drop?
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      • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
        Originally Posted by SEOMystery View Post

        Meta Description affects ranking indirectly?
        Could low CTR cause the sudden drop?
        Low CTR wouldn't affect a site that quickly. If, indeed,CTR truly is a component of Google's algorithm and they have been lying about it not being one, it would likely be a very slow decline - not something that results in a 46 spot drop overnight.

        A far more likely scenario is that Google's algorithm would see that the page is not performing as well as expected in its rank position and Google would automatically insert snippets from the page instead of your preferred meta description to see if that boosted the CTR.
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  • Profile picture of the author AmandeepKaur
    But sometimes meta description also affect ranking.
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  • Profile picture of the author bangthetable
    Changing Meta description or meta title will give you good results for many times and bad results for sometime. Try to keep the existing meta description and wait for few days, if your rankings will improve, then your meta description is only the issue. If not then you have do some ON Page optimization.
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  • Profile picture of the author volcanodigital
    Changing meta description fastly is bad for your site ranking, you should wait for some after that you Shaw some better results for your site. Do some off Page Seo for better rank and stable it for long time.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Originally Posted by SEOMystery View Post

    But they were do follow links
    Originally Posted by SEOMystery View Post

    But still Reddit is far from being crap source for links, where did you get that conclusion from?!
    Google doesn't care about the domain the link is coming from. It cares about the pages. Most of Reddit is full of low quality garbage. If it is not low quality, it is almost definitely extremely weak.

    Reddit links are a waste of time.
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    • Profile picture of the author SEOMystery
      You made me worried, shall I disavow the links?
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Originally Posted by SEOMystery View Post

        You made me worried, shall I disavow the links?
        No, don't dig a deeper hole.

        Leave it alone, move on and don't draw attention to the links (Google disavow).

        Build better links.
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  • Profile picture of the author SEOMystery
    The ranking recovered to #7
    Actually it is fluctuating one day it is 21 next day it is 11 then it is 15 then 7.
    Don't know what is going on lol
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by SEOMystery View Post

      The ranking recovered to #7
      Actually it is fluctuating one day it is 21 next day it is 11 then it is 15 then 7.
      Don't know what is going on lol



      If your site/page is fluctuating, so is everyone else's pages, well, at least from position #7 on down.

      What you're experiencing is luck that you've ever made it to page one of the SERPs.

      No offense but your own page is very weak as far as SEO goes, that's why it's bouncing just like the other weak pages you don't own below position #7.

      Another thing... blasting a bunch of links, especially weak links forces Google to keep recalculating your own position (bouncing). It takes time for Google to do the math on every single domain/page link profile involved for that specific keyword. Keep in mind Google won't find all the blasted links in one day, hence, the non-stop SERP fluctuations.
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