Most of the time, search results appear to remain the same. However, a closer look and you realize that Google’s SERPS are more dynamic and volatile, changing every so often. In this article, we explain what is SERP volatility and the steps you can take to improve your chances of avoiding disruptions in search presence.
SERP volatility is the extent to which Google’s search results fluctuate. The quick and unpredictable change of search ranking is a phenomenon that is known as SERP volatility. When SERPS are volatile, different web pages shift in and out of the top 10. On the other hand, stable SERPS are marked with the web pages staying relatively.
In digital marketing, SERP flux is inevitable. You will often experience SEP flux across all your web pages to some extent, even when SERPS are at a less volatile level. This is because Google is always testing and indexing pages to better meet the evolving searcher needs. Therefore, SERPS volatility is an indication that Google is looking for opportunities to serve searchers with more relevant content.
The changes in search ranking can be influenced by a range of factors, including search personalization and algorithm changes. Each of these factors affects search rankings differently:
Google often introduces thousands of changes and experiments to its algorithm. While some of the changes are announced and anticipated, others are not and may come as a surprise. However, all kinds of algorithm updates can cause SERP volatility.
Google’s algorithm updates cause volatility in search results because the changes are tied to improving the relevance of results or determining a site’s quality. Although a change in search ranking can often be worrying, it does not mean there is something wrong with a webpage that lost rankings. It could simply indicate that another webpage is now more relevant and the change is not related to quality.
The personalized search results option offered by Google allows users to get results based on their previous searches and activities. In this case, previous search history can include the SERPS for subsequent services, causing the search results to change as Google predicts what the users are looking for or want to see.
If a user searches for a recommendation, Google can personalize the results to show information that is specific to that user rather than a general audience. Due to such personalization in searches, a site may receive unpredictable levels of traffic that can create a sense of instability in search performance.
Any news and events that relate to keyword phrases can cause changes in the kind of web pages that have been ranked. This often triggers rapid changes in the regular SERP rankings, with the news results hanging on for about a week before they disappear.
Similarly, articles about current events cause SERP volatility in an unpredictable way. These could be articles about something new in the product, technology, or entertainment space. If you are the first to publish something new, your ranking is more likely to be stable since other publications will cite the original posts. Consequently. Google will promote your publication by ranking it higher.
The quality of signals search engines get from your website can influence indexing and ranking. Most of the factors related to site quality, such as site speed, usually have less impact than the quality of the content itself.
The main qualities of content are expertise and authoritativeness. To keep your content ranking, try to zero in on the qualities that align with the EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Sometimes, a site may be borderline relevant because of having borderline site quality or lacking enough of the on-topic content.
If you would like to bounce around in search engines, you can start by checking for symptoms of sites that are borderline relevant to a query. These sites could lack something in quality, expertise, or authoritativeness that you can capitalize on. Such sites could be bouncing up the search rankings and then falling down, causing SERP volatility.
SERP volatility can manifest at the site, page, or industry level. Depending on your marketing goals, you need to identify which type impacts your ranking. Since each type requires a different approach, working with an expert will ensure you have the right tools to sport SERPS and its various incarnations. At Clap Creative, we will help you check SERP volatility and improve the quality of your site and content to achieve a sense of stability in search engine rankings.
A seasoned technology writer and marketing consultant with over a decade of experience helping businesses grow online. I specialize in content marketing, SEO, web design, and e-commerce development. I am enthusiastic about using cutting-edge technology to acquire high-quality traffic, generate leads, and increase sales for my clients.
