Separate a new website from a sudden drop
If the website has never attracted many visitors, start with your main services and their public pages. If traffic fell after a period of activity, write down when it changed and what happened around that date: a redesign, changed addresses, removed services or a tracking change.
Check the source of the figures you are using. Website visits and Google search clicks describe different parts of the journey. Compare the same measurement over similar periods before deciding that traffic has fallen.
Look at one important page in Search Console
Choose a page that should generate relevant business interest. Review its impressions and clicks. Impressions show that it appeared in search; clicks show that someone chose to visit. Inspect the page’s indexing result if it is absent from search.
- Few relevant impressions: review page availability and whether the page answers the service searches you want to attract.
- Impressions with few clicks: compare the search wording, your title and the offer described on the page.
- Clicks with poor enquiries: review who the page attracts and what happens after the visit.
Check whether the whole website is affected
Compare pages, devices and countries in Search Console. A change affecting one service needs a different investigation from a fall across every page. Review seasonal demand too, especially if your busiest periods are tied to holidays, weather or a business reporting cycle.
If a recent redesign changed page addresses, check important old links. Visitors following a saved service link should reach the appropriate current page. Ask your developer to investigate broken destinations or incorrect redirects.
Give your service pages enough useful detail
Check whether your main offer has a page of its own. A list of service names may leave a prospective customer unsure about what each one includes. Explain the work, the customer it suits, the next step and the questions that frequently come up before an enquiry.
A contractor might receive enquiries about bathroom renovations but only have a short “Building services” page. A clear renovation page could explain the project stages, examples of completed work and how to request an assessment.
Review the website basics
Run a free check on up to five pages and review the missing titles, descriptions, heading problems and broken links it finds. Make the critical repairs, then check the relevant service pages again. Use the report alongside your search data to set priorities.
Open the same pages on your phone and follow their contact route. A visitor who struggles to read your offer or use the form may leave even when they found the correct page.
Choose the next action from the evidence
Keep a short investigation record: the page, the change you observed, the likely cause and the next check. Work through one cause at a time. When you review the outcome, include useful enquiries as well as visitor numbers.
Bring your audit findings and the affected page to a BuildMyApp consultation if you need help connecting the search problem with changes to the website.