8 Overlooked Reasons Your Website Might Lose Rankings After Google Core Updates

Google core updates often shake up search rankings, leaving site owners wondering what went wrong. While some drops are obvious, others are subtle and harder to identify. Understanding why your site loses rankings can help you respond strategically and protect your SEO performance. Here are eight commonly overlooked reasons sites lose rankings after core updates.

1. Your Site May Be Ranking Where It Should

Sometimes a drop doesn’t mean your site is broken—it may simply be moving to its correct position. Google updates often close loopholes that previously allowed a page to rank higher than deserved. This can feel unfair, but it’s often just the algorithm aligning rankings with relevance and quality.

2. Topical Theming Shapes Relevance

Google increasingly classifies content by topic. Updates like the 2018 Medic Update showed that sites outside a knowledge domain—like alternative health sites ranking for medical queries—could lose visibility. Today, Google uses topical theming to determine which pages are most relevant for specific searches.

Example: For the search term “bomber jacket,” Alpha Industries ranks #1 because it’s closely associated with military clothing, while other fashion retailers may rank lower because their topical focus is different.

3. Personalized Topics Influence Rankings

Google sometimes changes which topical themes it prioritizes based on user intent, location, device, or prior search history. Your site may rank differently for the same query if the search intent shifts. If personalization affects your ranking, consider creating content to target multiple intent variations.

4. Authoritativeness Matters

Authoritativeness comes from external validation, like links, mentions, and citations. Google doesn’t just measure how often you publish—it assesses how recognized your expertise is by others. Building authority through trusted content, references, and user recognition is key to long-term rankings.

5. E-E-A-T Is a Standard, Not a Checklist

Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) framework cannot be “added” to a page. Instead, it reflects inherent qualities of your content and external validation. Focus on creating genuinely helpful, expert content that naturally earns trust.

6. Temporary Ranking Boosts Are Normal

New sites or pages often get a short-term ranking boost as Google tests their relevance. Drops afterward don’t indicate failure—they simply reflect the site entering a phase where it must prove its long-term value.

7. Competitors Might Simply Be Better

Ranking losses aren’t always about what’s wrong with your site. Competitors may outperform in subtle ways, such as:

• Superior links or outreach
• Better user experience
• More engaging visual or multimodal content
• Stronger word-of-mouth or in-person marketing

8. Optimizing for People, Not Just SEO, Works

The secret to outranking competitors often isn’t technical SEO—it’s how well your site resonates with users. Sites that acknowledge and connect with visitors emotionally, visually, and practically perform better. Simple touches, like showing trusted badges or tailoring imagery for your audience, can make a big difference.

Key Takeaways

• Core updates may correct over-ranking rather than penalize sites.
• Topical theming and personalization are critical ranking factors.
• Authoritativeness and E-E-A-T reflect external recognition, not something you can add manually.
• Temporary ranking shifts are normal for new content.
• People-first optimization—content that resonates with real users—is often the deciding factor.

By focusing on user experience, authoritative content, and topically aligned strategies, your site can maintain strong rankings even as Google’s algorithms evolve.

Understanding the complexities of Google’s core updates can be overwhelming, but with the right SEO strategy, your site can continue to thrive despite ranking shifts. At Earn SEO, a premier SEO agency in New York, NY, we specialize in staying ahead of Google’s algorithm updates to ensure our clients’ websites are optimized for long-term success.

If your website has seen a drop in rankings, or you just want to boost your online presence, our team of experts is here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can enhance your site’s SEO, improve your authority, and guide you to better visibility in search results.