Workflow: Trace organic traffic losses to root causes
Before classifying site-level causes, rule out an industry-wide drop or Google algorithm update — these require a different response strategy than internal issues.
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Prompt
Before diagnosing site-level causes, determine whether the organic traffic drop for {your-domain.com} in {country} reflects an industry-wide event.
Step 1 — Sensor reference: note the approximate drop window. Check Semrush Sensor (semrush.com/sensor) manually for that period — SERP volatility above 3.5 signals a confirmed or suspected algorithm update.
Step 2 — Market comparison: identify 5 direct organic competitors of {your-domain.com}. For each competitor domain, use Semrush Traffic Analytics to retrieve visits for the drop window and an equivalent prior period. Call one domain at a time.
Return ONE table:
Columns:
* domain
* visits_pre_drop
* visits_during_drop
* traffic_change_pct
* also_dropped (yes/no)
After the table:
* industry_wide_signal: true if 3 or more competitor domains also show a negative traffic_change_pct during the same period
* conclusion: if industry_wide_signal is true → "Likely algorithm update or market-wide SERP event — correlate with Semrush Sensor before continuing"; if false → "Drop appears site-specific — proceed to scope classification"
If Traffic Analytics data is unavailable for a domain, use the Domain Overview tool or the Organic Research for the organic traffic trend data. Complete all calls before returning the table.
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Example Output (illustrative)
- A 5-domain comparison table — visits pre-drop vs. during-drop, % change, and whether each competitor also dropped; followed by an industry-wide signal flag and a conclusion directing the investigation
