SEO Rankings Improved Then Suddenly Dropped – What Could Be Wrong?

[laivanminh]

Hi everyone,


I’m currently facing an issue with a website I recently took over. The site had been worked on by a previous SEO staff member for more than 2 years, but it never achieved strong rankings.


After taking over, I optimized the SEO, and some keywords improved to positions around top 3–5. However, after a short time, the rankings suddenly dropped again. I also built around 200 PBN backlinks, but the situation didn’t improve much.


Recently, I noticed some positive movement: a keyword moved from position #17 up to #11, but then overnight it dropped back down to #21. This kind of fluctuation is really confusing and frustrating.


At this point, I’m not sure what is still missing or not properly optimized on the website.


I would really appreciate any advice or insights on what might be causing this issue and how I can fix it.


Thank you in advance!

 

[yutalersa]

What you’re seeing is very typical when rankings are driven by artificial link boosts rather than stable authority.PBN links can cause quick jumps, but they often get devalued or ignored after re-crawling. Focus on improving content depth, internal linking, and earning real backlinks. Stability comes from strong fundamentals, otherwise rankings will keep fluctuating like this.

 

[laivanminh]

What you’re seeing is very typical when rankings are driven by artificial link boosts rather than stable authority.PBN links can cause quick jumps, but they often get devalued or ignored after re-crawling. Focus on improving content depth, internal linking, and earning real backlinks. Stability comes from strong fundamentals, otherwise rankings will keep fluctuating like this.

Hi
So, should I disavow the PBN link now, or ask the provider to remove the PBN link?

 

[yutalersa]

Hi
So, should I disavow the PBN link now, or ask the provider to remove the PBN link?

Ask the provider to remove them first, since that eliminates the signal entirely.
Disavow should be a backup if removal isn’t possible.

 

[Thunder Digitals]

Did you check the quality of the PBNs that you built? Are they good quality or just spammy domains with lots of casino posts in there?

Also, you need to do the competitor analysis. Check what your competitors are doing, how many pages they have, what sort of content they have, and what type of backlinks they have, etc.

You need to check all of these things about your competitor, then act accordingly.

 

[mangoodi]

Looks like volatility from mixed signals, sudden PBN links + recent optimizations can cause temporary boosts, then drops when Google reassesses link quality and consistency. Stabilizing link profile + content usually fixes this over time.

 

[NexaRank]

Looks like instability from weak signals + PBN overuse. Focus on content quality, intent match, and few strong links.

 

[laivanminh]

Did you check the quality of the PBNs that you built? Are they good quality or just spammy domains with lots of casino posts in there?

Also, you need to do the competitor analysis. Check what your competitors are doing, how many pages they have, what sort of content they have, and what type of backlinks they have, etc.

You need to check all of these things about your competitor, then act accordingly.

All PBNs have Domain Authority (DA) above 40. These are expired domains that were purchased with a high DA to generate backlinks. The optimizations I've done against my competitors are probably adequate. Do you have any advice for me?

 

[Linkzo]

Hi everyone,


I’m currently facing an issue with a website I recently took over. The site had been worked on by a previous SEO staff member for more than 2 years, but it never achieved strong rankings.


After taking over, I optimized the SEO, and some keywords improved to positions around top 3–5. However, after a short time, the rankings suddenly dropped again. I also built around 200 PBN backlinks, but the situation didn’t improve much.


Recently, I noticed some positive movement: a keyword moved from position #17 up to #11, but then overnight it dropped back down to #21. This kind of fluctuation is really confusing and frustrating.


At this point, I’m not sure what is still missing or not properly optimized on the website.


I would really appreciate any advice or insights on what might be causing this issue and how I can fix it.


Thank you in advance!

This looks like an unstable SEO setup. Ranking jumps like #17 to #11 then dropping usually mean Google is testing your page but not trusting it yet. Building 200 PBN links won’t fix weak content. Focus on improving content quality, relevance, and authority first.

 

[laivanminh]

This looks like an unstable SEO setup. Ranking jumps like #17 to #11 then dropping usually mean Google is testing your page but not trusting it yet. Building 200 PBN links won’t fix weak content. Focus on improving content quality, relevance, and authority first.

Oh, I think I should ask the provider to remove those 200 PBN links during this phase.

 

[Linkzo]

Oh, I think I should ask the provider to remove those 200 PBN links during this phase.

You don’t need to rush and remove all 200 PBN links immediately. First, analyze their quality and impact. If they’re low-quality or spammy, consider gradual cleanup. Otherwise, focus on improving content, relevance, and adding real authority links to stabilize rankings.

 

[Thunder Digitals]

Oh, I think I should ask the provider to remove those 200 PBN links during this phase.

No, keep them as it is for now. Do some internal linking and build some quality guest posts for it now. And see what results are you getting from it.

 

[laivanminh]

Thank everyone for the advice.

 

[iAuthority]

Ranking fluctuations of a few positions are completely normal in medium to high competition niches, so don't panic over minor movements.

The real issue is the strategy. Bulk PBN links in 2026 are largely ineffective and can work against you. Switch to a drip-feed approach and focus on niche-relevant, authoritative links - you will get far better results with half the volume you have been building. Pair this with a solid on-page audit and monitor your link indexing status regularly. Revise the strategy, be patient, and the stability will follow.

 

[A2Z Designing]

Sudden drops like that usually point to either a Google update, backlink quality issues, or on-page/ technical problems that still need work. Those 200 PBN links could also be causing instability if the quality isn’t strong.

The best thing is to audit technical SEO, check search console for issues & review whether the link profile looks natural.

 

[Marketering]

Hi everyone,


I’m currently facing an issue with a website I recently took over. The site had been worked on by a previous SEO staff member for more than 2 years, but it never achieved strong rankings.


After taking over, I optimized the SEO, and some keywords improved to positions around top 3–5. However, after a short time, the rankings suddenly dropped again. I also built around 200 PBN backlinks, but the situation didn’t improve much.


Recently, I noticed some positive movement: a keyword moved from position #17 up to #11, but then overnight it dropped back down to #21. This kind of fluctuation is really confusing and frustrating.


At this point, I’m not sure what is still missing or not properly optimized on the website.


I would really appreciate any advice or insights on what might be causing this issue and how I can fix it.


Thank you in advance!

When you start building a large number of backlinks, rankings may rise sharply and then plateau that’s completely normal. Maintain your efforts, and your rankings will recover and improve over time.

 

[flexpaydude]

This looks less like “missing optimization” and more like instability signals usually from inconsistent backlinks or algorithm distrust.

200 PBN links can cause temporary lifts but also quick drops if Google devalues them. What you’re seeing is classic link volatility or partial devaluation.

I’d pause link building, audit link quality + anchor mix and focus on content depth + internal linking + topical authority. Stable rankings come from trust, not spikes.

 

[laivanminh]

Thank you for your advice.
It seems I need to re-examine my 200 PBN links and website technical aspects. Hopefully, things will improve with my website soon.

 

[BradyX]

this kind of fluctuation usually means instability, not lack of effort. something is off in the foundation. first thing i’d question is the pbn links. 200 links is a lot, and if they are low quality or built too fast, google may just be discounting them or even dampening the page. i’ve seen this exact pattern, short boost then drop.
second, check intent match again. ranking top 5 then falling often means your page didn’t fully satisfy users. google tests, then pulls back. also look at internal linking and content depth, sometimes small gaps cause this volatility.
my take, stop adding links for now, audit content + intent, then rebuild links more carefully.

 

[HIPO AGENCY_]

Having as many as 200 PBN links in a short period of time can trigger quality filters instead of penalties. I suggest checking link speeds and ensuring the OBL on those PBNs isn't too high. Stability usually comes from removing weaker links rather than adding more