Updated 22 October 2026. Correction: the earlier version described a confirmed January 2026 core update. That event was not substantiated in Google's official update history, so the article has been corrected to general diagnostic guidance.
A fall in enquiries is not enough to diagnose a search algorithm change. It may reflect fewer visits, a different mix of searches or problems after people arrive.
Start with the evidence for your own website, then check Google's published update history.
Confirm the event before naming it
Use the Google Search Status Dashboard history. Compare the dates of a confirmed incident or rollout with your data. Similar timing is a reason to investigate, not proof of the cause.
Separate the measures
| Measure | What it can help you investigate |
|---|---|
| Impressions | Whether pages appeared for searches |
| Clicks | Whether those appearances produced search visits |
| Sessions | What happened after people reached the website |
| Enquiries | Whether visitors started a relevant conversation |
Compare like periods and allow for seasonality and small numbers. Review individual pages and queries as well as the total. A rise in broad informational searches may look encouraging without adding commercial enquiries.
Check the basics before rewriting everything
Check whether the affected page is accessible, indexable and using the intended canonical URL. Look for recent changes to redirects, navigation, titles, content and page templates. Check whether a previously useful internal link was removed.
Then ask whether the page actually meets the searcher's need. Is it the right service? Is the geography correct? Does the visitor need a supplier, an explanation or a document?
Improve usefulness, not a word-count target
Relevant project context, clear service scope and accurate technical information can help someone assess your business. Adding a set number of words or a byline does not by itself diagnose or repair a ranking change.
Structured data should describe what the page genuinely contains. Do not add unsupported reviews, credentials or claims to make the site appear more established.
Decide what to change
Record the issue and the evidence before editing. Preserve useful URLs and give a substantive change time to produce enough data to assess. If traffic is stable but enquiries are low, review the buying journey as well as search performance.
See our construction SEO approach or review the website enquiry journey.
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