Stories of meteoric rises and falls of websites in search engine rankings are not unheard of. In the last few years, HubSpot, a house name in inbound marketing and SEO has experienced a hard fall in organic traffic. From its meteoric rise as a content powerhouse to its staggering fall of 54% in search traffic, the story of how HubSpot's SEO failed is critical learning for anyone who still relies on organic traffic.
So what happened, and why did a still-major content marketing player experience such a significant dip was actually causing? Read on to find out.
Key Reasons for HubSpot's SEO Decline
Several interrelated factors contributed to HubSpot’s steep decline in search rankings. Below, we’ll break down the most significant ones.
1. Google’s Algorithm Updates: A Shift Toward Quality
Google’s constant algorithm updates are notorious for disrupting search rankings, and HubSpot appears to have been significantly impacted by them. Recent changes targeting content quality, spammy AI-generated content, and EEAT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) have reshaped the SEO landscape.
2. Over-Reliance on Programmatic SEO & AI-Generated Content
HubSpot relied heavily on programmatic SEO, which uses automation and templates to create pages targeting long-tail keywords at scale. While this can generate short-term traffic gains, it risks creating pages that lack depth, originality, or relevance to users.
3. Falling Quality & Authority Signatures of Backlinks
Backlinks have always been the backbone of SEO, a way for search engines to understand how authoritative a site is. The loss of high-value backlinks from high-authority sites could have caused negative impacts on rankings, especially when caught by Google algorithms.
4. User Experience & Content Quality Issues
Google is known to focus much on user experience (UX) and engagement metrics such as time on page, bounce rates, and click-through rates. Comparing HubSpot's earlier high-quality guides with its newer programmatically generated pages reflects a marked decline in depth and value. Improving UX and ensuring content meets user intent are always the keys to maintaining a strong SEO presence on any website.
5. Competitive Landscape & SERP Changes
Over the past few years, niche-specific brands and emerging competitors managed to out-HubSpot by giving targeted, quality content. The presence of featured snippets, People Also Ask, etc., may be reducing click-through from traditional HubSpot rankings.
6. Content Cannibalization
After years of vigorous blogging, HubSpot may have unwittingly generated several posts competing for the same keywords. This could be a great example of how content cannibalisation confuses search engines, resulting in poorer ranks for all related postings rather than promoting a single page.
Lessons for SEO Professionals & Businesses
The downfall of a giant like HubSpot is a wake-up call for all SEO professionals and businesses that rely on organic traffic. Here are the key takeaways:
Quality Over Quantity: Prioritise creating high-value, expert-driven content rather than flooding your site with AI-generated or templated pages. Content should provide actionable insights and address user needs comprehensively.
Focus on EEAT Standards: Build trust with your audience and Google by incorporating authoritative sources, expert contributions, and clear citations. Demonstrate expertise in your niche through in-depth and well-researched content.
Diversify Your Traffic Sources: Over-reliance on Google traffic is a pretty dangerous strategy. Invest in social media, email marketing, and referral traffic as an alternative to make your strategy balanced.
Stay Updated on Algorithm Changes: SEO is a very dynamic field and needs constant auditing, updating, and strategic pivot to stay ahead of the game. Your website must be technically sound and in line with Google's latest guidelines.
Monitor Performance Metrics Regularly: The rankings of sites vary widely on multiple factors, and staying updated can be a challenge. However, with DM Cockpit, you can analyse traffic patterns, keyword performance, and more that help you adjust your growth strategies.
Rethink Your SEO Game for Long-term Stability
HubSpot's SEO breakdown illustrates how innovation should walk hand in hand with quality. Their collapse serves as a powerful lesson for content marketers and SEO professionals: relying solely on past success is not enough in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Staying ahead requires continuous monitoring, adaptability, and leveraging the right tools to track performance and monitor performance metrics closely to make data-driven decisions. This is where the DM Cockpit becomes an essential asset.
With its Rank Tracking feature, you can stay updated on keyword movements and avoid unexpected traffic drops. The On-Page SEO Checker ensures your content remains optimised according to the latest search engine guidelines, preventing issues that could lead to ranking declines. Additionally, DM Captain—our AI WhatsApp Chatbot, delivers real-time SEO insights, Google Analytics data, and performance updates directly to your fingertips, allowing you to make informed decisions on the go.