Indexing Crisis & Traffic Crater — 2026-04-01

Overview

During the 2026-04-01 weekly call, Mark identified a critical Google indexing problem on the Vilas County EDC site. Despite the site's size, only 17 pages are currently indexed. Traffic data in Google Search Console shows a clear crater beginning at or shortly after the December launch, with the decline actually starting as early as August of the prior year on the old site.

The client (Tracy) had reached out reporting low Google Analytics numbers. Investigation revealed the GA and Search Console connections are functioning correctly — the data is simply low because the site is barely being indexed.

Diagnosis

• Indexed pages: Only 17 pages indexed despite the site containing significantly more content
• Traffic pattern: Gradual decline beginning ~August, accelerating through September–November, with a sharp crater after the December launch
• Root cause: Unknown at time of call — possible causes include crawl/indexing configuration errors, thin or duplicate content, or a Google algorithm update affecting the site's perceived quality
• GA/SC status: Both Google Analytics and Google Search Console are confirmed connected and pulling data correctly; the low numbers reflect real traffic loss, not a tracking gap

"Something's wrong with the indexing because there's only 17 index pages."
— Mark Hope

"Look at this cratering here. Why would that happen? So we launched in December... and really, since we launched, it cratered."
— Mark Hope

Context

• Site launched December 2025
• Content was migrated closely from the previous site ("almost to the T of what they had previously")
• The firm is currently on a hosting-only arrangement — no active SEO retainer
• A prior SEO audit was performed at project start; no post-launch audit has been conducted
• Client had also encountered a Stripe integration issue on a new events page in the weeks prior

Action Items

• [ ] Mark: Investigate the indexing issue — review Search Console coverage report, identify why pages are being excluded or de-indexed
• [ ] Mark: Perform a full SEO audit of the Vilas County EDC site post-launch
• [ ] Mark: Fix any indexing or on-page issues identified in the audit
• [ ] Melissa: Email Tracy confirming GA and Search Console are connected correctly; communicate that Mark is investigating the traffic dip

Notes & Considerations

• The site is currently on a hosting-only contract. Any substantive SEO remediation work should be scoped and billed separately.
• The client has been sending ad-hoc support requests (Stripe, GA questions) without a retainer in place — this pattern should be addressed.
• If the indexing drop is tied to content quality or site structure decisions made during the build, this may require a difficult conversation with the client about scope and responsibility.

Related

• ^[1]
• ^[2]