OrganiqContent decay: how to find pages losing traffic in Search Console
· Organiq · third-party facts carry source and date in the text
Content decay is the gradual loss of clicks on a page compared with an earlier period. It is measured in Search Console by comparing the last 28 days with the previous 28 (recent drop) and with a window 6 to 12 months earlier (slow decline). Severity: severe above 50% loss, moderate between 20 and 50%.
How do I measure decay?
For every page, clicks in the recent period against the baseline; loss = baseline_clicks − recent_clicks, in absolute value and percentage. Two baselines: the immediately previous period catches sharp drops; a window 6–12 months earlier catches the slow decay that weekly comparisons hide. In Organiq: find_decaying_content with compare: "previous" and then with explicit comparisonStartDate/comparisonEndDate.
What are the decay patterns?
| Pattern | What changed | Likely cause |
|---|---|---|
position_slipped | Position worsened, impressions similar | Outdated content, better competitor, lost internal links |
impressions_collapsed | Impressions fell | Seasonal demand, lost coverage, partial de-indexing |
ctr_dropped | Position stable, CTR fell | SERP changed (AI Overviews, new features) or the title lost appeal |
disappeared | No traffic now | Indexing, redirect, canonical, page removed |
How do I confirm the cause?
Cross the inflection date (get_timeseries by month, 12 months) with deploys and Google updates (get_annotations, category algo_update). Then see which queries left the page: query_top_queries with pageContains and sort: "decline". A page that lost only informational queries with a stable position and falling CTR points to AI Overviews; confirm by looking at the SERP.
How do I prioritize recovery?
Sort by clicks at stake (absolute loss), not by percentage: a page that lost 30% of 2,000 clicks matters more than one that lost 80% of 20. For each one: refresh (data, year, examples), consolidate with a competing page (see cannibalization), re-target the intent or fix the technical issue. Re-check after 28 days with the same tool.
Frequently asked questions
Which baseline should I use?
Both: the previous period of the same length for recent drops and a window 6–12 months earlier for slow decay. Seasonality calls for the same month of the previous year (compare: "year").
How many clicks does a page need to enter the analysis?
A minimum of impressions in the baseline avoids noise; Organiq defaults to 10 impressions on small sites and 100 on large ones, adjustable by parameter.
Is decay the same as a penalty?
No. Penalties are rare and come with a notice in Search Console; decay is gradual loss from competition, staleness, SERP changes or demand.
How long does a page take to recover?
Content refreshes usually show within 2 to 8 weeks after Google recrawls the page. Mark the change date and compare the following 28 days with the previous 28.