Why are tags and archives ranking instead of posts?

  • Resolved John Kenny Adeya

    (@johnkennyadeya1)


    1 year, 4 months ago

    Hi RankMath,

    Recently, I experienced a serious drop in rankings on Google. (Please note, we are not talking about traffic) I realized that Google had started ranking my archive pages instead of the actual posts. For example, when someone searches for Taylor Swift, Google ranks the category Music and shows the headline of the actual as an excerpt instead of ranking the article itself with the excerpt I originally set. This means that I cannot rank number one anymore because categories don’t have the right keywords. I decided to disable the indexing of categories and tags and something worse happened. Google ranks my main page and uses the intended post as the excerpt. That is so terrible. Some articles eventually get listed weeks later, but then they are no longer newsworthy. This problem is stressing me out so badly. I have so many posts so I can’t afford to reset the plugin. Please help me get out of this mess. This is my website.

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Plugin Support Rank Math Support

    (@rankmathteam)

    Hello @johnkennyadeya1,

    Thank you so much for getting in touch.

    If your homepage or your category pages are ranking better than your actual articles, then Google thinks that your homepage/categories are more optimized than your product pages for that certain keyword. To address the issue of Google ranking your archive pages instead of the actual posts, follow these recommendations:

    1. Optimize individual posts: Ensure each post has a unique title, relevant keywords, and a compelling meta description. This helps Google understand the content’s relevance and improves the chances of proper ranking for the desired search phrase.
    2. Improve internal linking: Add relevant internal links from other pages, such as the main page or related posts, to signal their importance to Google.
    3. Monitor and update content: Regularly review and update your posts to keep them fresh and relevant. This can improve their visibility in search results.

    Hope that helps, and please do not hesitate to let us know if you need our assistance with anything.

    Thread Starter John Kenny Adeya

    (@johnkennyadeya1)

    I have all my posts optimized for the past 18 months, and that’s why I ask this question. After working so hard optimizing each article very well, Google just chooses archive pages that have insufficient information on the actual new stories. The result is a lower and rare ranking for my keywords. I even tried to de-index the categories and tags, but all in vain. Instead, Google now picks the dilute details from homepage archives. This is so weird as my articles have been ranking in 48 hours nicely with featured images.

    Also Note: RankMath shows N/A for the SEO score of other posts after transfer from Yoast yet, the opening individual post shows the accurate score. You should fix this bug too

    Plugin Support Rank Math Support

    (@rankmathteam)

    Hello @johnkennyadeya1,

    In some cases, tags and archive pages on WordPress may rank higher than individual posts on Google due to factors such as keyword relevance, internal linking, content duplication, user engagement, and link popularity.

    These pages often target relevant keywords, have comprehensive content, and benefit from the internal linking structure of WordPress. Additionally, their broader view of topics or categories may engage users and result in longer session durations.

    Furthermore, if these pages receive more inbound links or social media shares, they can accumulate higher link popularity, which can positively impact their rankings.

    Hope this helps provide further clarity into the situation.

    Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any other questions.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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