What are fluctuations, and are they expected?

Fluctuations in online marketing results, such as changes in keyword rankings, traffic, user behavior, and even ROI, are completely normal and should be expected in any online marketing. In earlier years, these shifts were mostly caused by factors like;

  • Revamped sites, new pages published, or content rewritten can exaggerate the fluctuations. Google also states that a new website (one with a new domain and no redirection added) can take up to a year to become stable.
  • Frequent search engine algorithm updates (Google rolls out 4000+ updates each year – https://go.ekwa.com/4ogZE7o )
  • Website updates, competition, user behavior, etc. 
  • Seasonal factors also play a significant role in user search behavior, which in turn affects all types of statistics, ranging from traffic to ROI. We’ve consistently observed predictable declines during November and December, as well as for certain industries; a decline is also evident during the summer months. This is followed by spikes in the subsequent months. When reviewing timeline-based performance charts, these seasonal dips appear clearly and repeatedly, demonstrating that they are not errors or failures, but rather a built-in feature of online marketing cycles. Actual issues with the website or online marketing as a whole would show as continuous or steep declines.

Below is a simplified illustration that can help you gauge and identify what could potentially affect stats when viewed from a graph. We at Ekwa look for more continuous declines for two or more continuous months (excluding November and December) or steep declines, and using that data, we can better identify what’s going on underneed the hood.

Dips and Spikes

Source: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/monitor-debug/debugging-search-traffic-drops

  • The impact of AI – In 2025, we witnessed the convergence of online marketing and AI. This led to widespread disruptions in traditional user search behavior. No more did users go to Google and type in a search term. They used ChatGPT or Preplexcity to do a search. Google’s launch of its own AI Mode and inclusion of AI Overviews directly into search results meant that many people no longer had a need to visit a website. Even if a user wanted to learn more about a business, all they had to do was ask a follow-up question through the AI platform. This caused declines in website traffic and even affected keyword rankings, impressions, and overall ROI. Click here to learn more about how AI impacts you.