Reality and timeline.
Whether the loss is real, when it truly began and how much is explained by tracking, cookie-consent settings, attribution, reporting or platform change.
Traffic loss,
analysed.
Independent investigation for businesses after a commercially material fall in organic search traffic. Establish what changed, when it changed and what response the evidence supports.
A drop is not a diagnosis.
A recent algorithm update, release or competitor move is a lead, not yet the cause.
Discern dates and separates the loss, reconstructs what changed around it and tests every credible explanation against the shape, timing and affected parts of the site. The response begins only after the evidence can support one.
What the work answers.
Four questions between a drop and a defensible response.
The investigation establishes what happened before it concludes why or recommends what comes next.
Failure state.
Whether the failure sits in demand, clicks, ranking, indexing, crawling, rendering, conversion or measurement, and which parts of the site carry it.
Cause testing.
Which algorithmic, competitive, content, technical or operational explanations fit the date, shape and affected segments, and which do not.
Recovery and response.
What should happen now, what must be verified after implementation and which recovery claims the evidence cannot honestly support.
Scope and fees.
The fee reflects the complexity of the loss and the evidence.
Traffic Loss Investigation
From £7,500
Standard scope · usually 7–14 working days from accessFor a material decline affecting one principal site or market, with a written investigation report, case workbook and readout.
Complex Investigation
From £12,000
Complex, multi-market or multi-domain scopeFor losses spanning multiple domains, migrations, platforms or markets, or where the timeline and evidence require deeper reconstruction.
Expedited start
+£2,000
Subject to availabilityPriority commencement within five working days. The delivery date still depends on scope, access and the condition of the evidence.
The domain, loss, available evidence and decision deadline are reviewed first. You receive a written scope, access list, delivery date and fixed fee before work begins.
What you receive.
A diagnosis your team can inspect.
The report shows the explanation that survived, the evidence behind it and the theories that did not.
Investigation report.
A concise account of when and where the loss occurred, the most supportable explanation, the commercial implications and the appropriate response.
Case workbook.
The timeline, hypotheses, source trail, findings, affected segments, actions and verification tests behind the report, including unresolved questions that remain open.
Response and readout.
A sequenced response for the internal, agency or engineering team, followed by a working session covering the diagnosis and next decisions.
You see the explanation that survived. You also see what was ruled out, and why.
How the investigation runs.
The conclusion has to fit the date, shape and affected segments.
Preserve the evidence.
Search, analytics, release, technical and commercial evidence are secured before further changes obscure the original event.
Reconstruct and separate.
The true start is dated, the failure state is isolated and the loss is aligned with releases, migrations, updates, tracking changes and external events.
Test the explanations.
Each credible cause is checked against the timing, pattern and parts of the site affected. What does not fit is ruled out.
Conclude and verify.
The diagnosis is evidence-graded, the response is sequenced and the tests required to verify recovery are made explicit.
See the analysis behind the conclusion.
The sample shows how the timeline, competing explanations, response and evidence are presented, supported by an illustrative case workbook. The actual investigation follows the loss and the evidence available rather than a fixed audit template.
Open the sample reportQuestions. Answered.
Scope and access
What do you assess in a traffic loss investigation?
The work establishes the reality and timeline of the loss; separates measurement, demand, click, ranking, indexing, crawling, rendering, conversion and technical failures; tests the relevant algorithmic, competitive, content and operational explanations; and defines the response and verification required. The exact scope follows the date, shape and affected parts of the site.
Do we need to know what caused the loss before we enquire?
No. A meaningful unexplained decline is the reason to enquire. Early theories are useful leads, but they do not need to be correct or complete before the work begins.
What access is required?
Normally read-only access to Search Console and analytics, plus relevant release records, migration documentation, tracking changes and technical information. Additional evidence is requested only where the case requires it.
Can the investigation lead into a broader SEO audit?
If the evidence identifies broader weaknesses, they will be made visible and the response can recommend a separate review. The investigation itself stays focused on explaining the loss rather than expanding automatically into a general growth audit.
Timing and working together
How quickly can a traffic loss investigation start?
Availability is confirmed during the initial discussion. A standard investigation usually takes 7–14 working days once access is complete. An expedited start is available by agreement when the timetable is genuinely urgent.
Can you guarantee recovery?
No. Some losses are recoverable, some are only partly recoverable and some reflect structural changes in demand or search results. Discern establishes what the evidence supports and avoids promising an outcome that cannot be shown.
Can you work with our SEO agency or internal team?
Yes. Discern investigates independently and can then explain the findings to the people responsible for implementation. It does not need to replace the existing team or sell the recovery work.
Is the work confidential and insured?
Yes. Contractual confidentiality and data-handling terms are supplied with the engagement scope, and Discern carries professional indemnity insurance appropriate to the work.
Has organic traffic fallen without a supportable explanation?
Send the domain, when the loss was noticed and a short outline of what changed. A clear scope and fixed fee follow before work begins.
Discuss a traffic loss