Google tends to update its search algorithm more often than it stays the same. Experts estimate that Google changes its search algorithm around 500 to 600 times each year.
While most of these changes don’t significantly change the SEO landscape, some updates are significant and determine the continuity of websites that rely on organic search traffic.
To thrive through these changes, webmasters need to quickly adapt their websites to the new update requirements. Failure to do so leads to a drop in search rankings and a massive loss of organic traffic which sometimes leads to the death of some websites.
In this article, we are sharing with you a list of some of the popular affiliate websites that died because of failure to adapt to google search algorithm changes in the last 5 years.
1. 144hzmonitors.com
144hzmonitors.com was a popular website in the gaming monitors space.
It covered the latest news regarding gaming monitors, technologies that reduce motion blurs, such as LightBoost, display overclocking, high frame rate (HFR), variable refresh rate (G-SYNC, FreeSync), and any technologies that are better than the usual 60Hz refresh rate.
Traffic statistics
- Status: online
- Monthly traffic (prior): 1.8m
- Monthly traffic (now): 9.6k
2. Monitornerds.com
Monitornerds is a review website that focuses on PC monitors and other gaming gear. The team made product review articles to help users get valuable insight before making a decisive upgrade or purchase for their setups.
Traffic Statistics
- Status: online
- Monthly traffic (prior): 500k
- Monthly traffic (now): 25.7k
3. Theoutdoorland.com
The Outdoor Land was a popular website that made outdoor activity guides and reviews of hunting gear, camping equipment, fishing equipment, and survival essentials.
This website died because of google algorithm updates, but currently, it has been revived under a new brand name and domain.
Traffic statistics
- Status: redirected
- Monthly traffic (prior): 150k
- Monthly traffic (now): 0
4. Hairlossable.com
Hairlossable.com is a website that makes popular hair care guides and reviews on hair care-related solutions and products.
Traffic statistics
- Status: online
- Monthly traffic (prior): 212k
- Monthly traffic (now): 0
5 .Baldingbeards.com
Balding Beards was a popular men’s grooming blog with guides and product reviews on men’s facial hair grooming, hair loss, and style.
Traffic statistics
- Status: online
- Monthly traffic (prior): 427k
- Monthly traffic (now): 0
6. Batandballgame.com
Bat and ball game was a popular website that shared baseball products buyer's guides, reviews, and lifestyle articles.
Traffic statistics
- Status: offline
- Monthly traffic (prior): 38k
- Monthly traffic (now): 0
7. Coffeemakerpicks.com
This was a popular coffee maker review site that was loved by coffee fanatics. It was an affiliate website that recommended the best coffee makers on Amazon.
Traffic statistics
- Status: online
- Monthly traffic (prior): 100-200k
- Monthly traffic (now): 434
8. Protoolreviews.com
Pro Tool Reviews is an online publication that has been providing tool reviews and industry news since 2008.
This website was once hit severely by the Google updates but its owners have been able to recover it after doing a complete makeover on their brand and SEO configurations.
Traffic statistics
- Status: online
- Monthly traffic (prior): 450k
- Monthly traffic (now): 431k
Conclusion
It’s quite shocking to see popular websites being wiped out by failure to adapt to algorithm updates which can be solved with even little SEO tweaks.
Webmasters need to stay up to date with Google search updates and always find reliable information to stay on top of the changes.
Currently, it’s important to build a brand around your website if you truly want it to make you money for the next 10 years or more. Traffic volatility is nowhere near this high if you own an actual company, not just a site about reviewing monitors on Amazon. Google knows how to tell the difference, and will churn affiliate sites quite aggressively since there's no real reason to keep a single one ranking for extended periods. Unless you have a brand as Pro Tool Reviews does.
