ProRank SEO

Content Decay Monitor

Pro Feature

Track and prevent content performance decline with real-time Google Search Console data

Overview

The Content Decay Monitor uses real Google Search Console data to identify content losing search traffic over time. It provides two main views: Real-Time Monitor for tracking page age and update status, and Performance Report for analyzing traffic decline patterns and decay scores.

Content Decay Monitor Dashboard

Decay Detection

Identify declining content automatically

Time Analysis

Compare multiple time periods

Severity Scoring

5-level priority system

Recovery Tracking

Monitor content recovery

Key Features

Flexible Time Periods

  • 28 Days
    Quick monthly snapshot for recent changes
  • 3 Months
    Quarterly analysis for seasonal patterns
  • 6 Months
    Semi-annual review for long-term trends
  • 1 Year
    Annual comparison for comprehensive analysis

Customizable Thresholds

10%
Decline Detection
15%
Decline Detection
20%
Decline Detection
30%
Decline Detection
50%
Decline Detection

Multi-Metric Tracking

Primary Metrics

  • • Click-through rate (CTR)
  • • Search impressions
  • • Average position
  • • Total clicks

Calculated Metrics

  • • Decay velocity
  • • Severity score
  • • Recovery rate
  • • Traffic lost

Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • ✓ProRank SEO Pro license or higher
  • ✓Google Search Console connected with 30+ days of data
  • ✓WordPress 6.0+ with cron jobs enabled

Initial Setup

  1. 1. Connect Google Search Console
    ProRank SEO → Analytics → Integrations Setup → Google Search Console
→ Click"Connect to Google"
→ Authorize access
→ Select verified property
  2. 2. Access Content Decay Monitor
    ProRank SEO → Analytics → Content Decay
→ Choose between "Real-Time Monitor" or "Analysis Report" tabs
  3. 3. View Your Data
    • • Real-Time Monitor: Shows all posts sorted by last modified date
    • • Analysis Report: Generates decay scores and performance metrics
    • • Pages are automatically categorized by priority (Critical/High/Medium/Low)

Understanding Severity Levels

The Content Decay Monitor uses a 5-level severity system to help you prioritize which content needs attention first:

1 - Minimal
10-20% decline
Monitor situation
No immediate action
2 - Mild
20-35% decline
Schedule review
Within month
3 - Moderate
35-50% decline
Priority refresh
Within 2 weeks
4 - Severe
50-70% decline
Urgent attention
Immediate
5 - Critical
>70% decline
Emergency response
Today
Important: In the current implementation, severity levels are primarily based on content age. Pages not updated for over 365 days are marked as Critical, 180+ days as High Priority, and 90+ days as Medium Priority. Future updates will incorporate GSC traffic data for more accurate scoring.

Priority Matrix

Use this matrix to determine which declining content to address first based on traffic volume and decay rate:

Traffic VolumeDecay RatePriorityAction Timeline
HighRapid
Critical
Immediate
HighModerate
High
Within 3 days
HighGradual
Medium
Within week
MediumRapid
High
Within 3 days
MediumModerate
Medium
Within 2 weeks
LowAny
Low
As resources allow

Recovery Strategies

Rapid Decay
>50% traffic loss

  1. 1. Check for manual actions or penalties
  2. 2. Verify technical issues (404s, redirects)
  3. 3. Analyze SERP changes and competitor content
  4. 4. Perform emergency content update
  5. 5. Build fresh, relevant backlinks

Moderate Decay
30-50% traffic loss

  1. 1. Update outdated statistics and information
  2. 2. Add FAQ section with current questions
  3. 3. Enhance E-E-A-T signals
  4. 4. Improve page speed and Core Web Vitals
  5. 5. Optimize for featured snippets

Gradual Decay
20-30% traffic loss

  1. 1. Schedule regular content updates
  2. 2. Perform seasonal optimization
  3. 3. Align with current user intent
  4. 4. Enhance mobile experience
  5. 5. Improve internal linking

Best Practices

Daily Checks (5 min)

  • • Review critical alerts
  • • Check top 5 declining pages
  • • Note unusual patterns

Weekly Analysis (30 min)

  • • Run fresh analysis
  • • Review all declining pages
  • • Prioritize updates
  • • Schedule tasks

Monthly Review (2 hours)

  • • Comprehensive analysis
  • • Compare trends
  • • Update calendar
  • • Report results

Prevention Strategies

  • →Quarterly Audits: Full-site content reviews every 3 months
  • →Proactive Updates: Annual statistics refresh for all content
  • →Content Calendar: Schedule regular review cycles
  • →Impact Tracking: Measure update effectiveness

API Access

Developers can access Content Decay data programmatically via REST API:

// Get WordPress posts for monitoring
GET /wp/v2/posts?per_page=50&orderby=modified&order=asc

// Get decay analysis results (backend ready, frontend integration pending)
GET /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/content-decay

// Trigger new analysis
POST /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/content-decay/analyze
{
"period":"28days",
"threshold": 20
}

// Get report data
GET /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/content-decay/report

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I run decay analysis?

For most sites, weekly analysis is optimal. High-traffic sites may benefit from daily checks, while smaller sites can use bi-weekly or monthly schedules.

What causes content decay?

Common causes include algorithm updates, increased competition, outdated information, seasonal changes, technical issues, and shifts in user intent.

How long before seeing recovery?

Recovery timelines vary: Minor updates (2-4 weeks), Major refreshes (4-8 weeks), Complete rewrites (8-12 weeks). Results depend on crawl frequency and competition.

What's the minimum traffic for accurate detection?

For GSC-based decay detection, pages need at least 10 clicks in the comparison period. The current Real-Time Monitor uses content age as a proxy for decay, which works for all content regardless of traffic.

Is Google Search Console data required?

GSC is recommended for accurate traffic-based decay detection. However, the Real-Time Monitor can identify outdated content using modification dates even without GSC connected.

Troubleshooting

Support Resources