SEO Recovery After Two Google Core Updates
Diagnosis on real data (Google Search Console, 16 months) + redesign
Project Details
Category
SEO Optimization & RedesignIndustry
Car Towing Roadside AssistancePlatform
WordPress Yoast SEOFocus
Local SEO Indexing
The Situation
The site wasn't new - it had ranked well for years, then lost its traffic: −73% clicks (from ~300 down to 81 per month). The technical base was solid (WordPress, HTTPS, mobile-friendly, fast server), but the site was hit by two quality-focused Google Core Updates. The homepage sat at position ~8 - the bottom of page 1. We started from an audit built on real Google Search Console data, spanning 16 months.
The core problem: indexing
Out of ~443 known pages, only 80 were indexed by Google (18%). The other 363 were not - 208 refused as "thin", 53 duplicates and 61 with canonical issues. A site with hundreds of low-value pages sends a site-wide low-quality signal that keeps even the good pages below the top 3.
Pages indexed
Only 18% of pages made it into the index. Hundreds of thin, duplicated articles diluted the authority of the entire domain.
Quality core updates
The traffic drops line up exactly with the March & May 2026 Core Updates. Not a technical penalty - a quality re-evaluation, which is won back through quality.
Off-topic + weak local signals
~74 articles about car rental / holidays diluted the focus on "towing". Inconsistent phone number, zero on-site reviews, an unoptimized Google Business profile.
What we did
Recovery comes through quality. We cleared the ballast, strengthened the local signals and rebuilt the technical foundation - plus a modern, clear and fast redesign.
- Indexing cleanup: delete / noindex / consolidate 200+ thin and duplicate pages
- Moved ~74 off-topic articles to a separate domain (301 redirect)
- Structured data: LocalBusiness + Service + Review (eligible for stars in Google)
- Technical: unblocked the theme in robots.txt, rewritten meta descriptions, caching enabled
- Intent pages: Otopeni, non-stop, A1/A2/A3 highways, price per km, roadside assistance
- Full redesign: clear hero, transparent pricing, optimized speed and mobile experience
Results - before vs. after
The same page, measured on mobile with Google PageSpeed Insights. From average scores to near-perfect - plus a clean indexing foundation, ready to regain rankings at the next core update.