One of the Most Challenging SEO Incidents I've Faced—and How We Recovered

I’d like to share one of the most complex SEO challenges I’ve encountered, triggered by a Google Core Update—and how we successfully recovered our organic traffic by identifying key issues and implementing critical fixes. The website in question is a professional listing platform built using React JS with dynamic rendering. It hosts over 5 million pages , making it a large-scale JavaScript-based site where SEO management is particularly nuanced. How I Analyzed the Drop in Organic Traffic Shortly after Google’s Core Update, which spanned August to September , we noticed a significant drop in both organic clicks and impressions . The aim was to determine whether this drop was caused by internal issues, external factors, or a mix of both. Key Observations: When the Drop Occurred: The decline started in the second week of September , closely following the Core Update's rollout completion. August and September . Metrics Overview: Clicks: Dropped from 16K–18K to 12K–13K ...