Nomad List SEO Audit

Case Study: Nomads List's Traffic Nosedive - A Deep Dive into a Troubled Site Migration

Hey everyone, today we're doing a deep dive into a fascinating (and cautionary) SEO case study: the significant traffic drop experienced by Nomads List after their recent domain migration.

We'll analyze what went wrong and extract valuable lessons for anyone considering a similar move.

The Problem: From 14k to 5k Organic Traffic

Nomads List, a popular resource for digital nomads, recently migrated from nomadlist.com to nomads.com. While seemingly a straightforward domain upgrade, the results were far from ideal.

Before Migration (August): ~3,540 pages indexed, ~14,000 organic traffic.

After Migration: ~262 pages indexed, ~5,000 organic traffic.

That's a staggering loss of nearly two-thirds of their organic traffic! While some recovery is evident, it's clear that significant issues plagued the migration process.

1. Backlink Issues and "No Follow" Misuse

Examining Nomads List's backlink profile revealed some troubling inconsistencies:

HBR.org Backlink: A valuable backlink from hbr.org correctly redirects from the old domain to the new one, indicating a proper 301 redirect implementation in this instance.

PhotoAI Backlink: However, a backlink from ai.com to the old domain was tagged as "nofollow." This is a significant error, as "nofollow" attributes prevent the transfer of link equity (SEO value) to the new domain. This likely hindered the new domain's ability to inherit the authority of the old one.

It is speculated that the previous domain that was redirecting to nomadlist.com might be impacting the SEO negatively. However, there is an issue with the redirects, as they seem to be set up incorrectly.

2. Redirect Errors and Infinite Loops

The audit uncovered several critical redirect issues:

Missing Full Domain in 301 Redirects: Many 301 redirects were implemented without the full domain name (e.g., redirecting to "/page" instead of "https://nomads.com/page"). This is a fundamental error that can confuse search engines and lead to indexing problems.

Infinite Redirect Loops: Some pages were caught in infinite redirect loops, causing "Too Many Redirects" errors. This effectively makes these pages inaccessible to both users and search engines. One example is the "best places for workers to live" page, which redirects to itself.

Incorrect HTTP Headers: Redirects were often implemented without the trailing slash, further contributing to the redirect errors.

These redirect problems likely resulted in significant loss of link equity and user experience issues.

3. Title Tag Inconsistencies and Rendering Problems

JavaScript-Based Title Tag Changes: The audit found that the initial title tag in the HTML source code was often replaced by a different title tag via JavaScript. While Google can generally render JavaScript, this practice can introduce inconsistencies and potentially confuse search engines. Specifically, the /countries page has the correct title in the source code but is replaced with just "Countries" by JavaScript, which is not ideal.

Multiple Title Tags: Some pages had multiple title tags, which is an SEO best practice violation.

Title Tag in Body: The /fire-calculator page has its title tag in the <body> section instead of the <head>. While Google might still pick it up, it's not valid HTML and should be corrected.

4. Firewall Blocking Googlebot

Perhaps the most critical finding was that Nomads List's firewall was blocking Googlebot, resulting in "Too Many Requests" errors for many pages. This effectively prevented Google from crawling and indexing a significant portion of the site.

User-Agent Switching Test: Using a user-agent switcher to mimic Googlebot revealed that many pages were inaccessible, while switching to a mobile user-agent allowed access.

Google Search Console: Checking Google Search Console for crawl errors would have immediately highlighted this issue.

This finding is almost certainly the main reason the number of pages indexed dropped from over 3,000 to just over 200. The firewall is blocking Google from accessing the content.

5. Potential Issues with Site Name Change

The migration also involved a change in the site name from "Nomad List" to "Nomads.com." While not definitively proven, this change might have impacted Google's perception of the site's brand and topical relevance. The site name that Google uses in the SERPs is "Best places to live for digital nomads," which is pulled from the H1 on the home page. It does not seem to be using the application name set in the structured data.

6. Other Minor Issues

Missing Robots.txt: The site lacks a robots.txt file, which is recommended for providing instructions to search engine crawlers.

429 Errors: Some pages returned 429 "Too Many Requests" errors, even for regular users, indicating potential server-side issues.

Recommendations for Recovery

Based on the audit findings, here are the key recommendations for Nomads List to recover their lost traffic:

Fix the Firewall: Immediately address the firewall issue blocking Googlebot. This is the highest priority and likely the biggest contributor to the traffic drop.

Correct Redirects: Implement all 301 redirects correctly, including the full domain name and trailing slash. Ensure no redirect loops are present.

Review and Correct Title Tags: Ensure each page has a single, relevant title tag placed within the <head> section. Avoid JavaScript-based title tag manipulation.

Fix "Nofollow" Backlinks: Reach out to sites with "nofollow" backlinks pointing to the old domain and request they be changed to "dofollow" or removed. It should ideally be a do-follow because it is for the same brand.

Add a Robots.txt File: Create and implement a robots.txt file to guide search engine crawlers.

Investigate 429 Errors: Address the root cause of the 429 errors to improve site performance and user experience.

Monitor Google Search Console: Regularly check Google Search Console for crawl errors, indexing status, and other performance issues. Use the "URL Inspection" tool and "Live Test" to see how Google is rendering the pages.

Consider Reverting Site Name: If feasible, consider reverting the site name in structured data and throughout the site to "Nomad List" to potentially regain brand recognition.

Conclusion

The Nomads List case study serves as a stark reminder of the complexities involved in site migrations. Seemingly minor errors can have devastating consequences for organic traffic. By addressing the identified issues, particularly the firewall blocking Googlebot and the numerous redirect errors, Nomads List has a good chance of recovering their lost traffic and regaining their position as a leading resource for digital nomads.

This audit highlights the importance of meticulous planning, thorough testing, and ongoing monitoring during any site migration or major SEO changes. Remember to always prioritize user experience and ensure your site is easily accessible to both users and search engines. Good luck!