What is content decay?
Content decay is a sustained drop in search clicks or impressions on URLs that previously performed. Learn causes and how BearAudit flags decaying pages.
Content decay describes pages whose organic search performance declines over time—fewer clicks or impressions vs a prior period—often because content becomes outdated, competitors improve, or intent shifts.
Common causes
- Stale statistics, pricing, or product information
- Stronger competing pages outranking you
- Technical regressions (noindex, canonical mistakes, speed)
- Seasonal topics past peak interest
How BearAudit uses it
On the Monitoring page, Content decay compares two Google Search Console windows and lists URLs above your minimum drop threshold, with clicks at risk estimates. Pair decay rows with Verifications and the Action plan to schedule refreshes on high-value URLs first.