The Fall of GeeksForGeeks: An SEO lesson and a major loss to the developer community

Google’s hammer has struck, and it hit hard… This might be the toughest penalty I’ve ever seen. GeeksForGeeks, once a go-to site for developers, SEOs, and more, has been deindexed by Google. The result? A complete loss of visibility.

If you search for the site now, you won’t find it. There’s no trace of existence… This sudden drop in visibility is a harsh reminder of how quickly and severely Google can impact even the most established sites. Below is a screenshot of my SERP. GeeksForGeks is gone. Gone with the wind...

The SEO crash in numbers

In the first quarter of the year (January to March), GeeksForGeeks saw an impressive 136.9 million visits, per Semrush data. With 83% of that traffic coming from Google. Fast forward to April, and that number drops to zero. No traffic. Nothing.

I personally find this fascinating. Google does not play. They might grant you the benefit of the doubt, but when they make sure you're trying to play them, they will knock you out.

What I like to bear in mind is that they did this for GeeksForGeeks and previously Forbes. Huge actors in the web scene. Imagine what they would do to sites like yours and mine...

SEO learnings from GeeksForGeeks

Subdomains: are really subdomains

Google tells us it treats subdomains as separate entities, meaning any issues on a subdomain shouldn’t necessarily affect the main domain. Can we say that's not true in this case? Geeks For Geeks was deindexed completely. No subdomain was spared.

This might be a unique case. But it might not be... We know there have been leaks from Google’s 2024 API suggesting that Google doesn’t always make a clear distinction between a primary domain and its subdomains.

The Culprit: Topical Drift

The main issue appears to be “topical drift” — a common problem when websites try to diversify. GeeksForGeeks expanded its focus beyond its core of tech and development into irrelevant topics like birthday ideas and Instagram tips. This diluted its authority and led to a loss of relevance in Google’s eyes.

Site Structure VS Global Penalty

Another major factor was a flat site structure, lacking a clear content hierarchy. This likely contributed to a site-wide penalty. A strong structure improves crawlability and makes content prioritization easier for search engines.

SEO Takeaways: Lessons Learned from GeeksForGeeks’ Decline

• Stay focused on your core topic. Irrelevant content weakens your authority.
• Use a proper URL structure to help Google understand your site.
• Be cautious with subdomains — they can still impact your main domain.
• Don’t chase traffic at the expense of quality. EEAT matters.

Some thoughts from the Twitter community

I checked GeeksForGeeks’ official Twitter post. The community was divided:

Some pointed out the site’s quality had declined for a while.

Others were more empathetic, calling the site a valuable resource and hoping for a recovery.

Wrapping up on the Geeks For Geeks SEO downfall

This case is a wake-up call. SEO rewards clarity and relevance. Stray too far from your niche and risk everything. GeeksForGeeks is now trying to recover, reportedly deleting questionable content. But will it be enough?